Digitizing distance learning materials: Measuring students’ readiness and intended challenges

This study sought to explore distance education students’ readiness to use digital learning materials from a College of Distance Education programme which was in the process of transforming the face to face approach of delivery to a more digitized one in Ghana. Using a descriptive survey design, 400 distance learning students were randomly sampled to respond to a 14-item questionnaire. However, 306 students duly responded and completed the questionnaire on their readiness to use digital tools, their access to digital technologies and the internet as well as challenges they envisage to confront in using digitized learning materials. The results revealed that majority of the students affirmed their readiness to use digital learning materials for learning. While respondents of the study did not report high access levels of some digital technologies such as tablets/iPad, desktop computers and laptops, majority of the students had personal access to smartphones with internet capabilities. Thus, the study highlights the potential of mobile phone device usage in distance learning and contends that in the midst of challenges bothering on access levels and high cost of internet, distance education institutions can operate the policy on bring-your-own-device (BYOD) in which distance learners make use of their personally owned devices to access digital content to support their learning.