Abstract
Background: The use of mobile devices for education is rapidly growing, and it is a global phenomenon. The trend of bringing personal mobile devices for learning using the institution’s network to access data and other academic material is referred to as bring your own device (BYOD). Most universities in developed countries have implemented this phenomenon to enhance education. However, the rate of BYOD adoption in developing countries is lagging even though the majority of students and staff already own one or more mobile devices and are using them for personal and educational purposes. Objectives: The study determines the readiness of a South African university to adopt BYOD for teaching and learning. Moreover, the article presents the enabling factors and barriers of BYOD adoption within the university. Method: The study followed an interpretivist philosophical stance. A qualitative single-case study was used. Data were collected through questionnaires and thematic analysis was applied. Results: The BYOD readiness levels are low and are hampered both by organisational and technological factors. Key barriers include lack of comprehensive policies to govern the use of these devices, lack of infrastructure, limited top management support for innovations and security complexities, while the key enabling factors included accessibility to mobile technologies, ease of use, relative advantage and convenience. Conclusion: Bring your own device offers a suitable platform for mobile-learning (m-learning) in universities. Consideration of the readiness factors, such as adoption strategy, implementation plans, security and device management, skills development, and measures of discipline, is essential.
Highlights
The use of mobile devices for education is rapidly growing, and it is a global phenomenon
The findings indicate the recognition of the conceptualised readiness factors for bring your own device (BYOD) adoption in a South African university, where a priori factors analysed were suitability, discipline, accessibility, relevance, implementation, allowance, strategy and readiness
This number shows a positive result in that participants feel that their devices are suitable enough to be used as a tool for learning. When it comes to the element of Discipline, the findings indicate that participants are not disciplined enough to use their smart mobile devices during class time, as indicated by the low total of 28%
Summary
The use of mobile devices for education is rapidly growing, and it is a global phenomenon. The rate of BYOD adoption in developing countries is lagging even though the majority of students and staff already own one or more mobile devices and are using them for personal and educational purposes. Educators globally are emphasising the need for students to become more creative by incorporating digital tools and the Internet to enhance learning (Pegrum 2009). This increase in smart phone ownership among the youth, in students, has seen universities in developing countries taking notice and capitalising on this to enhance learning. Students are allowed to bring their own smart mobile devices to class to use on the institution’s network for learning in a practice called ‘bring your own device (BYOD)’. Smart phones have almost the same computing capabilities as desktop computers and some extra features such as voice and video recording, digital camera and other applications that can be used to enhance learning
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