Investigating Factors Associated with Student Use of Digital Tools for Learning. Insights in Education and Work

With the rapid advances in technology (e.g., the internet, hardware, and software), technology-supported learning environments have widely emerged in K-16 learning and instruction. A survey found that 73% of teachers had their students use smartphones to conduct internet searches, and almost half of students reported using e-readers and tablets to complete in-class assignments (Purcell et. al., 2013). More recently, a survey of high school students (Moore & Vitale, 2018) reported daily use of technology or technological devices for school-related activities, including checking grades, emailing the teacher, researching information, and using school related web-based applications. The integration of educational technology (EdTech) or digital tools into learning and instruction is essential to education success. In this study, the authors aim to examine student factors that may contribute to their usage of EdTech or digital tools for learning by looking at students' self-reported usage of a wide range of tools designed to aid students in learning activities within their schools. Students' use of different learning technologies was examined in a model with three core constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model, two external constructs (i.e., self-efficacy and cognitive engagement), and three background measures (i.e., student-computer ratio at school, poverty level at the school, and students' high school grade point average).