IMPLEMENTING MOBILE-LEARNING IN NIGERIA TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM – A Feasibility Study
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Date
2011
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International Journal of Science and Advanced Technology
Abstract
This paper reports the pilot study on the feasibility of mobile-learning (m-learning) in Nigeria Tertiary Educational system. It investigates the level of availability and usage of mobile devices among students in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions. University of Ilorin- a Federal University and Kwara State University were the case study. One hundred students (100); fifty (50) from each of the universities were randomly sampled for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit the kind of mobile devices being use by the students and the use to which they are currently putting them. T-test statistical inference was used to analyze the mobile and computer usage patterns among the students, the calculated mean for the mobile devices usage pattern (9.43) is greater than that of computer usage pattern (5.30). This shows that students use mobile devices to perform more functions than computer systems. This result was further analyzed using paired samples correlations which show that there is a very weak correlation (0.241) between mobile devices and computer usage patterns. Also, the t-calculated is 18.888 and using degree of freedom of 99 and confidence interval of 0.050 in t-distribution table, the table value is 1.980. It was therefore inferred that since the table value is less than the t-calculated value, there is a significant difference between the mobile devices and computer usage patterns. The various types of mobile devices, and operations or usage to which they are being put to by students were summarized.
Furthermore, the academic relevance of these devices was discussed in relation to relevant theories of learning such as; behaviourism, constructivism, and socialism [11] that is enhanced by the usage pattern of mobile devices. It was concluded that the overall intention of blended learning, distance learning or e-learning is becoming more feasible in Africa especially in Nigeria via an emerging concept of m-learning. The green signal is the product of the general advancements in mobile communication technology, the availability, affordability and popularity of mobile devices among the digital native and digital immigrants [9] in Nigerian higher institutions of learning.
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Keywords
Mobile Learning; mobile devices; digital natives; digital immigrants; learning theories