Students' perception of smartphones as a new modality to enhance health sciences knowledge

Abstract

Smartphones are increasingly being used by health sciences students as a popular and effective learning tool, globally replacing traditional learning methods with advanced e-learning techniques. This study aimed to explore students' perception of smartphones as a new modality to enhance health science knowledge and whether this technology could assist them in accomplishing their educational goals. This descriptive cross-sectional study recruited 222 undergraduate health sciences students using a convenience sampling technique and used Delone and Mclean's information systems (IS) success model to develop variables for five IS success constructs. The study results showed that most participants were females (70.27%), and students used smartphones for multiple purposes, with accessing learning content (weighted average = 4.58), text messaging services (weighted average = 4.48), and internet-based text messaging services (weighted average = 4.36) being the most reported reasons. Students' perceptions regarding most smartphone usage for education included educational purposes and understanding lectures/revising concepts. Using smartphones as an educational aid influenced students' perceptions of system quality, information quality, system importance, usefulness, and satisfaction. Our study highlights the significant role of smartphones in the daily lives of health sciences students and their positive attitudes toward using them as a tool for enhancing their knowledge. Students use smartphones to access learning content and other online resources, and our findings suggest that educators should incorporate them into the educational curriculum. Notably, our study found that students' average daily smartphone usage varied widely. These findings have significant implications for the educational system, as smartphones have become an essential part of the educational experience for health sciences students. However, future studies could investigate the potential negative effects of smartphone usage on academic performance and explore the correlation between smartphone usage and academic outcomes to better understand the impact of smartphones on education.