Ready for m-learning?

Access to mobile devices by tertiary students studying Japanese

Abstract

This paper reports on the ownership and use of computer hardware, including smart phones and tablet computers, among the students learning second year level Japanese at a university in Australia. The survey of 160 students shows that these mobile devices are taken up rapidly by current students, and are gaining popularity as a method of accessing study-related materials. Owners of a tablet computer seem more likely to use it for their education purpose. Yet, the significant majority of students still seem to prefer using desktop computer at home to access the university?s Learning Management System, indicating that students are selective about their use of technologies for different purposes. The foundation for implementing m-learning at tertiary level seems to be almost set from the hardware point of view, but the students? pattern of using the hardware must also be taken into account when developing m-learning contents.