Study time: Is there an app for that?

    The app, developed at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia, has shown a positive impact on student academic performance, engagement and retention, according to the university.    
    Researchers recruited 394 Swinburne accounting and science students to test the app – called Quitch. Each day, a multiple-choice question was delivered to the students’ mobile devices. The question had to be answered within 20 to 60 seconds. If the answer was correct, the student earned points and was highly ranked on the app’s leaderboard.
    University researchers found that students who used the app were doing better in their courses. “The app users on average achieved marks 7.03 percent higher compared to students who chose not to use the app,” concluded a study published in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.
     In the past, students measured how they were doing against the progress of peers by comparing grades. But the study found that the app's leaderboard and digital badges provided instant feedback, allowing students to measure their progress compared to classmates. Students can also use the app when preparing for tests.       
    Increasingly, educators have turned to computer games and apps aimed at helping students learn. One prominent example -- Duolingo.com -- provides tutorials for language learners and also has a mobile app.
    The study, Using a gamified mobile app to increase student engagement, retention and academic achievement, was led by Ekaterina Pechenkina, a researcher with the learning transformations unit at Swinburne. 

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