Mobile Technology as a Learning Tool in the Academic Environment
Abstract
Education in South Africa is not equally accessible, and the quality of education is not the same across all educational institutions. Students from low-income societies are scoring lower marks in contrast to students from higher income societies. The influence on this is the unavailability of efficient educational resources and infrastructure. This study uses a focus group of 300 students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) School of Economics. It attempts to examine and explain the effect of the use of mobile technology in academic activities within the school of economics at UKZN. The study divides the sample size into two groups, half is given mobile technology and the remaining group is deprived of mobile technology. The data is recorded in two educational production functions, namely Ordinary Least Squares and Logistic Regression Model. The cumulative distribution function examines the probability, in form of Logit, that a student passes economic if using mobile technology for academic activities or studying. Study findings indicate that it is imperative that institutions invest in mobile technology as their learning tool to improve throughput rate and it allows efficiency in all academic activities. Mobile technology enables students to be disciplined, effective and work ready.
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