AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION OF THE USES AND GRATIFICATIONS OF APPS FOR STUDENT LEARNING

Abstract

Cell phone usage, particularly app usage, is pervasive among today’s college students. Utilizing the uses and gratifications theory, the current study explores students’ perceptions of the utility of smartphone apps in an educational context. The findings highlight the various types of apps that students use for academic purposes, which apps they perceive to be most important to their success in the classroom, and the apparent usefulness of these apps in both individual and group contexts. Implications of the study for both faculty and students are discussed.