How digital are ‘digital natives’ actually? Developing an instrument to measure the degree of digitalisation of university students – the DDS-Index

Abstract

Young People are still referred to as digital natives, although numerous studies have shown differences in their access to digital devices, Internet usage and attitude towards digitalisation. Such differences can lead to digital inequalities. In higher education digital inequalities among students are scarcely researched as it is assumed that university students possess crucial digital competencies which they have acquired at school and in everyday life through the use of digital devices and applications. However, research findings suggest that students cannot directly transfer their digital skills to their study situation. The presented study aims to measure the degree of digitalisation by means of an index, the DDS-Index, which was developed in the context of a large-scale survey among first-semester students in Austria (n=4,822). The DDS-Index maps the degree of digitalisation of students on a range of 0 to 100 points. This paper outlines the development and assessment of the DDS-Index and uses it to analyse differences in the degree of digitalisation of students in order to draw conclusions about a digital divide at universities.

Use and adoption of digital educommunication media by university professors during the Covid-19 pandemic: cases of the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the Autonomous University of Chihuahua

“…During lockdowns and faced with the typical problems of using the ICTs at their disposal, this might not have been so simple, especially when young people must use ICTs for academic work. Such doubts toward the notion of digital natives were already pointed out by previous research (e.g., Margaryan et al, 2011) and perhaps the pandemic has accentuated them, as evidenced by the observations of some of the surveyed professors and in more recent post-COVID-19 research (Smith et al, 2020;Janschitz;Penker, 2022;Zvacek, 2021).…”

Consideraciones pedagógicas asociadas al contexto para la enseñanza eficiente en la educación en línea

“…Este aspecto sitúa en desventaja a los miembros de la comunidad educativa que no se encuentran en igualdad de condiciones en cuanto al manejo digital; (UNESCO, 2022) menciona en su reporte anual, que debido a la falta de una planificación sólida y a la escasa preparación de los profesores y las instituciones que tenían poca experiencia en las aulas virtuales, la calidad de la educación también se vio afectada. Esto sitúa a quienes no son nativos digitales en una clara desventaja hacia quienes ya conocen el manejo de la tecnología y solo deben usarla en función del aprendizaje (Janschitz & Penker, 2022). Los profesores aún prefieren los canales internos tradicionales de enseñanza (Watson & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2021).…”

Effect of Virtual Game–Based Integrated Clinical Practice Simulation Program on Undergraduate Nursing Students' Attitude Toward Learning

“…26 They had grown with the development of digital technology and showed a different lifestyle with the older generation. 26,27 They were called digital natives because they are familiar with the Internet and computers from birth and are free to use digital mobile devices. 28 Therefore, realistic scenarios and VR simulation programs are considered suitable learning platforms for young students of today.…”

“…Learning presence is also an important factor, given that today's MZ generations are often dubbed “digital natives.” The generation of MZ is combined with the “M (millennial) generation” and “Z generation,” born in the 1980s and early 2000s 26 . They had grown with the development of digital technology and showed a different lifestyle with the older generation 26,27 . They were called digital natives because they are familiar with the Internet and computers from birth and are free to use digital mobile devices 28 .…”