Factors Influencing Digital Competence: A Focus Group Study From the Perspective of the Medical College Students

Abstract

Over the last decade, learning and working in medicine has been increasingly influenced by digital tools. Today’s medical students are growing up in a digital age where digital tools and devices are a regular part of professional life. The development of digital competence is crucial for healthcare education, as healthcare professionals will be the ones helping orientate patients in digital healthcare systems and tools. This study aims to explore the opinions and experiences of medical college students regarding the factors influencing digital competence. Four focus group discussions were organised, with 26 medical college students in total in various study programmes in December 2021. The interviews were conducted in Latvian and transcribed by the lead researcher. Thematic analysis of the focus group discussions identified four main themes to be associated with the factors influencing digital competence: personal factors (self-confidence in using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), attitudes towards ICTs, prior training on ICTs, motivation), learning design (online, blended learning), lecturers’ digital competence and external aspects (family support, Covid-19 pandemic). This study presented results that could also be helpful for other universities to promote targeted development and improvement of digital competence of their students.

Sustainable Growth of Transversal Competences: Exploring the Competence Relationships among University Students

“…The labour market increasingly expects competences like the ability to resolve nonstandard problem situations by using existing digitalisation possibilities and to develop new innovative solutions. Digital competence is related to the application of information and communication technology solutions for supporting tasks in the workplace, and like other transversal competences, it can be transferred among fields [11][12][13].…”

“…For example, in studies regarding the development of the digital competence, it has been found that there is an interaction of various factors in its development at the individual, microsystem, exosystem and macrosystem levels-personal factors (self-confidence in using ICTs, attitudes towards ICTs, prior training on ICTs, motivation), learning design (online, blended learning), lecturers' digital competence and external aspects (family support, COVID-19 pandemic) [13]. In studies regarding entrepreneurial ability, the interaction and synergy of various factors are underlined (e.g., innate entrepreneurial aptitude, sociological conditions, and educational programmes), and the lack of any component limits the individual potential of an entrepreneur [22].…”