E-students' readiness to adjust to online learning technology

The development of new technologies has permitted an upsurge of Smart Universities based on online courses and the effectiveness of e-learning has been widely demonstrated. Yet, the predicting variables at the basis of e-students’ success are still in question. Several authors in the field of face-to-face learning have proposed that their future achievements are linked to their readiness to adjust to the learning environment and cope with new studying strategies in the first months of course attendance. However, currently there is little research with regards to online students. To this aim, we recruited N=100 freshmen at Uninettuno University (31% males; mean age 33.9) who were requested to participate in the present pilot study and fill in an ad hoc questionnaire assessing demographic information, students’ skills in the use of technologies oriented towards social interactions (SI) or information gathering/productivity (IGP). A regression analysis was performed to verify whether achievements were predicted by students’ skills and readiness in using technology for the scope of their learning goals. IGP predicted higher grades at the end of the first semester, whereas SI predicted the frequency of students’ accesses to the online learning environment. This allows for a preliminary profiling of e-learners with regards to their use of technologies, thus adding new useful support for the planning of tailored online courses in higher education, specifically during the first months after enrollment.