IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ATTRIBUTES ON OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TO LEARNING AND LEARNING PERFORMANCE

Abstract

This study was, therefore, aimed at investigating the impact of three key attributes of human-technology interactivities (technology affinity, interaction and accessibility) on ODL students’ attitude to learning and learning performance. Cross-sectional-mixed-methods survey design was used for the study. Eight hundred and forty students drawn from six ODL Centres located in southwestern Nigeria participated. Four researcher-designed questionnaires and a 15-item Technology-mediated Scientific Cognitive Abilities Test (T-SCAT) were used to collect data. A sample (n = 48) of students, randomly selected from the representative sample, was also interviewed. Content analysis was used to analyse the study’s qualitative data. Quantitative data were analysed using bivariate correlation analysis, descriptive statistics, and regression analysis. Results indicated statistically significant positive relationships between technology affinity and attitude to learning (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.56, p<0.01), technology affinity and learning performance (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.17, p<0.01), interaction and attitude to learning (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.61, p = 0.000), interaction and learning performance (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.102, p = 0.018), accessibility and attitude to learning (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.33, p = 0.000) and accessibility and learning performance (r ₍₅₃₄₎ = 0.27, p = 0.000). Accessibility was not a significant predictor of attitude to learning but was found to be a significant predictor of learning performance (β = 0.25, t = 5.20, ρ < 0.001). The study recommended, amongst others, that higher educational institutions should adopt research-based approaches to align students’ technology attributes with learning and the semiotic resources of technology.