A Leap Towards Leveraging Mobile Devices in Higher Education (Technology Focus)

• Identifies the features and functionality that students look for when selecting a mobile device
• Examines the influence of students’ personal preferences on the process for purchasing a mobile device
• Suggests ways that institutions can leverage mobile technology to accomplish core priorities more effectively

• Gain insight into what is driving students to purchase a particular device
• Understand what solution features and functionality will be most important to education institutions and students
• Structure product development more effectively by understanding how mobile devices are likely to be used in higher education

DATAMONITOR VIEW

CATALYST

SUMMARY

METHODOLOGY

ANALYSIS

A shift toward a ubiquitous computing model is gaining momentum in higher education

Student expectations for technology are driving the shift to ubiquitous computing

Challenges remain for the more widespread adoption of ubiquitous computing

Understanding why students select a mobile device and how they use it offers valuable benefits

Functionality is a primary driver of why students select a particular device

There are eleven key features and functionality for mobile devices in the higher education market

Cellular telephones provide immediate, ubiquitous and reliable connectivity

Laptops and tablet PCs are the workhorses of mobile computing in higher education

Audio and video players expand the reach of education institutions

Personal preferences also are a significant factor when students select a mobile device

Mobile devices must have certain characteristics in order to meet students' personal preferences

When it comes to end-user preferences, not all mobile devices are created equally

Students will find cellular telephones extremely appealing mobile devices

Laptops and tablet PCs vary in their appeal but both satisfy student important preferences

iPods have considerable potential in the education market

Institutions should exploit mobile devices that enable their core educational priorities

There are four core priorities for higher education institutions

The creation of constituency relationships is important to education institutions

Learning and research is at the heart of all education institutions

Ensuring security and safety is a top priority in the education market

Increasing end-user control has considerable benefits for institutions

Personal preferences and educational value drive a student's selection of a mobile device

Bet on the standard cellular telephone for creating and maintaining relationships

Students recognize that laptops get the job done for learning and research

Students will select standard cellular telephones first for security and safety

Smartphones pose a potential challenge to laptops as a tool to enable end-user control

ACTIONS

Vendors must enable their solutions to support a diverse set of mobile devices

The convergence of cellular and iPod functionality is a powerful combination

APPENDIX

Definitions

Extended methodology

Selected secondary sources consulted for this report include:

Further reading

Ask the analyst

List of Tables

Table 1: Mobile devices vary in their support of key features and functionality

Table 2: Mobile devices vary in their ability to meet students' personal preferences

Table 3: Mobile devices vary considerably in their ability to enable core education priorities

List of Figures

Figure 1: Standard cellular phones support key voice and messaging functionality

Figure 2: Smartphones expand the functionality of standard cellular phones

Figure 3: Laptops offer mobility for advanced computing functionality

Figure 4: Tablet PCs provide advanced functionality for mobile computing

Figure 5: iPods extend the reach of key educational processes

Figure 6: Standard cellular telephones are well-aligned to the personal preferences of students

Figure 7: Students will find smartphones less appealing than standard cellular phones

Figure 8: Students will find a number of appealing traits in laptops

Figure 9: Tablet PCs are likely to be less attractive than laptops to students

Figure 10: iPods have characteristics that are appealing to students

Figure 11: Personal preferences and the ability to enable education processes drives device selection

Figure 12: Institutions should leverage cellular phones to manage constituent relationships

Figure 13: Laptops are central to learning and research

Figure 14: Cellular phones are the first step toward improved security

Figure 15: Smartphones are the dark horse for enabling end-user control