2025/05/27 by Ihuoma, Chinwe Patience
#Counselling needs #Digital threats #Open and Distance Learning
paper · doi:10.60787/nodel.v2.23
The proliferation of digital technologies and internet connectivity has introduced new complexities to the educational landscape, exposing students to a myriad of digital threats that compromise students' privacy and security and have profound implications for their psychological well-being, mental health, and academic performance. This study investigated the counselling needs of students of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in the context of digital threats. It explored the challenges posed by online risks and their offline consequences on students' mental health, well-being, and academic performance. The study employed a non-experimental design of survey research type. The population of the study comprises students enrolled in ODL programs in Nigeria. 200 students of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) were randomly selected and used for the study. Digital Threats to Open and Distance Learning (DTODL) questionnaire was used for data collection. The instrument was face and content validated and reliability estimate yielded 0.89. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentages. The findings reveal that email phishing, malware and other malicious software, cyberbullying, unauthorized access and misuse of students’ personal information by third parties, fraudulent schemes and scams are some of the prevalent digital threats faced by ODL students. The finding also show that student’s wellbeing were affected by varying psychological and emotional factors. Based on the findings, the study recommends counselling strategies to address these menaces effectively, aiming to enhance the well-being and academic success of ODL students in the face of digital infiltrations.