Overview of factors that influence the adoption of mobile telephony by students in higher education institutions

Abstract

Universal telecommunications growth is largely attributed to rapid technological innovation and progressively more liberal policy environments. In the past decade, many developing countries have implemented technical and legislative reforms that have resulted in increased adoption of telecommunications technology. This has in turn led to productivity improvements and the successful adoption of mobile telephony. The adoption of mobile telephony is influenced by many factors and the study identifies the factors that influence Information Technology (IT) students' perceptions on the adoption of mobile telephony and the quality of mobile telecommunication services for academic and social purposes at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Durban, South Africa. The findings suggests that students understand and are fully aware of the use of mobile telecommunication services. Mobile telecommunication technology and its services could serve as an important pedagogical tools in higher education institution. The understanding of the significance of the various factors influencing the adoption and usage of mobile telecommunication services by students engenders opportunities to explore ways through which mobile technology could be integrated into teaching and learning processes at higher education institutions. The integration of mobile telecommunication technology into teaching and learning at universities will facilitate student-centered learning.