Factors associated with access to digital learning resources among higher education students in post-pandemic Nepal

The study employed a cross-sectional, quantitative survey design to investigate basic access to digital learning resources (DLRs) among master’s in education (M.Ed.) students at selected campuses in the Kathmandu Valley of Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal. The study aims to determine the association between their socio-demographic and educational characteristics and basic access to DLRs. Of the 12 TU campuses in the larger Kathmandu area, three constituent campuses, two community campuses, and two private campuses were selected, from which 338 respondents were drawn. Respondents were selected based on their availability on the day of the survey. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the data. The results of the study demonstrated that most students (96.2%) had access to digital learning hardware, with smartphones being the most commonly used device, followed by personal computers (laptops). Similarly, an overwhelming (97.3%) proportion of students had internet access at home. Although Wi-Fi was widely used, mobile data packages were increasingly common because smartphones are portable. However, nearly half of students (45.6%) reported not having internet access on their campuses. The study revealed that gender ( p = 0.028) and ethnicity ( p = 0.035) were significantly associated with access to digital learning hardware, while type of institution ( p = 0.015), specialization subject ( p = 0.002), and gender ( p = 0.032) were significantly associated with internet access at home. The results from multivariate analysis confirmed that ethnicity remains a significant covariate (AOR = 0.291, 95% CI: 0.091–0.933, p = 0.038) for access to hardware, and specialization is a significant covariate (AOR = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.011–0.892, p = 0.039) for internet access. The findings highlight the substantial influence of students’ socio-demographic and educational characteristics on their access to DLRs, underscoring the urgent need for targeted interventions. As the study captured only basic digital access (device ownership and home internet availability) and relied on convenience sampling of students present on the survey day, the findings should be read as indicative of this sampled M.Ed. population rather than as generalizable to all higher education students in Nepal. The findings imply that Nepali higher education should prioritize equitable access to reliable digital resources, connectivity, and digital skills.