Computer Science Students’ Perceptions of Mobile Technology in the Classroom

Abstract

Technology has become an essential part of society. It is not hard to imagine a technology-rich classroom where students use mobile technology to search the web, complete assignments, assess progress, create projects, and help each other solve problems. Students’ perceptions towards the use of mobile technology with image-rich interfaces in the classroom may be critical in establishing appropriate interventions to help lecturers integrate these resources into teaching and learning situations. The purpose of this research was to identify the perceptions of computer science students towards mobile technology in the classroom. A quantitative research approach involving the administration of a structured questionnaire to computer science students was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire included questions on demographics and attitudes about mobile technology in class. The study revealed that computer science students have a positive attitude towards the use of technology in class and realise the potential benefits of using mobile technology in class. It is clear from the results that the use of laptops and tablets in class are preferred to that of mobile phones, as the response with regard to the latter was less favourable.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n21p353