Mental health experiences of students in online, blended, or mobile learning environments at a Namibian university

Abstract

The study investigates the second-year students' mental health experiences when using online, blended, and mobile learning platforms. Whereas digital learning enhances flexibility, it also creates distinctive psychological misery, encompassing educational anxiety, loneliness, and digital fatigue. Adopting a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study utilised semi-structured interviews with nine second-year students across the Windhoek Main, Hifikepunye Pohamba, and Rundu campuses. The findings reveal that digital learning platforms create freedom and opportunity for students to pace their own learning. However, the lack of social engagement has not only alienated students from their peers but also left them unfamiliar with their learning environment. The study highlights that blended learning acts as a protective shield by fulfilling the human need for relatedness, whereas exclusively online modes frequently exacerbate mental distress. These findings provide a foundational basis for UNAM’s Information Communication Technology departments and the Dean of Students to implement "empathy-aware" digital courses and robust mental health support systems tailored to the digital age.