Non-traditional students' preferences for learning technologies and impacts on academic self-efficacy

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Higher Education Pedagogy
• Student Self-Efficacy

Background:

• Blended Learning (BL) has become a digital norm in higher education, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Traditional methods of categorizing learners for BL lack empirical support and fail to address non-traditional students' needs.
• Integrating learning technologies requires understanding student preferences and their impact on self-regulated learning and academic self-efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate undergraduate student preferences for learning technologies in a Blended Learning (BL) context.
• To explore the relationship between student preferences, self-regulated learning, and academic self-efficacy in BL.
• To identify pedagogical implications for effective BL technology integration.

Main Methods:

• A pre-COVID survey was administered to undergraduate students across four campuses of an Australian regional university.
• The survey collected data on student learning technology preferences and self-regulated learning behaviors.
• Analysis focused on how these factors influenced academic self-efficacy within a BL environment.

Main Results:

• Students desire consistency, relevance, and effectiveness in BL tools.
• Lecture recordings and video resources are preferred for learning; email and Facebook Messenger for communication.
• Perceived sufficiency of institutional educational technologies positively correlates with academic self-efficacy in BL.

Conclusions:

• A quality BL environment supports self-regulated learning through appropriate technological applications.
• Aligning technology with student preferences and needs is crucial for enhancing academic self-efficacy.
• Institutions should prioritize fit-for-purpose technologies to foster effective blended learning experiences.