1.1 Introduction
Smart-phones are equipped with multimedia phone features, which include camera function, sound recording function, video function and many others. These features assist students to drive their learning process and dreams effectively. According to Cano (2012), students have experiences of digital surroundings in a tactile and personal manner, which is brought about by some mobile devices, including tablets and smart-phones (Cano, 2012). Academic learning is now innovative as a result of smartphone and other media in promoting and advancing 21st century needed skills and knowledge (Tulenko & Bailey, 2013; Emerson & Berge, 2018). The high levels of addiction to smart-phones prove that it affects students’ academic performance (Kibona & Mgaya, 2015). This addiction causes some concerns as to whether the use of smart-phones hampers or elevates the performance of students in general.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The Smart phones came in 1993 when Apple introduced the smart phone in a consumer market. The major difference between today’s smart phones and early phones is that early phone were used by corporate and now students can buy smart phone at a very cheapest rate. The use of Smartphone’s for students have been described as addictive technologies. In day’s date students are very much addicted of Smartphone’s. Smartphone revolution era began with introduction of blackberry smartphone in mass communication market equipped with many features such as web browsing, camera, email and internet. Apple entered the market in 2007 and became a major breakthrough in the market as the company introduces its first smartphone.
The smartphone era began in 1993 with the introduction of Simon smartphone from IBM (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). The fast growth of technology has developed electronic device such as smartphone that the function do not limited only for messaging but this device allow long distance communication. Smartphone can be called as minicomputer as the features and functions provided are like computer in its mini form and its handy (Rambitan, 2015).
Technological revolutions have made communication and sharing of information to take a new dimension, especially for educational purposes, amongst students at all levels. Falayi and Adedokun (2014) observed that the technological revolution has positively influenced the way students communicate and share information, particularly the use of smart-phones. Similarly, Elogie, Ikenwe and Idubor (2015) considered smart-phones as universal technology amongst the youths for allowing students to connect socially for personal, educational, entertainment and other purposes.
Sarwar and Soomro (2013) articulated that the smartphone had impacted almost all the walks of human life since its inception. The provides more applications for an increasingly extensive range of usage situations among university students in their academic performances; they have become an increasingly integrated part of students’ everyday life (Rao, 2012).
The use of smart-phones among students recently has contributed to their lives in various forms. Academically, wireless internet services that enable access to search engine sites, such as Google and Ask, have contributed positively to social and academic pursuit; access to social media sites, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter have made the connection to the rest of the world easy and exciting to the students. Also, multimedia and entertainment services like camera, music, and games served as a companion to the university students.
Educational activities that incorporate smartphone use are accessing of course content, inspiring sharing and discussion session between teachers and students and retrieving information regarding students’ performances (Cochrane, 2010). Teaching and learning in higher education over the past few decades has incorporated information and communication technology (ICT) as it is seen as a crucial component to be adapted in the development of social environment (Rung et al., 2014). The most popular trend in term of ICT use can been seen by the growth of dependency on mobile-connected devices as it is not limited for daily tasks but also been utilized in educational environments (Koszalka et al., 2010).
Therefore, in Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Effects of Smart-phones on the Academic Performance of Mass Communication Students.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that problematic smartphone use might lead to development of certain behavioral and mental problems. The attachment that students in this era has with their smartphone made them to feel they cannot live without their smartphone around them. Students tend to surf internet and play online games as way to release their mental stress from the stress that they experience in term to escape from problems that they face from their friends or their school work (Kim, 2013).
Students in the pass depend on computer to surf internet to cope with their stress problem however in today’s society, students tend to depend more on smartphone due to the easy accessibility of internet.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to investigate the Effects of Smart-phones on the Academic Performance of Mass Communication Students using Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To identify challenges encountered by the Students in using smartphone in gathering information for their perceived academic performances;
- To identify various types of smartphone possessed and used by Students to enhance their academic performance;
- To examine the extent to which the Students are making use of smart-phones to enhance academic performance;
- To determine the influence of smartphone use on academic performance of the Students; and
- To find out solutions to the challenges of the choice and use of smart-phones for enhanced academic performance by the Mass Communication Students.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What are the various types of smart-phone possessed and used by Students to enhance their academic performance?
- To what extent does Students make use of smart-phones to enhance academic performance?
- What is the influence of smart-phone use on academic performance of the Students?
- What are the challenges encountered by the Students in using smart-phone in gathering information for their perceived academic performances?
- What are the possible solutions to the challenges of the choice and use of smart-phones for enhanced academic performance by the Students?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There are no significant problems encountered by the mass communication students with use of smart-phones in gathering information to enhance their academic performance
- H1: There are significant problems encountered by the mass communication students with use of smart-phones in gathering information to enhance their academic performance
1.7 Significance of Study
The outcome of this study is crucial in providing the outcome of smart phone use is negatively effecting student’s day today routine life. This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Effects of Smartphones on the Academic Performance of Mass Communication Students using Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri as a case study.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent Power Failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
Smart Phone:
It is any mobile communication device capable of accessing the Internet
Mobile Learning:
Use of mobile or wireless devices for the purpose of learning while on the move or learning that takes advantage of mobile technologies.
Student:
A person who studies at a school, college or university
Internet:
It Is a collection of computers and computer networks located all over the world, all of which share information by agreed upon protocols.
Academic Performance:
Refers to how students deal with their studies and how they cope with or accomplish different tasks given to them by their teachers.
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