EXPLORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ON STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION, SELF-REGULATED LEARNING, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Digital learning environment plays a critical role in Higher Education in Pakistan. Their effectiveness on students' motivation, self-regulated learning and academic achievement is explored. The researchers use a quasi-experimental, quantitative design. The sample size 360 is selected from public and private universities in Punjab, Balochistan and KP using multistage stratified random sampling technique. Experimental group: Digital platforms (Learning Management Systems, Google Classroom, Zoom). The control group is taught in the normal classroom setting. The Academic Motivation Scale and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire measure motivation and self-regulated learning. Semester grade point averages and course assessment scores measure academic achievement. The researchers use t-tests, ANCOVA, and multiple regression to analyze the data. The experimental group scores significantly higher than the control group on all three outcomes as results indicate. The impact is the highest for SRL. The combination of motivation, self-regulated learning and digital learning account for 46 percent of the variance in academic achievement. The impact of digital learning is uniform across the three provinces, but slightly lower in Balochistan. The study finds that digital learning environments have a positive impact on motivation, self-regulation, and achievement. The researchers suggest the investment of digital infrastructure and structured training for students and teachers. Keywords: Digital learning environment, Higher Education, students' motivation, self-regulated, academic achievement, Pakistan.