ICT utilization levels and associated factors among higher education students in Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

Despite the possibilities offered by Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to increase educational attainment, disparities in utilization persist in the context of Ethiopian higher education, leading to wider inequalities. This study focused on the levels of ICT utilization among graduating engineering students from three universities in the Southern region of Ethiopia: Hawassa, Dilla, and Jinka. A multi-stage sampling technique was applied to select a sample of 405 students. A structured survey questionnaire was employed to collect the responses which were analyzed using descriptive statistics techniques and an ordered logistic regression model. The data indicated that students’ level of ICT usage was low (39.0%) medium (31.4%), and high (29.6%) respectively. The primary factors influencing ICT usage levels are digital skills, previous experience using computers, urban residency, access to the Internet, digital literacy, motivation, and family income. Overall, the findings indicate that university students’ level of digital participation inequalities still exist, concluding with ICT’s integral utility in fostering equity of participation among students. Possible recommendations to support equitable and meaningful digital participation among university students in the higher education context in Ethiopia include improving digital infrastructure, embedding ICT in teaching learning, providing systematic training, training instructors in ICT, and encouraging students to utilize ICT.