The relevance of value is a much-discussed policy concern of present times. Some values are debated to be on the verge of extinction, some considered forgotten, some claimed to evolve and some new ones are getting acceptability. Concerns were expressed over the erosion of essential values and increasing cynicism in society. While the core values like honesty, tolerance, helping others humanism and national values in personal and public life were, if not redundant, largely disregarded. Crime, violence, cruelty, greed, and apathy to human suffering appeared to be prevalent in all aspects of life be it political, social, or economic. Education was considered as a powerful medium for inculcating social and moral values and bring a change in the situation (National Policy on Education, 1986). A concern over erosion of the essential, social, moral, and spiritual values continued. An increase in cynicism in every social bracket was felt and educational institutions were directed to strive, resolve, and sustain the universal and eternal values focused on the harmony and integration of the community (National Curriculum Framework, 2000).

Now, emphasis on making values and culture part of the curriculum for ensuring the overall development of learner’s capacities are being made. The important aim of education is to enable the students to be rational, caring, compassionate, and ethical. Thus, learners should develop character while preparing for future employment. The new policy aims to achieve educational aspirations as per the needs of the present century aligning Indian values and traditions (National Policy of Education, 2020). The Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), as envisioned in the policy is now only possible while maintaining a balance between values and technology. When the growing technology and advancements are shaped by the ethos of a society, it would result in advancements consistent with a collective conscience. For higher education, an imperative prerequisite was noted for students and professors to receive training for incorporating mobile learning through mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets into pedagogical practice. For the reasons that in the absence of guidance of complete usage professors instead of transforming and improving methodologies of teaching-learning end up using new technology to continue with old methods (UNESCO, 2013).

Smartphones have not only changed the way students access information and socialize but also, how they get their education and certifications. The foremost benefit of the ubiquitous nature of learning using mobile devices is an increase in flexibility for face-to-face and distance learning (Ally, 2009). Students, across universities also, find smartphones beneficial for academics regardless of gender and age group. Educational aims were reported to be achieved for the use of learning, motivation, and productive educational interactions. The use of apps developed specifically for university subjects was valued highly by students. University students were highly favorable towards the use of apps for learning, which upgraded learning and provided opportunities to establish collaborations within their subjects and nurturing cooperative work among students and professors (Vázquez-Cano, 2014).

Smartphones are personalized, it configurates the apps according to individual preferences and adapts to mobile services individualized to the user’s needs (Tossell et al. 2012). The personalized environment of smartphones implies that it is used to pursue individual goals. This gives the app using a personal characteristic. Just as values are highly individualized and contextualized in nature, the activities smartphone users engage in and the values they pursue while engaging in those activities are distinctive. Taking a value-oriented approach for smartphone use, it becomes evident that certain values are preferred to be pursued while using a smartphone. Smartphone usage improves communication, socialization, positive social relations, social connections, confidence, and self-image (Jung, 2013). Smartphones have liberated the modern learner from constraints of place and time and made education flexible. Learners and educators are now able to collaborate, also, learners from developing countries can compensate for learning resources by using smartphones for education. While educational benefits for students are great, smartphone usage also has reported problems related to values like cheating on exams, internet addiction, bullying, hazing, etc. (Sarwar & Soomro, 2013). It is distinct from the present review that the use of technology also connects to our value systems. A need to examine values pursued while using these smartphone apps was identified.

Dependency and usage of smartphones are increasing day by day. It is now an integral part of our daily lives and medium people choose to communicate. Smartphones are enabling mobile learning and hence have an ever-growing presence in the field of education among both the teachers and the students. Smartphones are connecting the student with the information superhighway. With the present blended learning approach and collaborative learning environment, students are getting more and more dependent on the use of smartphones for their education and social activities. It is a widely known fact the excessive use of smartphones is directly affecting cognitive ability and social life. Technology has a strong influence on culture and with the present lifestyle of modern students, the use of smartphones is essential. The investigators are inclined to find out how this particular technology links to the culture, in context to values. The applications installed on the smartphone are being used at a very frequent interval by students. The question arises, in this case, is, what are the values that are playing a role while accessing those apps. A social networking app like Facebook or WhatsApp can be used for education, socialization, commercial activity, creative outlets, political debates, etc. The researchers were inclined to investigate in detail the values that were guiding the university students to use apps on their smartphones.

The study was confounded to final semester central university students in Bathinda. Also, the investigation was restricted to eight values namely: knowledge, economic, aesthetic, social, political, nationalistic, creative, and humanistic.

For the study, the researchers aimed to examine eight different values that were being utilized by the users for operating apps in their smartphones. The users were university students, who were stratified with reference to gender and subject stream. Here, research had to depict the conditions accurately as what they are without manipulating any variable hence descriptive survey method was identified to be most appropriate for the purpose. The investigation was undertaken in 2019.

The population for the present study consisted of final semester postgraduate university students enrolled in various courses broadly demarcated into the science stream and social science stream. As per the official record of the university, the total number of students enrolled in the final semester was 485 out of which 144 students were from the Social Sciences stream and 341 students were from Sciences stream. Further dividing based on gender (a) 81 were male and 63 were female students for social sciences stream and (b) 193 were male and 148 were female students for the science stream.

A sample of 215 with a 5% margin for error and a 95% confidence level was determined. The sample was further stratified using the proportionate stratified sampling technique. For a sample of 215, the students from (a) Social Science stream were 64 with 36 Male and 28 Female students, and from (b) Science stream were 151 students with 85 Male and 66 Female students.

To collect data Smartphone Application Value Assessment Scale (SAVAS) was developed by the researchers, which was based upon already standardized and published tool entitled Television Programme Value Assessment Scale (TPVAS) developed by Mishra and Shankardhar. SAVAS consisted of 32 statements and 128 situations. Each statement had four situations reactions with it and each situation represented a specific value divided into eight different values namely: knowledge, economic, aesthetic, social, political, nationalistic, creative, and humanistic.

The study sought to find the standard difference and compare the mean performance among a) male and female university students and b) science and social science students, with regards to knowledge, economics, aesthetic, social, political, nationalistic, creative and humanistic value of smartphone applications. The technique considered most appropriate for tabulating and interpreting the data were mean standard deviation and t-test.

From the given table 3, it is evident that There was a significant gender difference found with regards to knowledge, economic, and political smartphone application values. Whereas, there was no significant difference between male and female university students with regards to aesthetic, social, nationalistic, creative, and humanistic values for smartphone applications.

From the given table 4, it was interpreted that no significant difference existed between science and social science stream university students with regards to knowledge, economic, aesthetic, social, political, nationalistic, creative, and humanistic value for smartphone applications. It was determined that science students use smartphones for the values equivalent to social science students.

Based on the results and discussion it can be concluded that the smartphone application value of knowledge was highest for the sample and hence there can be a greater number of applications that can be developed by the universities and teaching institutes to encourage asynchronous mobile learning and students can be engaged through mobile learning for better learning outcomes.

The university students used the smartphone application for the creative value the least. One of the dimensions of creativity is problem-solving. And, problem skills are said to be one of the most necessary skills to survive the 21^st century. Hence, an immediate need was felt to nurture and incubate creativity for university students.