Gender as a predictive factor for tasks completed using smartphones

Abstract

Smartphone usage among undergraduate students is growing (Woodcock, Middleton, & Nortcliffe, 2012). The prevalence of these devices in every aspect of student routines presents the research problem: how will smartphone usage affect how college students manage their coursework? To address this research problem, we conducted a pilot study examining the current level of smartphone usage among college students. A distinct battery of questions were created and posted to an online survey. Forty-two undergraduate students who own and use smartphones participated. Survey questions focused on how frequently students utilized specific smartphone functions to complete class-related tasks. This paper applies a quantitative analysis to this specific battery of questions in an effort to address the research question: Is gender a significant factor in determining the frequency with which smartphones are used to complete informal learning tasks?