University Student’s Perspectives on Using Cell Phones in Classrooms - Are They Dialing up Disaster?

 ABSTRACT

Mobile phones are one of the fastest growing technologies in this century all over the world and these devices are extremely influencing the adolescents. The present study was sought to establish students’ views on cell phones usage in university classrooms in an educational district in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study employed a quantitative approach and the design was a survey. A purposive sample of 179 National Diploma: Information Technology students learning in the year 1, year 2 and year 3 participated in the study. The data were collected through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire and they were captured manually into Microsoft Excel 2013 and were analysed. The findings of the study show that students were motivated by the cell phone’s use in learning. Even though, cell phones when used rarely for personnel use are causing distraction to the classmates, majority of the students believed that mobile phone usage in learning is very effective. The lecturers discourage students to use mobile phones in classrooms; however students still use it to enhance their studies. The researcher concluded that the university students are matured enough to understand that the mobile phones should be used for boons rather than letting themselves into disaster.