IMPACT OF SMARTPHONE ON THE READING HABIT OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA

Abstract

The study investigated the impact of smartphone on the reading habit of undergraduate student of Federal University of Technology Minna. Specifically, three (3) objectives and three hypotheses was set to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive research survey design. The population of this study comprises of two hundred and eighty-seven (287) students from Educational Technology Department, Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State. Which comprises of (98) 200 level students, (88) 300 level students and (101) 500 level students. Out of one hundred and eighty-seven (187) students’ questionnaire distributed, one hundred and eighty-two (182) were retrieved. Mean and standard deviation was used to analyzed the questionnaire responses, while one sample t-test was used to analyzed the hypotheses. The findings of the study showed that students are aware of the importance of smartphone for reading for so long, and believe that smartphone makes reading easy, although some still disagrees that smartphone application for reading makes learning efficient and effective. The finding of the study also showed that smartphone helps the students to read information’s online and offline ahead of their lectures, smartphone for reading has enabled them to gain extra skills and experiences outside the classroom, smartphone help to access solutions to assignment online or offline. The findings depicted that smartphone usage for learning or reading influence academic performance of students in Federal University of Technology Minna. The findings of the study revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean responses of students on the level of awareness, usage and influence of smartphone for learning in Federal University of Technology Minna. The study here by recommended that Students should further be enlighten on significance, efficient and effective usage of smartphone for reading or learning purposes. The institutions should also encourage the use of ICT related tools for instructional delivery to enhance the usage of smartphone for learning rather than social activities. More research should also be conducted in this area of research study to improve on the literatures, most especially looking into how gender difference can affect the awareness, usage and influence of smartphone for learning purposes.