Use Of Technology In Higher Education

2.3 USES OF TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Technology is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes especially in industry (Oxford Dictionary, 2017). The issue of technology in education has been a debatable topic among researchers and the society (Heggart, 2016). Since 1980, research into higher education explored the digital shift taking place in universities and colleges around the world (Elzarka, 2012). Countless reports have been emerging from all corners of the globe suggesting that if institutions wish to remain competent and relevant in the 21st century, they need to embrace the opportunities offered by technology particularly in relation to teaching and learning practices (Edmunds, Thorpe & Conole, 2012).Though

Mobile learning or m-learning refers to a process of obtaining or providing educational content using portable handheld devices through wireless connection (Barreh and Abas, 2015). Mobile learning is perceived as an independent part of e-learning which brings study material right at student’s fingertips using mobile devices such as cell phones, laptops and tablet pcs among others (Park, Nam & Cha, 2012). On the other hand, distance learning, the opposite of face-to-face learning refers to a learning approach in which students are detached by physical distance from the lecturer either in space or time for a considerable part of their learning (Bencheva, 2010). Technology has led to the growth of the internet and web 2.0 technologies simplifying interaction between lecturers and students across the globe (Ramey

The analysis of quantitative data showed a positive relationship between the perception of the frequency of technology use and the perception of the effectiveness of technology thus suggesting that students and faculty members believed that the more technology is used, the more useful it is in instruction. This implies that the more students use technology repeatedly the more their experience widens thereby influencing their perception towards the product or service. The experience they get in using technology will make it easier for them to understand and evaluate certain product functionalities and be able to solve issues or problems as they arise.

Apart from the benefits listed above, using technology in education has some challenges. It has been reported that using technology in higher education settings causes distractions among students such as instant messaging for personal reasons, game playing, movie watching or downloading, internet surfing, loss of concentration on academics, cyber bullying which results in lack of self-discipline (Kay and Lauricella, 2011). Ronan (2017) cited some drawbacks of using technology as, lack of privacy, unreliable information from the internet, laziness