Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme

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dc.contributor.advisorBrown, Cherylen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorMagunje, Caroline G Nen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2015-01-07T13:47:02Z
dc.date.available2015-01-07T13:47:02Z
dc.date.issued2013en_ZA
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractIn recent years, South African universities have been faced with increased massification as a result of more students entering higher education institutions. Some of the students are from poor communities such as rural areas and former black townships which are still educationally disadvantaged. These students, who have been described as ‘digital strangers’ in other studies, have had very little access to or had never used computers prior to university. With increased computerisation in higher education institutions, digital strangers face problems integrating into computer based learning. In contrast to computer access, mobile phone ownership is pervasive and ownership is not socially differentiated in the South African context. This study therefore sought to explore the use of mobile phones to support learning by first year female science students in an extended academic program at the University of Cape Town. Using critical theory, Gee’s notions of Big (D) and little (d) discourses and a qualitative case study methodology, the study examined student’s technological identities. Whilst the results of the study show the powerlessness that digital strangers feel when exposed to computers during their first year of study, the results also show that students identify with their mobile phones because the technology is part of their Discourse. The mobile phone provides emancipation and empowerment that the students need to survive in a challenging science fields through informal and affective learning necessitated by the various internet enabled applications of the technology. The study also showed that students found transferable skills from their mobile phones to computers, thereby enhancing their transition into computer based learning. The study recommends that higher education institutions should consider mobile phones as viable learning tools and the technology should not be regarded as separate from the computer, but rather the two should be viewed as complimentary educational tools.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationMagunje, C. G. N. (2013). <i>Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Centre for Higher Education Development ,CILT. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11742en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMagunje, Caroline G N. <i>"Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Centre for Higher Education Development ,CILT, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11742en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMagunje, C. 2013. Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Magunje, Caroline G N AB - In recent years, South African universities have been faced with increased massification as a result of more students entering higher education institutions. Some of the students are from poor communities such as rural areas and former black townships which are still educationally disadvantaged. These students, who have been described as ‘digital strangers’ in other studies, have had very little access to or had never used computers prior to university. With increased computerisation in higher education institutions, digital strangers face problems integrating into computer based learning. In contrast to computer access, mobile phone ownership is pervasive and ownership is not socially differentiated in the South African context. This study therefore sought to explore the use of mobile phones to support learning by first year female science students in an extended academic program at the University of Cape Town. Using critical theory, Gee’s notions of Big (D) and little (d) discourses and a qualitative case study methodology, the study examined student’s technological identities. Whilst the results of the study show the powerlessness that digital strangers feel when exposed to computers during their first year of study, the results also show that students identify with their mobile phones because the technology is part of their Discourse. The mobile phone provides emancipation and empowerment that the students need to survive in a challenging science fields through informal and affective learning necessitated by the various internet enabled applications of the technology. The study also showed that students found transferable skills from their mobile phones to computers, thereby enhancing their transition into computer based learning. The study recommends that higher education institutions should consider mobile phones as viable learning tools and the technology should not be regarded as separate from the computer, but rather the two should be viewed as complimentary educational tools. DA - 2013 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2013 T1 - Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme TI - Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11742 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/11742
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMagunje CGN. Using mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programme. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Centre for Higher Education Development ,CILT, 2013 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/11742en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentCILTen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyCentre for Higher Education Developmenten_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherInformation Communication Technologiesen_ZA
dc.titleUsing mobile phones to support learning : a case of UCT first year female science students in the Academic Development Programmeen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMEden_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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