Academic use of smartphones by university students: a developing country perspective. Issue 4 (1st August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hossain, Md. Emran; Ahmed, S.M. Zabed
• Editors: Thomsett-Scott, Beth
• Is Part Of: Electronic library. Volume 34:Issue 4(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-08-01
• Subjects: Digital libraries -- Periodicals; Libraries -- Automation -- Periodicals; 025.00285
• DOI: 10.1108/EL-07-2015-0112
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-0473

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: This paper investigates the use of smart phones for academic purposes by students at Dhaka University, the top-ranked university in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach: Students currently using smartphones answered a questionnaire survey, which focused on whether or not students used smartphones for academic works and, if so, what purposes they used them and their opinion on advantages of using smartphones for academic purposes. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze demographic and academic characteristics of the students in relation to their smartphone usage. Nonparametric analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests to compare between students' demographic and academic variables and their opinion on advantages of academic use of smartphones. Findings: The findings indicate that a vast majority of university students used smart phones for academic purposes. They, on average and across the board, had a positive perception towards academic use of smart phones. Although there were some differences in terms of gender, age, place of origin and duration of smart phone use; these differences are largely due to fact that smart phone is a relatively new addition to the life of most students participated in this study. Originality/value: Research investigating the academic use of smartphones in the perspective of developing countries is virtually non-existent. This is the first time an effort has been made to examine the use of smartphones by a large sample of university students in Bangladesh.