ASSESSMENT OF THE PERCEIVED USEFULNESS OF MOBILE PHONE TECHNOLOGY FOR COMMUNICATION IN LEARNING BY DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDENTS IN A RURAL-BASED UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT

The study sought to establish distance education students' perceived usefulness of mobile phone technology for communication in learning. Furthermore, the study hypothesised an association between the respondents' biographical details and their perceived usefulness of mobile phone technology for communication in learning. The study was located within the positivist research paradigm, followed a quantitative research approach, and utilised a descriptive research strategy. The Technology Acceptance Model by Davis (1989) and the Community of Inquiry framework by Garrison (2009) informed the study. A stratified random sample of 337 distance education students responded to an online-administered structured questionnaire. Important ethical issues such as informed content, anonymity and confidentiality, as well as ethical clearance and informed consent were considered. Data were analysed statistically, with the aid of the SPSS version 25 software. Statistical data were presented in form of percentages and means. The chisquare test was utilised to respond to the hypotheses. The study found that the respondents affirmed that mobile phone technology was useful for communication in learning, as it allowed students to use text messages, calls, WhatsApp instant messages, emails, and notifications to enhance learning experiences. The study concludes that mobile phone technology has become an integral component of the learning process in distance education. Students were aware of the usefulness of mobile technology for learning, and were prepared to use the technology for flexible, anytime and anywhere learning. The study also found that there was no significant relationship between age, gender, programme and level of study;and the perceived usefulness of mobile phone technology for communication in learning. Given the findings, recommendations are made to formalise the integration of mobile phone technology in distance learning, by making smartphones and internet connectivity available for course instructors and tutors. Furthermore, course instructors and students should be developed and supported to derive maximum benefits from mobile phone utilisation for learning.