Abstract
Competent online learners have dexterity as they can manoeuvre a wide range of learning technologies and online learning strategies to learn successfully. In this study, we approach university students’ online learning competence as ‘online learning dexterity’ or an ability to manage different aspects of online learning with appropriate technological and pedagogical strategies. Aligning with emerging visions of more individualised, flexible, multi-modal, and community-driven experiences through online learning in universities, we operationalised an Online Learning Dexterity Survey instrument that assesses online learning competence through six dimensions: (1) asynchronous learning dexterity (2) synchronous learning dexterity (3) self-directed learning dexterity (4) online collaboration dexterity (5) learning technologies dexterity, and (6) learning access dexterity. Construct validity was established through confirmatory factor analysis of responses from 273 university students and discriminant validity was established through cluster analysis. The three-cluster solution show that learning technologies dexterity and learning access dexterity can be used to identify student profiles with lower confidence in their technical competencies but the other dimensions reveal students’ pedagogical challenges with managing learning, online collaboration, and different online learning modalities. The contributions of online learning dexterity factors to improving the assessment and development of university students’ online learning competency are discussed.