Mobile learning as a paradigmatic mechanism to faciliate technology-based learning in a developing country

Abstract

During the last few years it has become evident that first-year undergraduate computer science programming learners in the Financial Information Systems (FIS) programme at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in South Africa, encounter numerous barriers to successfully practice their programming skills, as well as to design, develop, test and electronically submit their computer science programming assignments. As a result, the formative and summative assessment marks of these learners over the past few years indicate a concerning downward trend year on year, a challenge with which most first-year learners find it difficult to come to terms with. This is primarily due to a plethora of obstacles that impede on learners' ability to complete and electronically submit their programming assignments, especially off-campus, as well as the inability to practice their programming skills outside the boundaries of the classroom. Upon investigation it was determined that this trend is primarily attributed to three major stumbling blocks, namely the limited availability of computers, the absence of the required software needed to complete programming assignments off-campus, and the limited availability of Internet access off-campus.