Student Experiences of Digital Literacy and Learning Management System Adoption in Rural Higher Education

While Learning Management Systems (LMS) are increasingly central to higher education globally, their implementation in resource-constrained rural contexts presents profound challenges to digital equity. This study addresses the critical gap in understanding the lived experiences of undergraduate students in a rural South African university, a demographic often marginalised in the discourse on educational technology. Adopting a qualitative inquiry design, this research utilises semi-structured interviews to explore students' perceptions, challenges, and the socio-cultural factors shaping their engagement with the institutional LMS. Framed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the study analyses how constructs such as effort expectancy and facilitating conditions are profoundly influenced by students' prior digital exposure and infrastructural realities. Findings reveal significant barriers, encapsulated by one student's admission: "I did not even know how to log in." Key themes include initial anxieties rooted in low digital literacy, the critical role of peer-led informal support networks, and frustrations arising from infrastructural deficits and inconsistent pedagogical integration by faculty. By amplifying student voices, this research challenges techno-optimistic narratives. It provides crucial insights for developing culturally responsive, equitable, and context-aware digital learning strategies in under-resourced higher education settings.