Um-e Farwa, Umair Ahmed
Background: The rapid advancement of digital technology has profoundly transformed educational practices in medical and allied health sciences. Mobile applications have emerged as widely used learning tools among healthcare students. However, their awareness, usage patterns, and perceived educational value among Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) students, a distinct allied health population reliant on procedural and laboratory skill acquisition, remain underexplored, particularly in resource-constrained settings such as Pakistan. This study aimed to assess the awareness, utilization, and perceived effectiveness of mobile learning applications among MLT students in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among MLT students (n=384) at educational institutions in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered, pilot tested questionnaire with documented internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: Section B=0.82, Section C=0.80, Section D=0.78). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 384 students participated (54.20% female; 92.19% B.S. MLT). The majority (85.2%) were aware of mobile learning applications. YouTube was the most frequently used platform (71.1%). Perceived improvement in understanding of laboratory procedures was reported by 79.7%, and perceived improvement in practical class performance by 70.8%. The only statistically significant finding was a gender-based difference in barriers to use (χ²=8.13, df=2, p=0.043). Conclusion: MLT students in Hyderabad demonstrate high awareness and frequent use of mobile learning applications with predominantly positive perceptions of their educational value. These findings reflect perceived rather than objectively demonstrated benefits. Integration of mobile learning tools into the formal MLT curriculum and rigorous outcome-based research are warranted.