Mobilizing education: Evaluation of a mobile learning tool in a low-income school

The pervasiveness of feature phones in emerging economies has contributed to the advent of mobile learning applications for low-income populations. However, many of these tools lack the proper evaluation required to understand their educational impact. In this paper, we extend the state of the art by presenting the evaluation of a game-based mobile learning tool in both formal and informal settings at a low-income school in Lima, Peru. We show that EducaMovil improves knowledge acquisition in the formal environment of a classroom. In addition, use of the tool in more informal settings such as school breaks enhances the level of knowledge, as long as there is continuous engagement over time. We also demonstrate that EducaMovil can be used as a paperless complement to homework. Finally, we provide teachers with a set of guidelines for a successful deployment of EducaMovil at their schools. Copyright 2012 ACM.