Resumen de Bridging the digital divide in education: Exploring the impact of digitalization on student learning outcomes
Musaddag Elrayah, Fatimah Abdulaziz Alshiha
Purpose: This study examined the negative impact of digital empathy on university students, specifically looking at how changes in technology-related factors affect academic performance. This study investigates the role of digital empathy skills as a mediator between factors such as digital technology access, digital literacy, use of digital resources, and community outcome expectations related to learning and student outcomes, with a specific focus on academic efficacy. Methodology: A total of 300 survey questionnaires were distributed to students at various universities in Saudi Arabia, spanning different disciplines from graduate to postgraduate levels. The analysis included 239 completed questionnaires. The collected data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with Amos. Research Findings: The study found that digital empathy skills play a crucial role in mediating the relationship between access to technology, digital literacy, the use of digital tools, community related outcome expectations, and proactive behaviour in addressing academic challenges. Digital empathy skills play a critical role in mediating the relationship between technological factors and students’ academic performance. The research highlights the necessity of developing digital empathy skills to promote positive student learning in digital learning environments. By enhancing digital empathy and addressing technology-related issues, educational authorities and politicians can establish conducive learning environments that foster high levels of student engagement, well-being, and academic achievement. Implications: This study refines the literature on the mechanism of digitally mediated empathy skills that influence the tie between technology-related factors and student learning results, such as academic certification. The study strives to figure out a way to bridge the socio-emotional aspects of digital learning environments into a conceptualization of the role socio-emotional competence will play in academic success in the digital era.
