Title: A feasibility study of mobile learning in rural areas: a case study in the northern part of Iran

Authors: Maryam Omidi Najafabadi, Seyed Mehdi Mirdamadi

Addresses: Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. ' Department of Agricultural Education and Extension, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: The wireless technologies are more economical and user-friendly than desktop computers. Moreover, they play a crucial role to reduce digital gap in rural areas. This study employs two powerful and sophisticated statistical techniques to study the feasibility of a mobile training system in rural areas of Iran, namely (1) using the ordinal factor analysis, challenges of such training system categorised into five factors, such as human, telecommunication company, organisational, technical and security challenges and (2) the ordinal logistic regression indicated attitude towards m-learning and mobile skills of users as two effective variables on the readiness of the mobile training system.

Keywords: feasibility study; readiness; challenges; cell phones; mobile phones; m-learning; rural areas; mobile learning; ICT; information technology; communications technology; Iran; mobile training; m-training.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMLO.2011.038692

International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 2011 Vol.5 No.1, pp.64 - 78

Published online: 14 Feb 2015 *

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