Digital Proficiency and Psychological Well-Being in Online Learning: Experiences of First-Generation College Students and Their Peers

Xuefei (Nancy) Deng and Zheng Yang
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Xuefei (Nancy) Deng: Department of Information Systems and Operations Management, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
Zheng Yang: Department of Public Administration, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA

Social Sciences, 2021, vol. 10, issue 6, 1-16

Abstract: The study examines the role of digital proficiency in relation to psychological well-being of a vulnerable population—first-generation college students (FGS)—and their counterparts, continuing-education students, in online learning during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Informed by positive computing and FGS studies, this paper empirically tests a model of three key influencing factors by using a data sample ( n = 309) collected from a minority-serving university in the U.S. in April 2020. Our data analysis confirms that FGS underperformed in digital proficiency, compared to their peers. Moreover, digital proficiency had a significant effect on individual psychological well-being, regardless of a student’s generational status. Our paper contributes to the positive computing research by empirically demonstrating the association between users’ technology competence and psychological well-being. Practically, our findings highlight the importance of implementing educational programs and policies to promote the digital skills and well-being of underserved students such as FGS in college education.

Keywords: digital proficiency; psychological well-being; college students; information and communication technology; quantitative analysis; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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