Open-source tools in education: how android can find its place in a learning environment

In the last decades, mobile devices have successfully managed to become an integral part of our everyday lives. This particular technology is progressively occupying more and more of the time we previously used to spend on desktop computers. This is especially apparent since the arrival of the Android Operating System. Among the wide variety of life-improving applications Android has in store and even those associated with entertainment, such as video games, there is a notable amount primarily focused on educational content. This particular category is addressed to both adults and children and can be easily accessed through the system’s application store (Playstore). The educational applications’ scope varies from teaching simple, basic subjects (e.g. the colors or the letters of the alphabet) to much more advanced topics in the form of mathematics, geography, history, foreign and even programming languages, via structured courses and hands-on practice (Scratch Junior and App Inventor are notable examples). This study aims to provide research on the use of Android and to evaluate whether mobile devices should have a place within the margins of the educational system. Concerning the Greek reality, the results indicate that although teachers are willing to include Android devices in the educational process, they often struggle to come up with innovative ideas that make use of its capabilities. Moreover, technology’s absence from classrooms is usually attributed to the way education is approached by the government on a national level which, as they claim, does not contribute towards that certain goal