Leveraging digital skills to reduce cognitive strain: Implications for academic self-efficacy in medical education

Shazia Rehman; Abdullah Addas; Erum Rehman; Muhammad Nasir Khan; Muhammad Ali Shahiman; Md Anisur Rahman; Mi Wang

Acta Psychologica (Nov 2024)

Leveraging digital skills to reduce cognitive strain: Implications for academic self-efficacy in medical education

Shazia Rehman,
Abdullah Addas,
Erum Rehman,
Muhammad Nasir Khan,
Muhammad Ali Shahiman,
Md Anisur Rahman,
Mi Wang

Affiliations

Shazia Rehman: Department of Psychiatry, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, and National Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Mental Health Institute of Central South University, China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hunan Medical Center for Mental Health, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China
Abdullah Addas: Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia; Landscape Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture and Planning, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80210, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Erum Rehman: Department of Mathematics, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Muhammad Nasir Khan: Electrical Engineering Department, Government College University Lahore, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
Muhammad Ali Shahiman: Department of Urology and Renal Transplantation, Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Rawalpindi Medical University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Md Anisur Rahman: Department of Accounting, Data Analytics, Economics and Finance, Melbourne, La Trobe University, Australia
Mi Wang: Department of Mental Health Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China; National Clinical Research Center of Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; Corresponding author at: Department of Mental Health Center, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 251
p. 104602

Abstract

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Background: Digital literacy influences academic behaviors, especially in medical education, where students encounter considerable academic challenges. However, the effects of this phenomenon on academic self-efficacy and cognitive load remain inadequately understood. Objectives: This research explores the relationships between digital literacy and academic self-efficacy, emphasizing the mediating role of cognitive load and its various dimensions among medical students in Islamabad, Pakistan. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from seven medical colleges in Islamabad, Pakistan, from October to December 2023. The research employed meticulously validated measurement tools encompassing a digital literacy scale, academic self-efficacy scale, and cognitive load scale and collected data on 633 medical students. Descriptive statistics and inferential testing (mediation analysis) were performed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships of the study variables. Results: The empirical results revealed that digital literacy significantly enhances academic self-efficacy both directly and indirectly. First, the total cognitive load score showed partial mediation (β = 0.165, p < 0.001). Then, individual subscale analysis revealed that intrinsic cognitive load (β = 0.147, p < 0.001) and extraneous cognitive load (β = 0.144, p < 0.001) were significant mediators. However, the mediation effect through self-perceived learning (β = 0.105, p = 0.361) was not supported, suggesting variability in how students perceive their learning gains or other influencing factors influencing this relationship, which warrants further investigation. Conclusion: The research finding underscores the crucial integration of digital literacy instruction into medical curriculums to bolster students' academic self-efficacy by adeptly managing cognitive load. While digital literacy notably reduces intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads, its impact on perceived learning appears context-dependent and requires further exploration. Additional studies are needed to understand these relationships across educational settings and identify other potential influencing factors.

Published in Acta Psychologica

ISSN: 0001-6918 (Print); 1873-6297 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Philosophy. Psychology. Religion: Psychology
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/acta-psychologica

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