First-Year Student Experience – Using Digital Media for Teaching and Learning amid COVID-19 Pandemic at a Rural-Based Campus

The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) brought higher education institutions globally to a standstill as lockdown restrictions were instituted to curb the spread of the virus. Many institutions were obligated to transform from face-to-face to virtual teaching and learning digitally. This move made digital media become a driving force for virtual learning. Students who have never used digital media for learning had to switch overnight to virtual learning; this transit placed them at a disadvantage. This paper examined the first-year students’ experience on the use of digital media for learning and other disparities faced during the urgent transit to digital transformation. A qualitative observation approach was first used to gather information from a few respondents. In the quantitative approach, questionnaires were used to gather valuable feedback from respondents. A convenience sampling method was necessary due to lockdown restrictions. The paper was conceptualized using a Technological Acceptance Model (TAM) and Two-way Communication Model (TCM). The findings revealed that first-year students experienced challenges such as lack of access to computers, data, and poor network connectivity. The findings also revealed a user problem on computers and Moodle that was essential for virtual learning. This paper recommends various plausible solutions to be explored by higher education sectors in assisting first-year students to transit to digital learning and close the digital divide gap.