Using Mobile Phones for Teaching and Learning Purposes in Higher Learning Institutions: the Case of Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania

Abstract

The study investigated how mobile phones have been used for teaching and learning purposes in higher learning institutions in Tanzania. Specifically the study assessed how mobile phones facilitated the teaching and learning process, identified the mobile phone applications used for teaching and learning, determined the types of learning activities facilitated through mobile phones and assessed the common limitations of m%lea rning in at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). The study employed a survey where teaching staff and students from faculties and institutes hosting academic programmes were involved. A total of 30 teaching staff and 40 students were randomly selected and included in the study. In%depth interviews, observations and questionnaire were used for data collection. It was found that majority of the respondents used their mobile phones for teaching and learning process. It was found that most respondents reported to use traditional mobile learning applications including text messages and calls. Few respondents had smart phones with a number of m%learning applications most of them being teaching staff. These were able to create upload, download and share academic resources through their smart phones while others recorded and stored files in their phones. It was also found that among teaching staff many were not aware of the capacity of their mobile phones such that they underutilized them. Costs associated with downloading multimedia content was another constraint which limited some respondents especially students from using phones for learning purposes. More than that, users were forced to use SMART/VISA cards for buying online mobile applications of which most respondents were not aware of.