Toward closing the zipper: Technology readiness and diverse technology use of university students in terms of academic major and gender

Abstract

Emerging technologies have the potential to transform education, and individuals with different technological orientations and backgrounds should have equal opportunities to harness the benefits. However, the underlying personal characteristics that potentially contribute to differences in technology adoption beyond the issues of technology access and skills have received less attention, especially in a context where access to technology and the possibility of acquiring necessary skills can be considered common. In this study, we found significant variation in university students' technology readiness in Finland regarding their field of study and gender. Students in information technology and natural sciences exhibited higher technology readiness than students in other fields. Also, men reported higher technology readiness than women, especially in innovativeness, suggesting a tendency to adopt new technologies before others. Findings underscore the need to consider the interplay between individual differences in technology readiness and the adoption of novel technologies in education because of a potential risk that individual and technological factors may drive and perpetuate the digital divide. The study concludes with the proposition of the Zipper Model of Digital Equity, which illustrates the digital divide and ongoing efforts toward digital equity in education.