The Cellphone as a Support Tool in the Learning Process of Non-Indigenous and Indigenous Students of the North Huetar and Caribbean Branch Campuses of Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica

Abstract

The use of the smartphones in the classroom setting, as support for the learning process by students of the Northern Huetar and Caribbean Regional Branch of the National University, Costa Rica, is substantially increasing. Knowing the way in which this population, particularly the indigenous population on this Campus uses this tool, allows showing how to address the teaching practice to benefit from its use. Due to this, and based on the interdisciplinary and complexity theories, a descriptive study was conducted in which the systematization of the teaching practice was the starting point, complemented by a statistic sample of the students from the advanced levels of the different majors by the application of a questionnaire, to establish behavior patterns in smartphones use. Among the main findings of the study, it was found that smartphones are used as a tool by both populations in the same way, mainly for research purposes. Still, the ease and incentives from the university faculty are not enough; this calls to educate and to train in the introduction and use of these technological devices in the classroom.