The impact of blended learning environment on students’ awareness of sustainable digital citizenship and intellectual security requirements in Saudi higher education

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of a sustainability-oriented blended learning course on fostering responsible digital personalities and enhancing intellectual security among Saudi university students. Utilizing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach, the research involved 540 undergraduates, divided into traditional (n = 274) and blended (n = 266) learning formats. Quantitative results demonstrated that students enrolled in the blended course significantly surpassed their traditional peers across all facets of sustainable digital citizenship and intellectual security, exhibiting substantial effect sizes for total sustainable digital citizenship (d = 1.96) and a considerable effect for intellectual security (d = 1.23). Correlation analyses showed a positive relationship between responsible digital personality and intellectual security, but mediation analyses indicated that the blended learning intervention influenced these outcomes independently rather than sequentially. Qualitative data from open-ended responses, reflective journals, and interviews with 12 selected students revealed four key themes: reconceptualizing responsible digital personality, perceiving the blended environment as a “safe simulator,” redefining intellectual security as active resilience, and linking digital citizenship to social sustainability aligned with Vision 2030. Overall, the findings suggest that well-designed blended learning environments can enhance ethical digital behaviors and intellectual resilience, providing a scalable model for higher education in digitally evolving societies.