The overarching objective of this dissertation is helping people to make a better use of digital information. This dissertation studies the cognitive abilities that are important for positive eLearner experience with digital devices and virtual environments. Institutions of higher education are increasingly incorporating new technology into their classes, whether those classes meet online or face-to-face. This is a welcome trend for today's students who are part of the Net Generation. While the digital divide did not lose its relevance, today the societal need has focused on the digital readiness, which, according to the 2016 PEW Research Center report, will allow people to access educational and healthcare applications, to use the governmental online services, and contribute to the global economic and cultural data flow (Horrigan, 2016). This dissertation presents a new, four-channel model of eLearning that suggests avenues for improving learning via addressing innovative ways of thinking influenced by digital readiness. The present work has a purpose to analyze existing theoretical foundations of eLearning in order to synthesize the processes by which learning happens today. This research is concentrated on the preparation techniques needed to succeed in mastering state-of-the-art digital technologies. Five exploratory studies were designed and conducted to verify the proposed eLearning model. In developing these studies, a new teaching method using immersive technologies and personalized social applications was created. New software for a virtual breadboard was also developed, determining system states so that the kinesthetic environment can interactively give formative hints to the learner and reduce the time spent by teaching aids in the lab. The new eLearning model and five studies supporting this model, described in this dissertation, can inform policy makers of the importance and possibility of teaching the skills necessary to develop digital readiness. Digital readiness empowers people to use virtual data and participate in online communication that have been raising the world GDP by 10 percent, according to the 2016 McKinsey Global Institute report (McKinsey Report, 2016). [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]