Chapter 1: Introduction

Nowadays, the world is kept on improving with the rapid growth of technology. With the

help of technology, it make our life easier and comfortable. Study by using smartphone is

very common among students. But still got a lot of generation X or baby boomer still

confuse the function of a smartphone.

The Smartphone emerged in year 2000. Smartphone is a high-end mobile phone built on

a mobile computing platform, with more advanced computing ability and connectivity

than the normal cell phone. Besides that, Smartphone have more advanced computing

ability and connectivity than contemporary mobile phones. Smartphones typically

equipped with portable media players, high revolution cameras, high-resolution touch

screens, web browsers, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband access (3G). Smartphone such as

Apple’s iPhone, Blackberry, Samsung Galaxy and HTC capabilities increasing over the

year, the consumption is on the rise from year to year. It becomes a pocket computer and

a must have necessity for students. The ease of acquiring free wireless on campus makes

it even more convenient for students to use their Smartphone to study. They can browse

the Internet or download any notes that provided by lecturer in e-learning.

1.1Problem Statement

With the vast development among the mobile industries, Smartphone have become

incredibly advanced with many function. Each of these Smartphone function varies and

the intention to use Smartphone to study among the students differs as well. The using of

Smartphone to study are gaining massive popularity among university students.

Interestingly, USM students tend to have interest in the topic regarding students using

Smartphone to study. The problems that we are trying to scrutinize involve understanding

why USM students’ Intention to use Smartphone to study is triggered.

1.2 Research Objectives

The objective of this research:

1. To verify the determinants factors that affect USM students’ intention to use

Smartphone to study.

2. To gauge the importance of each determinant factor that will affect the students’

intention to use Smartphone to study.

3. To identify the most important and prominent factor that influence students’

intention to use Smartphone to study.

4. To investigate which variable or factors are not significant to students’ intention

to use the Smartphone to study.

1.3 Research Questions

In order to obtain and achieve our research objective in this study, the following

questions have to be answered:

1. What type of determinant or variable will affect USM students’ intention to use

Smartphone?

2. Does the independent variables (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use of

Smartphone, students’ compatibility, and students’ observation) and mediating

variable (students’ attitudes towards using Smartphone to study) have a positive

relationship with students’ intention to use Smartphone to study?

3. Which of the variables is significant to the students’ intention to use Smartphone

to study?

1.4 Definition of Key Variables

Perceived Usefulness

-Defined as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would

enhance his or her job performance (Davis, 1989).

Perceived Ease of Use

-Defined as the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be

free from effort (Davis, 1989).

Compatibility

-In order to be able to do whatever we want with the given dynamic system under control

input, the system must be controllable (R. Kalman, 1960).

Observability

-In order to see what is going on inside the system under observation, the system must be

observable (R.Kalman, 1960).