Evolution and use of mobile devices in higher education: A case study in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions between 2009/2010 and 2014/2015

Mobile devices' popularity, particularly tablets and smartphones, has increased over the last years as a result of their versatility and multifunctionality. That consequently led to a wide daily use by everyone and especially among young people. Since 2010 the sales market for mobile devices has not stopped growing. This is justified by the fact that these devices present many advantages, namely usability, portability, versatility, adaptability and an ability to customize individual experiences. In the context of the teaching learning process, mobile devices allow overcoming the temporal and physical boundaries of the classroom, since information is omnipresent and no longer limited to a specific time and place for learning, thus promoting the mLearning. In this way it is important to analyze the use of mLearning, particularly the acceptance rate and uses of mobile technologies devices in higher education Portuguese institutions. In order to answering this issue, this paper analyzes the evolution and trends in the use of mobile technologies in higher education institutions in Portugal (North region) between 2009/2010 and 2014/2015. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.