Development and validation of a measure for assessing the psycho-technological learning capabilities of open and distance online learners

Abstract

This research focused on the development and validation of the Psycho-Technological Learning Capabilities Scale (PTLCS) to measure the technical and technological capabilities required by students in an open distance and online learning (ODeL) environment in higher education. The general aim of this research was to operationalise the various constructs that constitute psycho-technological learning capabilities, namely, computer skills (relabelled as technological skills) and internet self-efficacy (relabelled as technical self-efficacy), into a valid and reliable measure. The research also explored the relationship dynamics between students’ psycho-technological learning capabilities, a self-directed learning orientation, socio-biographical characteristics (age, gender and ethnicity), and graduateness skills and attributes. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with a random sample of students (N = 378) who were enrolled for two compulsory first-year Industrial and Organisational Psychology modules at a higher education ODeL institution. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the internal consistency, reliability and construct validity of the newly developed PTLCS. Multigroup structural equivalence showed that the factor structure (configural invariance) of the PTLCS was equivalent for the gender and ethnicity groups. The results further showed that the PTLCS constructs (metric invariance) had the same meaning for the various age, gender and ethnicity groups. Scalar invariance (mean differences in the latent construct) was not evident for the groups. Multiple regression showed that technological self-efficacy, academic activity, motivation and success orientation significantly predicted higher levels of graduateness skills and attributes. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed that the prediction effect of psycho-technical learning capability on graduateness skills and attributes was conditional on the mean scores of the black and white ethnicity groups. Tests for significant mean differences showed that male participants scored significantly higher than female participants on graduateness skills and attributes and psycho-technical learning capability. Black and white ethnicity groups also differed significantly on these constructs. Although it requires further refinement, the newly developed PTLCS promises to provide information that would be useful for measuring the technical and technological learning capabilities of ODeL students. The study makes an original contribution to adult learning theory and ODeL research, and adds value to teaching practices focused on facilitating the graduateness and subsequent employability of students in the digital era world of work.

Die navorsing het gefokus op die ontwikkeling en geldigheidsbepaling van die PTLCS (Psycho-Technological Learning Capabilities Scale, of psigo-tegnologiese-leervermoëns-skaal) om die tegniese en tegnologiese vermoëns wat deur studente in ʼn ODeL-omgewing (oop-afstand- en aanlyn leer) in hoër onderwys benodig word, te meet. Die algemene oogmerk van die navorsing was om die verskillende konstrukte wat psigo-tegnologiese leervermoëns – naamlik rekenaarvaardighede (herklassifiseer as tegnologiese vaardighede) en internet-selfdoeltreffendheid (herklassifiseer as tegniese selfdoeltreffendheid), te operasionaliseer tot ʼn geldige en betroubare maatstaf. Die navorsing het ook die verhoudingsdinamika tussen studente se psigo-tegnologiese leervermoëns, selfgerigte leeroriëntering, sosio-biografiese eienskappe (ouderdom, geslag en etnisiteit), en gradueerbaarheidsvaardighede en -kenmerke ondersoek. ʼn Kwantitatiewe deursnee-opname is gedoen met ʼn ewekansige steekproef van studente (N = 378) wat ingeskryf is vir twee verpligte eerstejaarsmodules in bedryfs- en organisasiesielkunde by ʼn hoëronderwys-ODeL-instelling. Verkenningsfaktorontleding en bevestigendefaktorontleding het bewys gelewer van die interne konsekwentheid, betroubaarheid en konstrukgeldigheid van die nuutontwikkelde PTLCS. Multigroep- strukturele ekwivalensie het getoon dat die faktorstruktuur (konfigurale invariansie) van die PTLCS ekwivalent was vir die geslag- en etnisiteitgroepe. Die resultate het verder aangedui dat die PTLCS-konstrukte (metriese invariansie) dieselfde betekenis vir die verskillende ouderdom-, geslag- en etnisiteitgroepe gehad het. Skalare invariansie (gemiddelde verskille in die latente konstruk) vir die groepe was nie sigbaar nie. Meervoudige regressie het getoon dat tegnologiese selfdoeltreffendheid, akademiese aktiwiteit, motivering en suksesoriëntering beduidend hoër vlakke van gradueerbaarheidsvaardighede en -kenmerke voorspel het. Hiërargies gemodereerde regressie-ontleding het getoon dat die voorspellingseffek van psigo-tegniese leervermoë op gradueerbaarheidsvaardighede en -kenmerke voorwaardelik op grond van die gemiddelde tellings van die swart en wit etnisiteitgroepe was. Toetse vir beduidende gemiddelde verskille het daarop gedui dat manlike deelnemers beduidend hoër punte as vroulike deelnemers behaal het vir gradueerbaarheidsvaardighede en -kenmerke, en psigo-tegniese leervermoë. Swart en wit etnisiteitgroepe het ook beduidend verskil ten opsigte van hierdie konstrukte. Hoewel dit verdere verfyning verg, beloof die nuutontwikkelde PTLCS om inligting te verskaf wat nuttig sal wees vir die meting van tegniese en tegnologiese leervermoëns van ODeL-studente. Die studie lewer ʼn oorspronklike bydrae tot volwasseleerteorie en ODeL-navorsing, en voeg waarde toe tot onderrigpraktyke wat fokus op fasilitering van die gradueerbaarheid en gevolglike indiensneembaarheid van studente in die digitale werksera.

Ucwaningo belugxile phezu kokuthuthukiswa Kanye nokuqinisekiswa kwesilinganiso esibizwa nge-Psycho-Technological Learning Capabilities Scale (PTLCS) ukulinganisa amakhono obuchepheshe nobuthekinikhali obudingwa abafundi sohlelo oluvulekile lokufunda ukude nokufunda nge-inthanethi (ODeL) esizindeni semfundo ephakeme. Inhloso yonke yalolu cwaningo kwaye kuwukuqinisekisa izakhiwo ezahlukahlukene ezakha amakhono engqondo okusebenzisa ithekinoloji, wona ngamakhono okusebenzisa ikhomphyutha (achazwa njengamakhono obuchwepheshe bethekinoloji) kanye nokuzethemba ngekhono le-inthanethi (relabelled as technical self-efficacy), ukuze ube yisisetshenziswa esifanele nesethembekayo. Ucwaningo futhi luye lwahlola izinguqunguquko zobudlelwano obuphakathi kwamakhono okufunda abafundi okusebenzisa ithekinoloji, uhlelo lokufunda olulawulwa nguwe, izimpawu zebhayografi yabantu (enjengeminyaka, ubulili kanye nobuhlanga), kanye namakhono owatholayo kange namakhakhazela kwiziqu oziphothulayo. Isaveyi ebizwa nge-quantitative cross-sectional survey yenziwa ngohlelo lwesampuli yabafundi ebizwa nge-random sample (N = 378) okungabafundi ababebhalisele omojuli ababili abaphoqelelayo bonyaka wokuqala kwi-industrial and organisational psychology ezikweni lezefundo ye (ODeL) eliphakeme. Uhlelo lokuhlaziya (Exploratory factor analysis) kanye nohlelo lokuqinisekisa (confirmatory factor analysis) kunikeze ubufakazi bangaphakathi obungaguquki, obethembekayo kanye ne-construct validity yohlelo olusha olusanda kwakhiwa PTLCS. Uhlelo lwe-Multigroup structural equivalence lukhombise ukuthi isakhiwo somthelela (configural invariance) lwe PTLCS besifana ngokwamaqembu obulili kanye namaqembu obuhlanga. Imiphumela iqhubeke nokukhombisa ukuthi izakhiwo ze-PTLCS (metric invariance) bezinencazelo efanayo ngokweminyaka, ubulili kanye namaqembu ezinhlanga zabantu. Uhlelo lwe-Scalar invariance (luchaza imehluko kwizakhiwo latent construct) aluzange lubonakale kumaqembu. Uhlelo lwe-Multiple regression lukhombise ukuthi ukuzethemba ngekhono lwethekinoloji, umsebenzi wemfundo, ugqozi kanye nempumelelo kukhombise ukubikezela kakhulu amazinga aphezulu wamakhono eziqu eziphothulwayo kanye namakhakhazela. Ucwaningo lwe-Hierarchical moderated regression analysis lukhombise ukuthi umthelela wokubikezela mayelana nekhono lokufunda ukusebenzisa ingqondo kwezethekinoloji phezu kwamakhono namagalelo zokuphothulwa kwezifundo kwakukhombisa kwencike phezu kwesimo ngokwamaphuzu alingene (mean scores) ezinhlanga zabamnyama nabamhlophe. Izinhlelo zokuhlola umehluko i-mean differences zikhombise ukuthi abadlalindima abesilisa bathole amaphuzu aphezulu ukwedlula abadlaindima abesifazane ngokwamakhono namagalelo, kanye nekhono lokufunda ukusebenzisa ithekinoloji. Amaqembu ezinhlanga zabamnyama nabamhlophe nazo zehluke kakhulu ngalezi zakhiwo. Yize, lokhu kufuna ukuthi kuhluzwe kabanzi, uhlelo olusha olwakhiwe lwe-PTLCS luthembise ukunikeza ulwazi oluzobaluleka ukulinganisa amakhono okufunda kwizinto ezithekinikhali kanye nasekusetshenzisweni kwengqondo kwithekinoloji kubafundi bohlelo lwe-ODeL. Ucwaningo lukhombisa igalelo langempela kwithiyori yokufunda kwabantu abadala (adult learning theory) kanye nocwaningo lwe-ODeL, futhi lukhulisa izinga lokubaluleka kwemisebenzi yokufundisa egxile ekuhleleni izinga lokuphothula izimfundo kanye nezinga lokuqhasheka kwabafundi esikhathini somhlaba sokusebenzisa idijithali.