Students’ Adoption of Mobile Telephony in Higher Education Institutions: Understanding the Influencing Factors

Abstract

The universal telecommunications growth is largely attributed to rapid technological innovation and progressively more liberal policy environments. In the past, many developing countries implemented technical and legislative reforms that resulted in the increased adoption of telecommunications technology. This, in turn led to productivity improvements and the successful adoption of mobile telephony. The adoption of mobile telephony is influenced by many factors. This 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 technology and its services 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 has been identified in this study as a practice that can facilitate student-centered learning.