This study delves into university students' perceptions of using technologies in educational activities and the cognitive effort they allocate to these tasks.
A total of 2,148 students from a range of scientific disciplines across twelve public universities in Spain participated, selected through a non-probabilistic, intentional, and conventional sampling method.
Using an ad hoc instrument, validated to ensure reliability and validity, data were collected on student preferences regarding the use of various technological resources, as well as their perceptions of the mental effort involved and the perceived ease of learning through these means.
The findings reveal a diversity of perceptions among students concerning the analyzed technological media and resources, related to the level of mental effort required for their use and the degree of ease of learning through them.
This phenomenon can be understood through the interaction of three crucial elements: the symbolic systems activated for message creation, the message itself, and the technology that encapsulates, formalizes, and disseminates these messages.
Moreover, a dialogue with Salomon's (1981) mental effort theory is established, examining the specifics of the results obtained and their implications for enhancing digital competence among the student body.
In summary, this study provides a critical overview of how successive generations of university students perceive and utilize technologies in the educational sphere. While a digital preference is observed, the results indicate that this is not uniform and is significantly influenced by factors such as the type of educational activity and the specific technological resource involved.
This highlights the need to consider these variables when designing and implementing educational strategies that incorporate information and communication technologies, aiming to optimize the teaching and learning process.
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How to cite: Cabero-Almenara, J., Martínez-Pérez, S., Gutiérrez-Castillo, J. J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2022). University Students’ Perceptions of the Use of Technologies in Educational Activities and Mental Effort Invested. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 25(2), 305-326. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.25.2.32714
