Mobile Learning: The Effects of Gender and Age on Perceptions of the Use of Mobile Tools

Tertiary education practitioners are realising that integrating technology into programme delivery is an essential method of engaging and interacting with today’s learners. In particular, the integration of mobile technologies enables students and teachers to more easily share information, communicate, co-ordinate projects and ideas in less formal ways than in the past. From 2009 to 2011, a study was conducted at a New Zealand tertiary institution using mobile phones to deliver supplementary learning material, assessment reminders, and study tips to tertiary students. This paper will describe the results of this study which has investigated what sort of learning environment is created by the use of mobile tools, if the learning environment can be enhanced through the use of mobile technologies in order to enrich the student learning experience and if these experiences differ based on gender and age. The gender results showed that there were no differences in perceptions between males and females, with age results showing that the younger age group had a more positive attitude toward the use of technology.