The Technologies Used in Self-Directed Mathematics and Statistics Learning

In this digital age, digital technologies are used every time and everywhere by many people in everyday life. The application of these digital technologies has transformed the education sector. Students have gradually changed from learners who are teacher-centered to student-centered who are internally motivated knowledge seekers, perhaps with the help of digital technologies usage. Within this context, self-directed learning (SDL) has become an essential educational practice, particularly in mathematics and statistics courses, which often require students to engage in independent problem-solving and conceptual understanding outside the classroom. Hence, this paper examines the types of digital technologies most frequently used by university students in self-directed mathematics and statistics learning using descriptive statistics. The study is based on data from 478 diploma students at a Malaysian public university who enrolled in accountancy and business management programs. Findings indicate that the most digital devices used by students as communication tools and social networks was smartphones compared to computers either laptops, tablets, or desktops. Communication tools, social networking platforms, and internet search engines are the dominant technologies supporting students' independent learning among the fourteen categories of digital technologies assessed. The result also shows that the technology familiarity among students was high for web-based technologies such as Google Docs and Canva. These findings have important implications for educators and institutions seeking to enhance digital literacy and strengthen the integration of academic technologies into teaching and learning practices.

self-directed learning, mathematics/statistics learning, descriptive statistics

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