Students’ Perceptions of Digital Learning Anxiety and Technology Acceptance

Digital learning is integral to higher education, and still many of the students feel apprehended while learning through technology, which might affect the acceptance of digital learning. The current study aimed to investigate the anxiety in digital learning and technology acceptance among university students, and to test the relationship between anxiety in digital learning and technology acceptance. The number of 248 students was selected by convenience sampling and a quantitative cross sectional survey was conducted. Technical, performance and social-interaction anxiety were measured using a structured questionnaire evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale along with perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and behavioral intention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression at .05 level of significance in SPSS. The students' digital learning stress was found to be moderate (M = 2.84, SD = 0.76) and technology acceptance was high (M = 3.69, SD = 0.68). There was a negative correlation between digital learning anxiety and overall technology acceptance (r = −.45, p < .01) and the three dimensions of anxiety together accounted for 22% of the variance in technology acceptance, with the technical anxiety and performance anxiety dimensions being significant predictors. The results indicate that confidence-promoting tasks, task design, and technical support can help reduce anxiety and enhance the acceptance of digital learning environments.