Mobile Devices and Apps, Characteristics and Current Potential on Learning

Abstract

[EN]Mobile devices and apps are placed in a prominent position in the daily routine of all people. The ubiquity and mobility are their main advantages. They are really becoming tools available forstudents and professionalsin order to be totally connected anywhere and for consulting and accessing information of any field. In fact, the use of these devices hassparked a positive impact on medicalsector asthey allowimplementing and including new technologies to make students more prepared for their future work. The goal of this paper is to describe the main characteristics and the use of mobile technologiesin this field. The mobile technology’sscope covers tablets and Smartphones. To achieve this goal, a surveywas conducted in the University of Salamanca and the participants were undergraduate students of Medical Schools and medical professionals. Results reveal that the usage of mobile devices and apps are spread out among them. However, it is still necessary an in-depth analysis of the potential and the use of specialized apps for medical education.