Evaluating Heutagogical ICT User Personality Characteristics for Girls Learning in Universities

Abstract

Digital technologies pervasiveness is changing the way people access information and understand it to gain knowledge and interact with what is around them and their relationship with other people. The adoption of Technology- Enabled Learning in institutions of higher learning seemed to provide a gender neutral learning since boys and girls can access the learning from anywhere and anytime. However, the access and use of the technology proves to be different. It is perceived that boys are more open-minded in the use of technology than girls. This suggests the decrease of girls in the use ICTs. Institutions of higher learning adopted blended or fully online mode of learning since the Covid-19 pandemic. This led to some form of stress among students especially those who were used to the face to face mode of learning. The stress seemed to be more evident in girls than in boys. When it comes to openness to the use of technology in learning, boys are more curious and accept the challenge more easily than girls. Uptake of ICT among girls is low due to user personality characteristics. This paper proposes a new model of ensuring that girls are fully involved in using ICT in learning despite their personality characteristics.