NECK PAIN AMONG STUDENTS AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH SMART PHONE AND LAPTOP USAGE

Introduction: In the modern era of advancement and technology, use of smart phones and laptops is common. Literature suggests that these digital devices have many negative effects on the health of humans. One of the most common adverse effects associated with prolonged use of mobile and laptop is neck pain. Material & Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out at Khyber Medical University (KMU) from July 2019 to December 2019. A total of 206 undergraduate physical therapy students having age 18 to 25 years participated in the study. For data collection, smart phone & laptop usage and neck pain questionnaire was used. For data analysis, SPSS version 20 was used. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 21.15 ±1.89 years. The prevalence of neck pain was 82.5% (n=170). Neck pain was significantly associated (P-value0.05) with different positions (standing/sitting/lying) in which students use smart phones for majority of the time, however, it had significant association (P-value< 0.05) with use of laptops in sitting position for majority of the time. Conclusion: The prevalence of neck pain is high in students who used smart phones and laptops for long hours

Positive Effects of Mobile Learning on Foreign Language Learning

In our increasingly mobile world, portable devices play a central role in ensuring the continuity of the learning process and they also provide access to education and training. Mobile learning technologies become a valuable addition to traditional learning techniques, as students have the opportunity to participate in educational activities at any time and place. This paper reviews the benefits and challenges of mobile learning and its prospects for foreign language learning. Experiments at the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University indicate that mobile learning can be a helpful tool to accelerate learning, encourage both independent and collaborative learning experiences, provide valuable interactions, enhance opportunities for language practice and promote lifelong learning

Analysis of Percentiles of Computer Science, Theory and Methods Journals: CiteScore Versus Impact Factor

Impact factor (Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics) and CiteScore (Scopus, Elsevier) are the two leading metrics for journal evaluation, assessment and ranking. The relationship between the two is now established, using their respective percentile in this paper for 105 journal in the Computer science, theory and methods (CSTM) subject category. The available studies did not consider the quartile comparison of the journal percentiles of the two database (Scopus and Science Citation Index expanded). The mean impact factor and CiteScore are 2.08 and 2.67 respectively. Pearson correlation coefficient between the impact factor and CiteScore is (0.919, p = 0.000) and between their respective journal percentiles is (r = 0.804, p = 0.000). Analysis of variance revealed that the means of the impact factor and CiteScore of the 105 CSTM journals are the same (F = 3.64, P = 0.058) but different (F = 38.94, P = 0.00) for their respective percentiles. The median test contradicts the ANOVA as the medians of impact factor and CiteScore are different at 0.05 level of significance. The median journal percentiles are the same for only 2 journal titles. The median journal percentile (SCIE) is greater than the median journal percentile (Scopus) for 5 journal titles and less than the median journal percentile (Scopus) for 98 journal titles. The same result was obtained when the percentiles were converted to quartiles, but in this case, the median journal quartiles are the same for 37 journal titles. The median journal quartile (SCIE) is greater than the median journal quartile (Scopus) for 67 journal titles and less than the median journal quartile (Scopus) in only one journal title. Only 37 (35 %) journals are in the same quartile of the two metrics. Caution is recommended in journal evaluation as conflicting different results can be obtained using the same metric

El Aprendizaje Móvil en Educación Superior: Una Experiencia desde la Formación de Ingenieros

This article presents the results of a research project performed at the Faculty of Engineering and Basic Sciences of the Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, Bogotá., whose objective was to describe the effects and experiences of incorporating the GeoGebra “Graphing Calculator” app on learning the notion of limit from the integration of mobile devices in the classroom. A sequential explanatory design was used in order to judge the hypothesis linking a positive influence of the use of smartphones and tablets and academic performance. In the quantitative stage, an experimental design of four Solomon groups was carried out and during the qualitative stage, an attitudinal test was applied and semi-structured interviews were carried out with students who participated in the treatment with the mobile application. The results obtained in the postest by the experimental groups surpassed those obtained by the control groups that participated in an intervention based on traditional teaching resources. The students who received the experimental treatment showed greater interest and motivation for learning about the topic addressed, so it can be inferred that the integration of mobile devices in the classroom promotes other innovative ways of learning calculus.Este artículo presenta los resultados de un proyecto de investigación desarrollado en la Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Básicas de la Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, Bogotá. cuyo objetivo fue describir los efectos y las experiencias de la incorporación de la aplicación “Calculadora Gráfica” de GeoGebra sobre el aprendizaje de la noción de límite a partir de la integración de dispositivos móviles al aula de clase. Se empleó un diseño explicativo secuencial con el ánimo de validar la hipótesis relacionada con una influencia positiva del aprovechamiento de teléfonos inteligentes y tabletas en el desempeño académico. En la etapa cuantitativa se realizó un diseño experimental de cuatro grupos de Solomon y durante la etapa cualitativa se aplicó un test actitudinal y se desarrollaron entrevistas semiestructuradas con estudiantes que participaron del tratamiento con la aplicación móvil. Los resultados obtenidos en el postest por los grupos experimentales superaron a los obtenidos por los grupos control que participaron de una intervención mediada por recursos didácticos tradicionales. Los estudiantes que recibieron el tratamiento experimental demostraron mayor interés y motivación por el aprendizaje del tema abordado, por lo que se puede inferir que la integración de dispositivos móviles en el aula promueve otras formas innovadoras de aprender cálculo

The effect of smartphone addiction, achievement motivation, and textbook reading intensity on students academic achievement

This study investigates the effect of smartphone addiction, achievement motivation, and textbook reading intensity on academic achievement. This quantitative study involved 720 students from two public universities. The cluster random sampling technique and three psychological scales namely Smartphone Addiction Scale, Achievement Motivation Scale, and Reading Textbook Intensity Scale were employed for data collection. The data were analysed using path analysis technique. The study found that (i) smartphone addiction and achievement motivation directly affect the intensity of reading academic textbooks, and (ii) smartphones addiction, achievement motivation, and the intensity of reading academic textbooks directly affect the academic achievement. Although the intensity of reading academic textbook mediated the effect of smartphone addiction on academic achievement, it did not mediate the effect of achievement motivation on academic achievement

Use of smartphones by romantic partners to maintain their relationships

PROBLEM STATEMENT: The way we interact in our relationships is continuously changing as technology advances. Technology can be used to enhance or destroy relationships depending on how people manage their use within relationships. Human relationships especially romantic ones are essential as they have an impact on a person's emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Most of the research to date has focused on the quantitative measurement of the advantages and disadvantages of technology as well as on the problematic use of smartphones. Little research has been done on the effect of smartphones on romantic relationship maintenance. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH: The objective of this research was to find out how individuals in romantic relationships were using their smartphones to maintain their relationships. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY: This research followed an interpretivist qualitative approach. Data was collected firstly through a discussion on Twitter under the hashtag #“RomanticMaintenancewithSmartphones”. This was then followed by fourteen in-depth semi-structured interviews which were done with individuals who were in romantic relationships or had been in a romantic relationship less than six months ago. A combination of purposive, snowballing and convenience sampling techniques were used. The affordance theory was used as a theoretical framework for the research and the data was analysed using thematic analysis. FINDINGS: The study identified individual and interactional affordances of smartphones for romantic relationship maintenances. Relationship thinking, breaking away from reality and displaying intimacy and affection where the individual affordances identified in the study. The interactive affordances were showing support and encouragement, planning and organising, openness for conflict management and displaying transparency. Personal values and culture were seen to have an impact on which affordances of smartphones a person utilised. In addition to maintaining the relationship positively, there were also negative outcomes of the actualization of the affordances of smartphones such as unrealistic expectations created on partners and partner abstraction

Smartphones as a New Paradigm in Higher Education Overcoming Obstacles

This article will investigate obstacles hindering graduate students use of smartphones in their learning at The University of Jordan. The study employed a descriptive survey research method using a self-administered 21-item questionnaire. Out of the entire population of 1,100 graduate students from the School of Educational Sciences, a randomly purposeful sample of 227 was selected. Individuals within the sample owned smartphones. A total of 108 students responded to the questionnaire. This was 45% of the original study sample during the first semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were both secured. The study’s findings showed that the overall degree level of obstacles reported by graduate students was high. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in student estimates of obstacles due to their gender, age, place of work, first degree (BA), or computer skills. The researcher offered  suggestions for overcoming these obstacles in light of the student estimates

Smartphones as a New Paradigm in Higher Education Overcoming Obstacles

This article will investigate obstacles hindering graduate students use of smartphones in their learning at The University of Jordan. The study employed a descriptive survey research method using a self-administered 21-item questionnaire. Out of the entire population of 1,100 graduate students from the School of Educational Sciences, a randomly purposeful sample of 227 was selected. Individuals within the sample owned smartphones. A total of 108 students responded to the questionnaire. This was 45% of the original study sample during the first semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were both secured. The study’s findings showed that the overall degree level of obstacles reported by graduate students was high. In addition, there were no statistically significant differences in student estimates of obstacles due to their gender, age, place of work, first degree (BA), or computer skills. The researcher offered  suggestions for overcoming these obstacles in light of the student estimates

Understanding Student Experiences Using Smartphones as Learning Tools

While mobile technology is ubiquitous in higher education, facilitating student engagement and learning through educational technology remains minimally understood. The problem this study addressed is the gap in research about how online graduate students utilized smartphone technology for learning and what factors led to their adoption of this technology. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how mobile learning is being performed through smartphones by education graduate students in the online environment. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was used as the conceptual framework for this study. The research question asked how online graduate students in Master of Education degree programs describe their learning experience related to the four dimensions of the UTAUT when utilizing smartphone technology. Ten online graduate students from various U.S. universities were interviewed. Data were recorded, transcribed, and coded using UTAUT preidentified categories to create themes related to the UTAUT constructs. Study findings showed that online graduate students expected to perform educational tasks on their smartphones by accessing course content and communicating with faculty and peers. Students also expected the effort involved in the use of smartphones to be minimal. Study findings further demonstrated online graduate students were mostly self-sufficient when exploring ideas for smartphone integration and when issues arose. Results of this study may provide positive social change by helping stakeholders teach students how to benefit from use of their mobile technology for learning

Information needs and seeking behaviour of doctoral students using smartphones and tablets for learning : a case of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Zulu and AfrikaansThis qualitative study investigated the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of doctoral students who use smartphones or tablets for learning. Fifteen doctoral students who are registered at the University of Cape Coast were interviewed. Ellis’s (1989) model of information-seeking behaviour guided the study and supported the researcher in developing a model that could be used to acquire an understanding of how mobile technologies influence information needs and information-seeking behaviour. Two contexts influence the participants’ information needs and information-seeking behaviour, namely, the academic context and their everyday life contexts. The interplay between the elements of the context in which participants find themselves and their mental structures appear to influence their information needs and information-seeking behaviour. Most of the participating students do not seem to have the required information literacy skills to seek information in an online environment. The contextual elements that appear to influence the participants’ information needs and searching behaviour include situations in action, academic tasks and information resources. The ability to connect to the Internet and retrieve online sources of information proved to be important. The participants use the mobile devices to retrieve information from the Internet and in some instances from the university library’s resources. Certain device-related characteristics, such as small screens, limited memory space and short battery lifespan, seem to affect the usefulness of mobile devices for information-seeking purposes. The cost of data and an inability to connect to the Internet, due to disruptions in network signals and a lack of Wi-Fi infrastructure, also curb the use of mobile devices. WhatsApp not only provides the participants with the means to share information and discuss their academic tasks, but it also makes collaboration and group work possible. Some of the students lack the required information literacy skills to make optimal use of the library’s resources. Therefore, it would be prudent for the university to include information literacy skills training in the curricula for all levels of study. This requirement should also include doctoral students who have not previously completed an information literacy course.Lolu cwaningo lohlelo olugxile kwingxoxo beluphenya izidingo zolwazi kanye nezenzo zokucinga ulwazi lwabafundi abakwiziqu zesibili abasebenzisa ama-smartphones noma ama-tablets ukufunda. Abafundi abayishumi nanhlanu abasezingeni leziqu zesibili abazibhalise kwi-University of Cape Coast bebehlolwa ngokwezimvo. Imodeli ka-Ellis (1989) yezenzo ezihlose ukufumana ulwazi ihole ucwaningo futhi yaxhasa umcwaningi ekuthuthukisweni kwemodeli engasetshenziswa ukuthola ulwazi olumayelana nokuthi ngabe izinhlelo zobuchwepheshe be-inthanethi yefowunu zithinta kanjani izidingo zolwazi kanye nezenzo ezihlose ukuthola ulwazi. Izizinda ezimbili zinomthelela phezu kolwazi lwabadlalindima kanye nokuziphatha okuhlose ukuthola ulwazi, zona yilezi yisizinda sezemfundo kanye nezizinda ezimayelana nempilo yabo yansuku zonke. Ukuhlangana phakathi kwezinhlaka ezimayelana nesizinda abadlalindima abazithola ngaphakathi kwaso kanye nokuhleleka kwemiqondo yabo kubonakala kunomthelela phezu kwezidingo zabo zolwazi kanye nokuziphatha okuhlose ukuthola ulwazi. Iningi labafundi abadlala indima alibonakali lifuna amakhono olwazi lokufunda ukuze bacinge ulwazi kwisizinda kwu-inthanethi. Izinhlaka zesizinda ezibonakala zithinta izidingo zolwazi lwabadlalindima kanye nezenzo zokusesha zifaka izimo kwimisebenzi yezenzo zemfundo kanye nemithombo yolwazi. Ikhono lokuxhumanisa i-inthanethi kanye nokuvumbulula imithombo ye-inthanethi kukhombisa kusemqoka kakhulu. Abadlalindima basebenzisa izixhobo zomakhalekhukhwini ukulandelela ulwazi ku Inthanethi, kanti kwezinye izimo, ukuthola ulwazi kwimithombo eyithala lezincwadi yasenyuvesi. Yize-kunjalo, izimpawu ezithile ezihlobene nezixhobo, ezingamasikirini amancane, isikhala esincane sokugcina ulwazi kanye nempilo emfushane yebhediri, kubonakala kuthinta izinga lokusebenziseka kwezixhobo ezingomakhalekhukhwini ngezinhloso zokucinga ulwazi. Izindleko zedatha kanye nokungakwazi ukuxhumana nge Inthanethi ngenxa yokuphazamiseka kwamasiginali obuxhakaxhaka benediweki kanye nokwentuleka kwengqalasizinda ye Wi-Fi kanti futhi nokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwezixhobo ezingomakhalekhukhwini. Uhlelo lwe-WhatsApp aluhlinzeka kuphela abadlalindima ngamasu okuphana ngolwazi kanye nokuxoxa ngemisebenzi yezemfundo, kanti futhi yenza ukuthi kube nokusebenzisana kanye nokuthi iqembu likwazi ukusebenza. Abanye babafundi baswela amakhono wokufunda adingekayo ukuze bakwazi ukusebenzisa ngokusezingeni eliphezulu kwemithombo yethala lezincwadi. Ngakho-ke, bekungaba kuhle kwinyuvesi ukuthi izinhlelo zokuqeqesha mayelana namakhono olwazi lokufunda kwikharikhulamu yawo wonke amazing ocwaningo. Lezi zinhlelo ezifunekayo kufanele futhi zisebenze kubafundi beziqu zesibili abangakaze esikahthini esedlule baphothule isifundo sokuthola ulwazi.Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het ondersoek ingestel na die inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag van doktorale studente wat slimfone of tablette vir hul studie gebruik. Onderhoude is gevoer met vyftien doktorale studente wat by die University of Cape Coast geregistreer is. Ellis (1989) se model van inligtingsoekgedrag het die studie gerig en het die navorser ondersteun in die ontwikkeling van ’n model wat gebruik kan word om ’n begrip te vorm van hoe mobiele tegnologieë inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag beïnvloed. Twee kontekste affekteer die deelnemers se inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag, naamlik die akademiese konteks en die konteks van hul daaglikse lewe. Dit wil voorkom of die wisselwerking tussen die elemente van die konteks waarin deelnemers hulself bevind, asook hul verstandelike strukture, hul inligtingsbehoeftes en inligtingsoekgedrag beïnvloed. Die meeste van die deelnemende studente beskik klaarblyklik nie oor die nodige inligtingsgeletterdheidsvaardighede om in ’n aanlyn omgewing vir inligting te soek nie. Die kontekstuele elemente wat skynbaar die deelnemers se inligtingsbehoeftes en -soekgedrag beïnvloed, sluit situasies in aksie- akademiese take en inligtingshulpbronne in. Daar is bevind dat die vermoë om tot die internet te koppel en aanlyn inligtingsbronne te verkry, belangrik is. Die deelnemers gebruik die mobiele apparate om inligting van die internet, en in sommige gevalle, van die universiteit se biblioteekhulpbronne te verkry. Sommige apparaatkenmerke soos klein skerms, beperkte geheuespasie en kort batterylewe blyk ‘n uitwerking op die bruikbaarheid van mobiele apparate vir inligtingsoekdoeleindes te hê. Die koste van data en ’n onvermoë om tot die internet te koppel vanweë onderbrekings in netwerksein en ’n gebrek aan Wi-Fi infrastruktuur belemmer ook die gebruik van mobiele apparate. WhatsApp bied nie net aan die deelnemers ’n manier om inligting te deel en hul akademiese take te bespreek nie; dit maak ook samewerking en groepwerk moontlik. Sommige van die studente beskik nie oor die nodige inligtingsgeletterdheidvaardighede om die biblioteek se hulpbronne optimaal te kan benut nie. Daarom sal dit wys wees as die universiteit opleiding in inligtingsgeletterdheidvaardighede in die kurrikula vir alle studievlakke insluit. Hierdie vereiste moet ook geld vir nagraadse studente wat nie vantevore ’n kursus in inligtingsgeletterdheid voltooi het nie.Information ScienceD. Litt et Phil. (Information Science