Digital learning and usage practices of German students in a continuum of formal and informal contexts

Rosemann, Therese

doi:10.3390/educsci16020208

Digital learning and usage practices of German students in a continuum of formal and informal contexts

Results of a diary study

Publication date

2026-01-29

Document type

Forschungsartikel

Author

Rosemann, Therese

Organisational unit

Weiterbildung und lebenslanges Lernen

DTEC.bw

DOI

10.3390/educsci16020208

URI

https://openhsu.ub.hsu-hh.de/handle/10.24405/23972

Project

Digitale Schlüsselkompetenzen für Studium und Beruf

Publisher

MDPI

Series or journal

Education Sciences

ISSN

2227-7102

Periodical volume

16

Periodical issue

2

Article ID

208

Peer-reviewed

✅

Part of the university bibliography

✅

Funding(s)

Publikationsfonds der HSU/UniBw H

Language

English

Keyword

Digital learning and usage practices

Learning continuum

Formal

Nonformal and informal learning

Diary study

Culture of digitality

Learning environments

Subject-theoretical learning theory

Digital divide

dtec.bw

Abstract

In the “culture of digitality”, new (digital) spaces of opportunity in the contested field of formal and informal learning contexts are constantly emerging, forcing students to orient themselves and take responsibility for selecting information. To deal with the associated challenges (e.g., cognitive overload) this brings, digital skills are required, which can be acquired through various learning and usage practices. The aim of this study is to examine the interplay between students’ individual (digital) learning environments and their (digital) learning and usage practices, which are shaped by the culture of digitality, to derive actionable recommendations for the promotion of digital competencies. Thus, the multivariate results of a quantitative 10-day diary study with 70 students from a German University demonstrate that merely owning digital media is not sufficient to stimulate processes for developing digital competencies. Instead, students need to be encouraged to use these media in a way that actively promotes learning and reflection. Against the backdrop of these findings, there is a discussion about how learning environments can be designed to support and accompany students’ individual digital learning practices.

Description

This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Version

Published version

Access right on openHSU

Metadata only access