Mobile learning facilitates health schools’ students’ information and learning needs

Purpose; The aim of this research was to investigate the attitudes towards m-learning among medical students in Jordan, and their perceptions about the advantages and disadvantages of m-learning compared to the status quo (mostly face-to-face learning). It also aimed at exploring how m-learning might support information and learning needs during clinical placements in Jordan.Methodology; This research used the quantitative research design. Data were collected using a web-based cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire using Google forms. The questionnaire was administered to 703 students from the five medical schools at the University of Jordan and 690 students completed the questionnaire (response rate of 98.2%).Findings; Students confirmed that they use mobile devices to support their learning, mainly using their smartphones. Their use of mobile devices for learning was not well advanced, and most preferred face to face learning. There were some differences among the groups of health students, indicating that m-learning habits vary according to existing teaching methods, the type of content required and the particular benefits that m-learning might offer. Also, medicine students appeared to have more diverse information needs and use mobile devices for a variety of learning related activities. Policymakers and educators need to plan carefully and take an organizational approach to ensure that m-learning complements face-to-face learning, effectively and efficiently. Students and staff should be involved in the design of interactive mobile learning materials and tools.Originality; n Jordan, Medical education in the University remains traditional, with lecture-based learning supplemented by labs and simulation tools. Several research studies have used technology acceptance models, including, variously, TAM, UTAUT, and TRA (Theory of Reasoned Action) to investigate the factors affecting intentions to use m-learning among higher education students, however, there was no detailed study of medical students’ attitudes exists.Practical implication; The results of this research will help policymakers and educators plan infrastructure and curricula for medical education in Jordan, using m-learning to meet the needs of an increased student cohort

Solving the mystery of mobile learning adoption in higher education

The rapid expansion in users of mobile devices, particularly among university students, makes mobile learning (m-learning) the modern style of learning for the new millennium. Thus, it is important to identify and explore the factors that may influence students' intention to use m-learning. In Jordan, research on mobile learning adoption is still very narrow. For the purpose of this study, we propose a framework that is based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, to explore the potential factors that may impact students' intention to acceptance and use of m-learning in developing countries such as Jordan. The proposed framework is empirically tested using a total of 444 paper-based questionnaires, collected from students at four Jordanian universities. The results reveal that effort expectancy, performance expectancy, trust expectancy, self-management of learning, system functionality and social influence are significant determinants of m-learning adoption, and explain 64.8% of the variance in the students' intentions to adopt m-learning. Gender and uncertainty avoidance are found to have moderating effects on some of the relationships of the research model. These findings offer multiple useful implications for m-learning adoption, in terms of both research and practice

Mobile Technology in Higher Education: An Extended Technology Acceptance Perspective

There is a lack of research that provides institutions with information on educators’ acceptance of mobile technology in higher education within the United States. This study utilized the Chen et al. (2013) extended technology acceptance model, that extended the original Davis (1989) TAM. In this research study, Chen et al. (2013) survey instrument provided the necessary tool to collect data from educators in higher education within the United States before COVID-19. The results showed statistical significance exists in relationships across the assessed factors of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived attitude toward use, and behavioral intention, which contribute to the acceptance of mobile technology in higher education. The study implies that institutions face a challenging task to understand the technology acceptance of educators as they incorporate the use of mobile technology to support their work and improve instructional practices

Online information seeking: a review of the literature in the health domain

The development of the information technology and Internet has been transforming the healthcare industry. The internet is continuously accessed to seek for health information and there are variety of sources, including search engines, health websites, and social networking sites. Providing more and better information on health may empower individuals, however, ensuring a high quality and trusted health information could pose a challenge. Moreover, there is an ever-increasing amount of information available, but they are not necessarily accurate and up to date. Thus, this paper aims to provide an insight of the models and frameworks related to online health information seeking of consumers. It begins by exploring the definition of information behavior and information seeking to provide a better understanding of the concept of information seeking. In this study, critical factors such as performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence will be studied in relation to the value of seeking health information. It also aims to analyze the effect of age, gender, and health status as the moderator on the factors that influence online health information seeking, i.e. trust and information quality. A preliminary survey will be carried out among the health professionals to clarify the research problems which exist in the real world, at the same time producing a conceptual framework. A final survey will be distributed to five states of Malaysia, to solicit the feedback on the framework. Data will be analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS 3.0 analysis tools. It is hoped that at the end of this study, a novel framework that can improve online health information seeking is developed. Finally, this paper concludes with some suggestions on the models and frameworks that could improve online health information seeking

Dominant Issues and Conceptual Approaches in Mobile Business Research From 2005-2012

This paper undertakes a review and classification of the mobile business (m-business) theme of mobile computing research, with the intention of identifying the dominant issues and conceptual approaches to existing research. It consists of 100 articles published between 2005 and 2012 in a diverse journals focused on information systems, business, and development. The papers are reviewed under the subcategories of Mobile Business Applications/Services; Economics, Strategy and Business Models; and Consumer Acceptance/Adoption. In terms of issues, the review shows a concentration of research on firm-level adoption of mobile technology within first subcategory, whilst mobile business analysis, capturing customer value and responses to competition dominates the second subcategory. Determinants of consumer adoption of mobiles dominate the third subcategory. Similarly, technology adoption models like TAM and UTAUT dominate the conceptual approaches to m-business. There is much room for studies into the strategies adopted by firms to create value for consumers and to sustain the value creation process in response to consumer demands and advances in mobile technologies and applications. The review serves as a useful research synthesis and is excellent for future research on mobile business based on the gaps we have identified

M-government Adoption Research Trends: A Systematic Review

Mobile government adoption is a relatively new area in the field of information systems which has only started to attract research attention. This paper presents a review of m-government adoption to investigate its current and future research directions. This paper reviews 30 studies that were published in scientific journals and conferences during the last five years on the topic of m-government. It analyzes the research in terms of research methodology, theories, stakeholders, limitations and recommendations. Results of this paper indicate that the quantitative approach is the most commonly used methodology and the Technology Acceptance Model is the most prevalent theory used in m-government research. A majority of reported limitations of the published research are related to samples and generalizability. Following an analysis of the results, more focus on stakeholders’ roles in m-government adoption is suggested and this is believed to be a significant agenda of future research in this area

Consumers‘ Intention to Adopt Mobile Marketing in Rural Areas. The Case of South Region in Unguja

The explosive use of mobile phones facilitates the introduction of different mobile app services which become an essential part of daily life. This forces the business vendors to place individually targeted marketing messages through mobile phones to ensure easy access to the service since the mobile phone is in the hands of owner all the day long. Most of the studies in mobile marketing adoption focused on urban and university consumers. This study aims to investigate the perception of consumers in rural areas on their intention to adopt mobile phone applications such as mobile marketing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data through self-administered questionnaires to consumers in two villages in the South district of Unguja. Confirmatory factor analysis and Structural Equation modeling were used to test the relationship of the constructs on the extended TAM model. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and facilitating conditions were the significant determinants of behavioral intention to adopt mobile marketing to consumers of rural areas. The Implications and limitations of the research were discussed

Review of Research on Culture and ICT: Insights from the Arab World

Most published research on information and communication technology (ICT) application has been in the context of advanced economies of the world, particularly western countries, viz. Europe and North America. Research on ICT impact on socio-economic development has been primarily focused on eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Relatively little research has been published on ICT in the Arab world. But better appreciation of the role of Arab culture on ICT use may help in providing guidance for more successful implementation of ICT in the future. To help ascertain this role we reviewed the literature between 2003 and 2016 focusing on ICT implementation in Arabic speaking countries

Factors Influencing Purchasing Intention of Smartphone among University Students

AbstractMobile communication has made an impact towards interaction between people while conducting business either locally or internationally. The expansion of mobile communication technology e.g. wireless internet, mobile phone and Global Positioning System (GPS) are constantly evolving and upgrading as a result of consumers’ changing needs and preferences. Therefore, this paper examines about factors influencing purchasing intention of smartphone among university students. The result shows that three variables that are product features, brand name and social influence have significant relationship except one variable, product sacrifice that has no significant relationship with purchasing intention

Consumers‘ Intention to Adopt Mobile Marketing in Rural Areas. The Case of South Region in Unguja

The explosive use of mobile phones facilitates the introduction of different mobile app services which become an essential part of daily life. This forces the business vendors to place individually targeted marketing messages through mobile phones to ensure easy access to the service since the mobile phone is in the hands of owner all the day long. Most of the studies in mobile marketing adoption focused on urban and university consumers. This study aims to investigate the perception of consumers in rural areas on their intention to adopt mobile phone applications such as mobile marketing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data through self-administered questionnaires to consumers in two villages in the South district of Unguja. Confirmatory factor analysis and Structural Equation modeling were used to test the relationship of the constructs on the extended TAM model. The results show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and facilitating conditions were the significant determinants of behavioral intention to adopt mobile marketing to consumers of rural areas. The Implications and limitations of the research were discussed