Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Abstract
The issue of access to university education due to low capacity of the universities to accommodate the
qualified students into the university system has become a great concern for parents and the governments.
The introduction of mobile learning will be a welcome development to reduce poor student access to the
university. However, there are issues and challenges that are likely to create a barrier toward a successful
implementation of mobile learning in universities in Nigeria. This paper therefore explains the concept of
mobile teaching and learning, features and benefits of mobile learning in the university system as well as
the issues and challenges toward a successful implementation of mobile teaching and learning in
universities in Nigeria. Some recommendations were suggested on how such issues and challenges can
be addressed which include the training of both the students and the academic staffs on the benefits of
some of the networking like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., to enhance teaching and learning in higher
education.
1 Introduction
As the world has become a global village because of the technological advancement in the world and
Nigeria in particular (Alabi, 2008; Kayode & Ojo, 2011, mobile teaching and learning (m-learning) in
recent years has become a valuable and real contribution to learning environment rather than what it used
to be in previous years as a theory, academic exploration, and technological idea (Alzaza and Yaakub
2011). Mobile technology according to Premadasa and Meegama (2013) has become an imperative
technology that landed recently upon the arena of emerging educational technologies in the global
academic sphere (p. 106). Some scholarly observers of educational trends expect mobile learning to be
the next significant innovation in higher education (Alexander 2004; Wagner 2005). Therefore, the role of
the lecturers and the students are considered as a fundamental element in the learning situation.
Even though mobile learning has advanced from testing stage to a new educational trend widely being
used by countries like Britain, Denmark, Japan, and the USA (Osang et al. 2013), mobile learning is still
very new and has not being fully implemented in most of the higher institutions in Nigeria. In a review of
the literature on mobile learning as stressed by Croop (2008), the exact origin of mobile learning could not
be pinpointed. However, according to Keegan (2000), the first extensive use of mobile learning as a label
for learning through the use of mobile devices surfaced in several pan-European mobile learning projects
that started in the late 1990s and the early 2000s.
According to Osang et al. (2013), the University of Ibadan in partnership with Education Advancement
Centre has also implemented it for the senior secondary students preparing for Joint Admission and
*Email: kayodedj@unilorin.edu.ng
*Email: davetol@yahoo.com
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Matriculation Board (JAMB UTME) in order to guarantee outstanding result in their exams. However, the
University of Ilorin which is one of the federal universities in Nigeria in an effort to implement mobile
teaching and learning has provided tablet PCs to over 7,000 students matriculated for 2013/2014
academic session. It therefore becomes pertinent to discuss how mobile teaching and learning can be
successfully implemented as many schools, both private and public, are working toward mobile teaching
and learning in their various schools.
The current young generation is growing up in a world dominated by communication with others and
access to information through the use of cell phones and other mobile devices (Croop 2008). Conversing
on the fly, text messaging, accessing media and information uninterrupted anywhere, and viewing text and
other media on a small screen may be affecting the manner in which young students prefer, and possibly
will need, to study and learn. Therefore, this paper discussed the issues and challenges in the implemen-
tation of mobile learning in higher education in Nigeria and how such challenges can be addressed.
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
wireless or mobile device. Fraga (2012) further defined mobile learning based on: facilitating technolo-
gies (Traxler 2007; Richardson 2006); location and type of activity (O’Mailey et al. 2003; Balasundaram
and Ramadoss 2007; Clark and Flaherty 2002) and in the context of research (Fraga 2012).
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
technology time’s newspaper, out of the 167 million Nigerians, 63.9 % of the population has access to
mobile phones. Mobile phones have been seen as a sensible choice for educational investment (Williams
2006), and it is perceived as beneficial for both the learners and instructors in developing nations because
of its cost-efficient method (Motlik 2008).
As stated by Croop (2008), the impact upon higher education of a global society that is becoming more
mobile can be seen in a 2005 survey of 1,600 randomly selected University of Wisconsin-Madison
students. The study reveals a quick abandoning of desktop computers in favor of laptops. This was also
revealed in the study conducted by eMarketer in 2006 according to Oblinger (2006) that over 80 % of
college students have cell phones, 56 % of college students own a laptop, and 75 % of college cell phone
owners use text messaging most often on their phones.
According to Premadasa and Meegama (2013), mobile learning technology has improved the learning
efficiency between the lecturers and the student as SMS has become one of the best communication
technologies that can be used to bond the two roles, the lecturers and the student, for distributing
information in the MLE. Therefore, the communication media as stressed by Rau et al. (2008) is an
essential factor in the mobile learning environment (MLE) to increase intrinsic motivation without
causing additional pressure in a demanding learning performance.
As highlighted by Attewell (2005), mobile devices can help improve literacy and numeracy skills,
encourage independent and collaborative learning experiences, identify areas where learners need
assistance and support, mitigate resistance using ICTs, engage reluctant learners, enable learners to
remain more focused for longer periods, and promote self-esteem and self-confidence (pp. 13–15). This
was supported by Crompton (2013) in her discussion about the benefit of mobile learning to the students
where she discusses five learning approaches using mobile devices; this is shown in Table 2.
According to Croop (2008), the impact upon higher education of a global society that is becoming more
mobile can be seen in a 2005 survey of 1,600 randomly selected University of Wisconsin-Madison
students. The study reveals a quick abandoning of desktop computers in favor of laptops. This was also
revealed in the study conducted by eMarketer in 2006 according to Oblinger (2006) that over 80 % of
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
college students have cell phones, 56 % of college students own a laptop, and 75 % of college cell phone
owners use text messaging most often on their phones. Furthermore, based on a survey of 107 students in
Texas where all were owners of cell phones, Corbeil and Valdes-Corbeil (2007) proposed the first device
that should be researched as a vehicle to implement mobile learning is the cell phone. Mehdipour and
Kerehkafi (2013) heighted some applications of mobile phones which is shown in Table 3.
Fraga (2012) further highlighted the benefits of mobile leaning as: it is convenient and flexible (Peters
2007; Motiwalla 2007); mobile learning can be ubiquitous, localized, and personalized (Clarke and
Flaherty 2002; Alexander 2004; Keegan 2002; Peters 2007; Shih and Mills 2007); it is more portability at
a lower cost (Kukulska-Hulme 2005; Motiwalla 2007; Balasundaram and Ramadoss 2007; Attewell
2005; Nyiri 2006); it increased learner motivation and engagement (Balasundaram and Ramadoss 2007;
Kukulska-Hulme 2005); it increased collaboration (Brown 2005; Ramsden 2005; Oblinger and Oblinger
2005); mobile learning can complement other learning platforms (Traxler 2007; Aderinoye et al. 2007);
mobile learning is student focused (Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler 2005; Kukulska-Hulme 2005; Fisher
and Baird 2006); and mobile learning can contribute to the achievement of learning objectives (Shih and
Mills 2007).
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
and the student, affordability of mobile device, and little knowledge about some of the mobile teaching
applications.
6 Electricity Supply
One of the utmost challenges to the development of Nigeria is electricity. Electricity supply was not in
tune with the geometric increase in the population of the country, and because of that, some locations may
not witness up to 5-h electric supply in a day and that is a challenge to the use of mobile devices that
requires constant electricity of at least eight hours in a day. In the study conducted by Osang et al. (2013),
it was reviewed that 64 out of the 80 respondents (educators) identified power supply in the country as a
major challenge to the implementation of mobile learning in Nigeria.
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
According to Mohamad et al. (2012), change is difficult to introduce and implement because it
sometimes disempowered than empower people, and causing them to learn new skills requires personal
investment of time, effort, and sometimes finances. According to Mohamad et al. (2012), organization of
mobile learning is time consuming.
It was further stated by Crompton (2013) that one of the issues of mobile learning implementation into
the schools is that the lecturers have to change their everyday behaviors to incorporate technologies into
tasks that they previously did without digital technology, and this has been perceived as a different change
for many lecturers.
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
1. The school leader should create an encouraged atmosphere to both the students and the staff in order to
arise their willingness toward mobile learning through seminars and workshops on the values and
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
Table 4 Uses of mobile learning applications by samples students and lecturers in the University of Ilorin
Application usage
Connections/social
Mobile learning Usage of application by Lecturers’ usage of the Academic usage networking usage
applications the students application Student Lecturer Student Lecturer
Facebook 42 7 3 1 39 6
LinkedIn 21 8 3 7 21 4
SlideShare 3 5 1 5 – –
Skype 16 1 – – 16 1
WhatsApp 39 6 – – 39 6
Source: Data collected for this study
usage of some of the educational social networking like LinkedIn, Facebook, SlideShare, etc., so that
the students can see them as a way of improving their learning rather than using it for social connection
and other illegal activities. The school leaders should also provide strong internet facilities to the
students especially when on campus. The school management can also encourage the university
community by providing them their desired mobile device, for them to be paying it back on installment
basis depending on the school capabilities.
2. The lectures should encourage the learners by creating an educational page in some of the networking
forums like Facebook, and they should encourage one another in joining some of the professional
LinkedIn group on the internet to improve themselves and discussing any challenge faced in their
process of lecture delivery of professional growth.
3. It is also suggested that mobile phones that have parental features to control students through limiting
the phone functionality will be necessary.
4. The government needs to amend some of it policies regarding ICT usage in higher education.
5. The school should have industrial-university collaboration with some of this mobile device manufac-
turer to discuss the specifications of mobile device they need as well as organization workshops for
both the lecturers and the students on the usage of those devices to build self-confidence in them. The
collaboration will also help in terms of getting those devices secure as each device will be customized
with the users detail to avoid theft.
12 Future Directions
The role of mobile learning in reducing the rate of low access to university education by Nigerian student
will be a welcomed development in responding to inadequate lecture rooms, personnel, and other facilities
needed by the schools to accommodate more students. As students are more used to mobile devices, if
such tools are being converted as learning device, it will increase their enthusiasm toward learning.
However, for successful implementation of mobile learning especially in conventional universities in
Nigeria, the students, the school leaders, the parents, as well as the government have a role to play in
addressing the likely challenges of mobile learning.
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Handbook of Mobile Teaching and Learning
DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-41981-2_27-1
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2015
13 Cross-References
▶ Characteristics of mobile teaching and learning
▶ Design of mobile teaching and learning in higher education, an introduction
▶ Expectation from future technologies and e-learning in higher education in Albania
▶ Mobile technologies for teaching and learning
▶ The development of mobile learning in China university
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