[Technology Acceptance Factors related to Mobile Technology Usage in Higher Education]

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would take this opportunity to thank my research supervisor, family and friends for their support and guidance without which this research would not have been possible

DECLARATION

I, [type your full first names and surname here], declare that the contents of this dissertation/thesis represent my own unaided work, and that the dissertation/thesis has not previously been submitted for academic examination towards any qualification. Furthermore, it represents my own opinions and not necessarily those of the University

Signed __________________ Date _________________

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a 'proof of concept' pilot study of a prototype of text messaging used to support student services in the higher education sector. The prototype enabled students to access administrative and assessment information, as well as allowing academic staff the opportunity to 'push' assessment feedback, reminders and alerts to class groups. Survey questions were generated based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) of Davis (1989). An interpretive analysis of students' perceptions of the usefulness, effectiveness and information quality of the system, presented in this paper was based on the survey administered to participants at the end of the pilot study. Results were compared to literature describing similar experimental deployments of mobile technology. This provided guidance for further investigation and suggestions for universities' deployment to staff and students in order to enhance administrative service.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTII

DECLARATIONIII

ABSTRACTIV

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the study1

Problem Statement2

Purpose of the study7

Rationale of the study7

Significance of the study9

Nature of the study16

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW29

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY84

Theoretical Framework84

Research Design90

Data Collection & Sampling96

Procedures97

Data Analysis100

CHAPTER 4: RESULTS & DISCUSSION102

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION108

REFERENCES116

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background Of The Study

The Wireless Tablet is an intriguing new development in portable computing technology. This article describes the Wireless Tablet, gives some technical details, compares the Wireless Tablet to other forms of computer, provides an example of actual classroom use at the University of Illinois, and suggests further research on, and potential applications of, this technology in classroom instruction.

Description of the Wireless Tablet

A Wireless Tablet is a portable computing device which looks much like a detached screen from a conventional notebook computer, or perhaps a hand-held computer that's been scaled up. As a quasi-hybrid of laptop and palmtop computers, the Wireless Tablet owes much to those earlier technologies. However, one of the key advances that made the Wireless Tablet possible is the development of ultra-low power microprocessor chips by companies such as Transmeta and Intel. Another standard feature of the Wireless Tablet, handwriting recognition, first made its appearance in the Apple Newton palmtop computer.

Unlike a notebook (but like a palmtop) the normal way of entering data in a Wireless Tablet is with a stylus rather than a keyboard. While most models do offer keyboards (integrated in the so-called "convertible" models and separate in the so-called "slate" models), the Wireless Tablet is designed to use the stylus for most routine tasks. The Wireless Tablet generally offers some kind of handwriting recognition, and uses modified versions of popular applications that are designed for stylus ...