The acceptance of mLearning amongst the suburban college students: A micro-level study in North 24 Pargana of West Bengla

Abstract

The revolution of mobile phones is not merely limited to calling or texting; it has reached almost every sphere of humankind. In this 21st century, studies have claimed that mobile phones' accessibility is comparatively higher than the toilet. Nearly 6 billion people worldwide now are accessing a working mobile handset (UNESCO, 2014). The ubiquitous use of mobile phones brings mobility to its users and helps them accept this ICT based technology worldwide. This new technology of communication also has a remarkable contribution to the educational sector. Its real-time communication makes learning effortless and congenial to the potential learners. This study will explore mobile-based learning technology among the higher education aspirants of suburban colleges in North 24parganas of West Bengal. Suburban students are not getting the same facilitates as metro city students. Besides that, suburban culture and social taboos sometimes make problems to use or access mobile phones by students. However, this will not be focused on the comparison between metro city students and suburban students. Moreover, this study will focus on the usage of mobile phones among suburban college students and to what extent these students are comfortable with the mobile learning method. M-learning or mobile-based learning is "learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices" (M-Learning: Revision History - Wikipedia, 2020). The benefits of mLearning not only accepted by the students and educational institutions also the Indian higher education departments now have concentrated on this technology for its mass availability, user-friendly access, instantaneous sharing capacity, personalized uses, and Running connectivity. In the future, the limitations and barriers of learning can be overcome through mLearning technology.