Patterns of Media Usage by Higher Education Students in Germany and Ghana - A Cross-Country Analysis

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

The study compares two survey datasets from higher education students in Germany and Ghana to examine access to digital devices, perceived value of digital media, and the actual learning tools and services used. It analyzes gaps between current and desired use of digital teaching and learning formats and identifies media usage profile types. Results highlight strong commonalities, including high mobile-device use for learning and a preference for external media and services beyond university control. Key contrasts appear in the availability and expressed demand for digital formats, driven by differences in internet infrastructure and services.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Highlights

What is already known about this topic

What this paper contributes

Implications for theory, practice and/or policy

Introduction

Patterns of Media Usage by Higher Education Students in Germany and Ghana: A Cross-Country Analysis Frank Senyo Loglo, Olaf Zawacki-Richter, Wolfgang Müskens Abstract: The study compared two survey datasets from higher education students in Germany and Ghana regarding access to digital devices; perceived value of digital media, tools, and services used for learning; gap analysis of the actual and desired use of digital teaching and learning formats; and types of media usage profiles among students. The findings underscored commonalities between the two groups, revealing that students in both contexts are equipped with mobile devices, and are highly utilized for their learning. Similarly, both student groups exhibit a preference for utilizing external media, tools and services not owned nor administered by their respective universities. However, a stark contrast emerged in terms of the provision of, and expressed demand for digital teaching and learning formats, attributable to significant disparities in the underlying internet infrastructure and service provision between the two countries. The high intensity in the use of videos, social networks and messaging applications means majority of the students in both contexts were classified as entertainment users of media by means of a latent class analysis. While students in Germany showed differentiation between non-traditional and traditional students in terms of their media usage patterns, there was little differentiation among Ghanaian students. The study concludes by offering suggestions for enhancing support for non-traditional learning and improving digital education in Ghana and similar contexts. Keywords: digital divide , digital education, Global North , Global South, media usage typology Highlights What is already known about this topic: • Meaningful digital education requires a thoughtfully designed learning environment that takes students’ characteristics, needs , and preferences into consideration. • Understanding students' media usage behavior is a critical requirement for the instructional design process. What this paper contributes: • The study expands the scope of media usage typology research to encompass diverse country contexts, including situational factors such as the digital divide. • Results show that mobile devices and mobile internet have traversed the digital divide and are heavily used for learning in both developed and developing country contexts. • Notable contrasts exist regarding the express demand, and provision of, digital teaching and learning formats due to internet infrastructure disparities between the two contexts. • Despite a comparatively higher provision of learning technologies within the German context, HE students’ media usage patterns are not distinctly different from the Ghanaian students as both contexts primarily use media for entertainment purposes. Implications for theory, practice and/or policy: • A huge potential for expandability of digital teaching and learning formats in developing country contexts exist provided the underlying technology infrastructure is improved. • HEIs in developing countries must aggressively explore and pursue opportunities for flexible learning formats and non-traditional learning due to its potential of widening access and participation in HE. Introduction Digital technologies have permeated teaching and learning practices of higher education institutions (HEIs) across the globe. Learners are now equipped with, and have more choices to use a wide range of technologies and applications for different purposes leading to the blurring of lines between media types (Dolch & Zawacki-Richter, 2018; Zawacki-Richter et al. , 2015) . In the classroom, technology is increasingly influencing not only what is taught, but also how it is taught (Daniel, 2015; Watters, 2017) . One of the consequences of the proliferation of digital media is its affordance for self-directed learning

FAQs

What does the study compare between Germany and Ghana?

It compares survey evidence on students’ access to digital devices, their perceived value of digital media, tools and services used for learning, and gaps between actual and desired use of digital teaching and learning formats.

What common patterns of media use do students in both countries share?

Students in both contexts are equipped with mobile devices and use digital media intensively for learning, with a preference for external media, tools, and services not owned or administered by their universities.

Why do Germany and Ghana differ in demand for digital teaching formats?

The study attributes the contrast to significant differences in underlying internet infrastructure and service provision between the two countries, affecting both provision and expressed demand.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa