Your smartphone is a powerful tool that can change the course of your life if used in the right way. They say tech is the new oil money. Well, with your mobile phone, you might just start drilling yours.
The world is going digital, and the demand for digital skills is also increasing. Sadly, access to learning these skills to meet the demand is very limited for many. Some cannot afford expensive devices, while some cannot afford to pay expensive fees. To balance this inequality and to eliminate these barriers, mobile apps are increasingly being designed to broaden access to digital skills. Now, millions can begin their tech journey with just their smartphone.
Several platforms have emerged as leaders in mobile tech education. Their success comes from designing for inclusion. This means that anyone who wants to learn tech has access to quality resources. Some or most of these resources are available for free on different platforms. This section of this article will briefly highlight some of these platforms that make learning tech from your mobile phone easier.
This is one of the most popular apps for learning coding on smartphones. It teaches both new and old techies programming languages like Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, SQL, and other basic data concepts. The app is designed for smartphone users. SoloLearn lessons are quite text-based and interactive.
SoloLearn also uses community discussions, where learners can interact with one another. The courses are beginner-friendly. So, it is useful for newbies who want to enter the tech industry without expensive computers or courses.
Enki is well known as an AI-powered mentor in your pocket. It is a coding mentor for techies who want to learn coding, data, work, and technical skills. The app offers daily coding exercises and challenges on the app that are designed to enhance learning.
Enki has a broader scope. The platform teaches programming concepts, data science, software development, and technical thinking. Enki’s content is optimized for reading rather than visual. This reduces data expenses and makes it accessible to users with smartphones and limited data plans.
Khan Academy is a nonprofit educational platform that offers a wide range of free online courses. The platform was created to offer accessible and quality education. One of its benefits is that anyone, anywhere, can have access to its free online courses. It is a comprehensive and free personalized learning platform designed to make world-class education accessible from any part of the world.
The platform offers both academic and tech courses, all for free. As a user, one can take full courses on computer programming, algorithms, and digital courses on the app. The downside is that you will not get a certificate upon completion.
Its mobile app uses very little internal memory, supports offline downloads, and delivers high-quality education without requiring constant internet access. It is perfect for students and self-learners. In fact, anyone with a smartphone can learn on the app.
EdX is another digital learning platform where online learning has been made easy. On edX, you can access over 2000 courses from over 140 institutions. EdX provides free access to university courses taught by professors at some of the most prestigious schools in the U.S. via video.
This app is a great option for individuals who want to learn new skills or advance their careers in tech. EdX offers a vast selection of tech courses like AI, cybersecurity, data science, and more. These courses are even available in various forms. Some can be taken as free courses, as professional certification, or even as a full degree.
This platform also offers certificates upon completion, although this is not free. A course may be taken for free, but it must be upgraded before the certificate can be issued. It is important to know that not all the courses on this platform are free.
The platform also has offline functionality. This means that you can download videos and transcripts on your phone so that you can continue your learning even without the internet.
The downside of the platform is that some of its functions require the use of a computer. You can use your mobile phone to stream videos, participate in group discussions, and complete most assignments. However, you will need a laptop for certain tasks like complex assignments, timed exams, and proctored exams.
Mimo is an app that teaches coding through interactive lessons and exercises. It offers courses in various programming languages (Python, HTML, JavaScript, SQL, and CSS).
Mimo is often described as the “Duolingo for tech skills.” It makes learning coding easy, practical, and fun with streaks and incentives. It offers interactive, bite-sized lessons for web development and programming. The app also emphasizes hands-on learning. It enables you to apply what you learn by building websites, developing applications, and solving coding challenges.
One of the outstanding features of the app is the intuitive built-in mobile editor (IDE) and Dedicated Playgrounds. These features allow you to write, run, and experiment with code directly from your phone. This enables you to practice and build projects at any time and from anywhere. Learning on Mimo is not completely free. The app offers a free version with limited content. It requires a premium subscription for one to access. Also read uLesson: Built for African Students
EdTech platforms are increasingly built with mobile-first principles. They prioritize smartphones and internet users who are widely available in low-resource environments. To overcome unreliable internet access, most of these digital learning platforms design their apps for offline usability. Where a user can download courses or videos and can revisit them much later. This ensures that one can still access the contents of these apps even without a data subscription.
Most of these platforms use cloud-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) and SaaS models. These models are responsible for reducing the need for expensive local servers or hardware. They scale easily, require minimal maintenance, and users can access them through lightweight web browsers or responsive designs that adapt to small screens. are scalable, require minimal maintenance, and can be accessed via lightweight web browsers or responsive designs that adapt to small screens.
EdTech developers prioritize hardware compatibility across low-cost devices. Tools such as Google Classroom, Khan Academy, and uLesson are designed to run on basic devices and support offline use. Some of these affordable edtech platforms integrate training videos, WhatsApp support groups, and helplines to help users navigate the tools. See Also: Inside Africa: African Innovation Stories Shaping the Continent
Although learning on mobile phones has its own limitations. It may be impossible to move from a beginner to an advanced level for some tech skills that require advanced properties. Despite this, one can still build and develop valuable skills just from using their smartphones.
Some of the skills are:
Educational technology (EdTech) apps have significantly transformed education. They have helped in fostering a more interactive, personalized, and accessible learning environment while improving student engagement and academic performance. It increases employability. These digital tools bridge the gap between traditional education and the requirements of the modern workforce by promoting skill development and facilitating lifelong learning.
EdTech is evolving to bridge the gap in learning in emerging markets by prioritizing affordability, accessibility, and resilience. In regions with unreliable internet, limited power, and low digital literacy, platforms are shifting from high-bandwidth, hardware-dependent models to mobile-first, low-data, and offline-capable solutions.
Successful EdTech solutions adapt content to local languages, cultures, and global curricula. Public-private partnerships are key to scaling infrastructure, with governments and NGOs supporting broadband expansion, device distribution, and digital literacy programs. The future is in systems adapting to their own systems. Constraints are treated as catalysts for creative and inclusive design, rather than barriers. See Also: Vesti: A Business Problem and Vesti’s Opportunity
Affordable, mobile-first learning is essential for digital inclusion because it meets learners where they are. They can learn on the devices they already own and can afford. Over 57% of the global population accesses the internet via mobile devices, with smartphones being the primary device. Designing education around mobile phones ensures it is accessible to a wider population.
In regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, the cost of a smartphone would be too expensive for the greater population. Affordability is a critical barrier. This means that making mobile-first solutions is not just for convenience but is an important tool necessary for equity.
Mobile-first design ensures that educational platforms are optimized for devices that students can afford and use. This approach allows for offline functionality and learning even with limited connectivity or older devices.
In conclusion, tech learning apps are doing the Lord’s work. Mobile-first learning supports lifelong learning and improves digital literacy, especially for rural populations who are often left behind. They are expanding access to essential digital skills. These apps are helping to reduce the cost of acquiring a digital skill and also breaking barriers. They are providing practical skills that improve employability. Mobile-first education is crucial for digital inclusion in emerging markets. The success of these platforms highlights the future of affordable digital learning.