ASSESSING THE PERCEPTION OF STUDENTS ON THE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN LEARNING

Abstract

With the increasing proliferation of digital tools in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), which improves students' overall learning experiences, it is critical to investigate students' perceptions and motivators for using digital technologies in the learning process. Numerous studies have shown that students generally view the use of various digital technologies in the learning process positively. However, there has been insufficient in-depth investigation into the overall perceptions of higher education institution (HEI) students regarding the use of these digital tools in their learning. As a result, the purpose of the study is to investigate in depth the general perception and motivating factors influencing digital technology integration in the learning process using a mixed research design technique. The study collected data from Nigerian HEI students via a questionnaire that included both open-ended and closed-ended questions. The data was examined descriptively, with multivariate regression and theme modeling. The results of the study suggest that there is a gender gap and that more than half (55.3%) of HEI students are between the ages of 16 and 25. The findings indicate that students have a positive perception of the usefulness and impact of digital technologies in the learning process. Additionally, usefulness, ease of use, and self-efficacy emerge as the primary determinants of digital technology integration, explaining 37% of the variance.