Using Mobile Phone Technologies to Maintain Quality of Education in Ethiopia: A View beyond the Prevalence of Academic Dishonesty
Mebratu Mulatu Bachore
School of Languages and Communication Studies College of Social Sciences and Humanities Hawassa University, Ethiopia
Keywords: Mobile phones, Learning, Quality education, Academic dishonesty.
Abstract
The 21st century is characterized by the increasing access to sophisticated but affordable and portable technologies that are contributing much to the world. Specifically, in Ethiopia, mobile technologies are rapidly attracting new users, providing increasing capacity, and introducing more sophisticated uses to the citizens. However, it is becoming somehow common to ban using mobiles phones in classrooms among teachers in Ethiopia due to fear of cheating and plagiarism. At the same time, various scholars around the world have been investigating the trends of using these technologies for learning in both formal and informal contexts. The integration of such technologies into teaching and learning has been more gradual, as educators need to understand how they can be effectively used to support various kinds of learning and develop effective methods and materials for mobile assisted learning. Therefore, this review article analyses the trends, principles, merits and demerits, global experiences, and future considerations of using mobile to maintain the quality of education in Ethiopia which is becoming the due concern of our nation.