A Study of Undergraduate Students’ Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the Factors Affecting their Use: A Developing Country Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the extent of undergraduate students’ use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for personal and educational purposes, and (2) to examine differences in their use based on their gender, academic year, major, ICT access, and perceived ICT competencies. A descriptive method was followed in which 252 participants completed a questionnaire. The participants were students from a university in Jordan. The results showed that almost all the students owned smartphones and majority of them owned laptop computers. They had easy access to common types of technologies such as computers and the internet. They had moderate competencies in the general use of these common technologies, and high competencies in using smartphones. They were users of common digital tools and applications for personal purposes. Their ownership, access, competencies with, and use of ICT for personal purposes did not result in extensive use of ICT for educational purposes. However, students’ use of ICT for informal learning had multifaceted relationships with their use of ICT for personal purposes, ICT access, and ICT perceived competencies. Students’ ICT use for informal purposes is also influenced by their gender. However, the students’ use ICT for formal learning was not directly influenced by their ICT access, ICT perceived competencies, gender, or major. But, students’ use ICT for formal learning was related to their use of ICT for personal purposes and for informal learning. Nowadays university students surrounded by technology, some common types of these technologies include smartphones, Social Networking Service (SNS), computers, and the internet. They know how to use these types of technologies. Students’ use of ICT in their learning is directly and indirectly influenced by several factors. University administrators and faculty members should take advantage of students’ use and experience of specific types of ICT such as smartphones and SNS in their personal and social life by formally integrating such ICT in students’ learning. However such integration needs careful planning in terms of considering the pedagogy related to technology integration and considering the factors that would influence students’ acceptance and use of such technologies.