Abstract

New media technologies usage is very prevalent among students enrolled in higher education in Ghana. Its use can help in fostering knowledge acquisition if students use them for academic purposes. The study aimed, through the survey method, to establish how university undergraduate students were using new media technologies and whether learning had any share in all of that. The sample was taken from across the undergraduate student population of the University of Professional Studies, Accra making sure there was representation from all four undergraduate levels. Findings pointed to the fact that smartphones, laptops and tablet computers (in that order) were the three top new media devices to which respondents had access and owned. The laptop was the number one new media device used for studies. Also, the internet came out as the main channel through which respondents accessed information for studying, apart from the lecture room. The study recommends that universities could take advantage of the popular use of smartphones, laptops, and tablets to develop academic apps in the form of departmental apps, programs of study apps and course apps which students will download on their phones for study purposes.