The usefulness of Pocket PCs for promoting teaching in higher education: perceptions and expectations

Geoffrey Chow, Henry Ho Wai Leong and Peter Ling
Swinburne University of Technology
Victoria, Australia

Mobile technologies offer new opportunities for electronic teaching and learning, including their ability to enable people to collaborate 'anywhere, anytime'. They are, however, being introduced into an environment in which the use of electronic teaching and learning has increased apace without proper regard to its effectiveness and justification. Around the world tertiary institutions have invested heavily in technology with a view to their image in the eyes of the public.

In research and publications focused on higher education, little attention has been given to the adoption and use of mobile hand-held devices by academics or teachers. The aim of this paper is to examine how academics perceive the use of Pocket PCs to facilitate university teaching and administrative duties. In this study, the utility of Pocket PCs is compared with that of desktop and laptop computers operating in a wireless environment. A survey of academics using Pocket PCs was conducted and the results were analysed and interpreted. The findings may assist tertiary institutions to enhance related services to both staff members and students.