Digital Learning, Smartphone Usage, and Digital Culture in Indonesia Education

Abstract

Introduction. The rapid development of information and technology has procreated a digital culture in Indonesian education. This article aims to depict the current condition of digital culture in Indonesian education by pointing at the issue of students’ digital fluency, particularly the readiness for using digital learning resources and smartphone usage. Materials and Methods. A combination of the survey and qualitative descriptive method was used to identify the students’ intensity of using a smartphone, the description of students’ smartphone usage, and the students’ perspectives regarding the smartphone usage in learning activities. The data were collected through questionnaires from 384 students in the first grade of senior high schools in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia. Results. The findings of the research show that the students regularly use the smartphone more than 6 to 7 hours a day. The students use the Internet to gather information or download the learning materials. Moreover, they strongly agree that smartphone usage will give benefits to them. Discussion and Conclusion. The findings of research reflect that the students engage with the smartphone as a device to support their learning activities. The students’ engagement reflects the positive impact of smartphone usage on the psychological and cultural dimensions of the students. Moreover, the teachers should uphold the students’ digital culture by integrating digital material resources and smartphone usage into classroom activities.