Digital Literacy of EFL Students: An Empirical Study in Vietnamese Universities

Abstract

The current research investigates the digital literacy levels of 1661 English as a foreign language (EFL) learner at Vietnamese universities. We used an adapted questionnaire to assess students’ digital knowledge and their perceived skills, their attitudes toward the use of digital technologies, and the frequency of use of technology applications in English learning. The findings reveal that most Vietnamese students can access digital technologies at home and in their institutions. Furthermore, students achieve an adequate level of knowledge regarding digital literacy, and their technological skills range from low to average. Students’ attitudes toward technologies are positive, but they do not use technologies extensively when learning English. Comparisons show that males have better digital knowledge and skills than their female peers. Although female students are more aware of the digital integration benefits of learning than their male peers, males tend to use technologies more extensively than females. There are also discrepancies among different year groups. Seniors have the best digital knowledge, while freshmen possess the highest technical skill levels. Junior and senior students’ attitudes toward technology applications in English learning are more positive than those of freshmen and sophomores.

Educational supply chain sustainability

“…It resulted in practicality, increased success and productivity, enhanced communication processes, convenient documentation and scheduling and a stronger connection among stakeholders (Copson et al ., 2022). DL also allows individuals, particularly students, to communicate and express themselves more effectively using various online platforms (Al-Kumaim et al ., 2021) because they have more favorable opinions regarding using ICT in learning (Nguyen and Habók, 2021). Additionally, DL highlights the need for a modern workforce and society to constantly develop digital skills in order to deal with future challenges (Martzoukou, 2021).…”

“…DL can also ensure the educational institution platform's flexibility (Li and Yu, 2022) by allowing anyone in the educational environment to access the material shared on the digital platform. The incorporation of ICT in education affects not only teachers in the classroom but also students' learning environments and processes (Sánchez-Cruzado et al ., 2021), with some help from knowledge of the significant benefits of digital tools in learning environments (Nguyen and Habók, 2021), which will motivate students to use digital resources appropriately and improve overall education quality (Abad-Segura et al ., 2020; Ricoy and Sánchez-Martínez, 2022; Tohara et al ., 2021). Furthermore, DL encourages participation in online classes (Al-Kumaim et al ., 2021), which helps to create a more beneficial learning environment and effective education.…”

EFL Teaching in a Digital Environment

“…The authors state that most students seem to have access to computers and the Internet and therefore have enough resources to improve their digital competence. They also underline the feasibility of the usage of English education technologies (Nguyen & Habok, 2021). Again -as with the study by Al-Quallaf and Al-Mutairi -the study focuses on the student's perception of the positive impact of digital tools on their language learning.…”

The Effect of Lifelong Learning Tendency of Athlete-Sedentary Students on the Level of Digital Literacy and Investigation of Some Variables

“…Yontar (2019) üniversitelerin eğitim fakültelerinde öğrenimlerini sürdüren öğretmen adaylarının dijital okuryazarlık düzeylerini incelediği araştırmada erkek katılımcıların ortalama puanlarının kadın katılımcılardan yüksek olduğunu bulgulamıştır. Yine literatür incelendiğinde (Alakpodia, 2014;Albirini, 2006;Calvani, Fini, Ranieri ve Picci, 2012;Çetin, 2016;Göldağ ve Kanat, 2018;Gui ve Argentin, 2011;Güngör ve Kurtipek, 2020;Korkmaz ve Mahiroğlu, 2009;Menzi, 2012;Nguyen ve Habók, 2021;Ocak ve Karakuş, 2019;Siddiq ve Scherer, 2019). Bu durum açıklanırken toplumsal yaşamda erkeklerin kadınlara oranla dijital araçları daha fazla süre ve sıklıkla kullanmaya yönelik tutum sergilemeleri, teknolojik araçlarla daha fazla etkileşimde bulunmaları ve bu araçları kullanmaya daha istekli olmaları ortaya çıkan farkın kaynağı olarak düşünülebilir.…”