Digital Literacy, Motivation, Self-Regulation, Interest, and Task Difficulty as Predictors of Performance in Online Learning: A Path Analysis

Abstract

Studio-based art and design education, especially in hands-on fields like ceramics, faces significant challenges during crises requiring remote learning. The sudden shift to online environments disrupts the experiential learning essential to such courses. This study examined the effectiveness of the Studio-Based Clay Course Model, which integrates multimedia tools and instructional videos to support clay instruction in both physical and virtual formats. The study investigated how digital literacy, motivation, self-regulation, course interest, and task difficulty predict academic performance in an online learning context. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 148 students in Ghana. Path analysis, conducted using Jamovi software, revealed that motivation, course interest, and self-regulation significantly predicted academic performance (β = .6121, p < .001), and task difficulty had a notable impact (β = .2339, p = .024). Digital literacy did not directly predict performance (β = .0892, p = .367) but influenced it indirectly through motivation and self-regulation. The model explained 71.4% of the variance in academic performance. While limitations such as limited digital access and challenges in replicating hands-on activities online were noted, the findings suggest that the Studio-Based Clay Course Model fosters resilience and supports student success in remote studio-based learning environments.