Students' perspectives towards the adoption of mobile computer supported collaborative learning in an African higher education institution

Ugochi U Ugwu

Mobile computer supported collaborative learning (mCSCL) is an alternative learning method leveraging the popularity of smartphones in Africa to mitigate regular learning disruptions bedevilling many African higher education systems, and equally facilitate the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDG) 4 and 17. Mitigating these challenges is essential because they lead to student attrition. Thus, adopting mCSCL in Africa requires that the views of students, as direct beneficiaries, be pragmatically examined to know if they would welcome it. Using a multimethods approach involving both quantitative and qualitative analyses, this thesis examined the perspectives of some African higher education students towards mCSCL adoption. The following was performed to establish the need for the study and undertake an in-depth investigation: • A scoping review that established the dearth of literature on mCSCL in resource-constrained nations and provided key considerations for its implementation. • A TAM-based conceptual framework, predicted by mobility and characteristics of collaboration (positive interdependence, individual accountability, promotive interaction, and use of social skills) was used to ascertain students' views about mCSCL adoption. • A thematic analysis was undertaken on data drawn from qualitative analyses of students’ survey responses on why they would continue with mCSCL, screenshots providing insights into participants’ collaboration on WhatsApp, and participant observation. This study highlights the empirical and practical implications of mCSCL as a viable alternative in African higher education, especially amidst disruptions to traditional learning. Findings reveal that mobility, social skills, individual accountability, and promotive interaction significantly affect students' perceptions of mCSCL’s usefulness and ease of use. The study also emphasizes that mCSCL fosters joy in learning, positive relationships, flexibility, collaboration, and multimodal communication. Practically, mCSCL enhances the quality and accessibility of education, supporting both synchronous and asynchronous learning. It helps reduce student attrition rates and overcomes infrastructure limitations by leveraging widely-used mobile technologies like WhatsApp. Keywords: mobile learning, mCSCL, Africa, resource-constrained nations, collaborative learning characteristics, structural equation modelling.

Students' perspectives towards the adoption of mobile computer supported collaborative learning in an African higher education institution

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