ERIC Number: EJ1393604
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1449-9789
EISSN: EISSN-1449-9789
Available Date: N/A
Same Same but Different: Learning with Technology -- Are First-Year College Students Prepared for This?
Schmitz, Birgit; Eisenmann, Steffen
Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, v20 n4 Article 10 2023
March 2020 changed the world of learning. Ever since, students have been relying on remote lecturers, virtual fellow students, and electronic learning material. For many, this greatly differs from how they used to learn before and even though technology is incremental to students' everyday life, many are not familiar with using technology for their learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate if first-year college students are prepared for learning with technology and to empirically document possible gaps. To assess this, two successive first year cohorts completed a 32-items questionnaire that was based on standardized scales to assess time management, collaboration, and self-directedness, as the three core competencies for higher education learners to successfully engage in learning with technology. The answers were related to students' prior experiences and their motivation to learn online. First results indicated that time management is a major challenge for first-year students with and without work experience. Results also suggest that the motivation to learn has a positive relationship with the concept variables chosen to assess first-year students' expectation and readiness for online learning. The findings may support the need for higher education institutions to understand students' expectations and self-assessed readiness and to identify areas for improvement.
Descriptors: Electronic Learning, College Freshmen, Distance Education, COVID-19, Pandemics, Readiness, Time Management, Self Management, Digital Literacy, Cooperative Learning, Expectation, Student Motivation, Maturity (Individuals), Foreign Countries
University of Wollongong. Available from: Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources. Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia. Tel: +61-2-4221-3140; Fax: +61-2-4225-8312; e-mail: jutlp@uow.edu.au; Web site: https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A