Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Communication and Collaboration: A Comparative Study between University Students from Spain and Italy

Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the level of competence that university students from Spain and Italy have in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for communication and collaboration purposes. We also intend to identify possible differences and similarities between both countries, as well as factors associated with their competence that may lead to a digital gap. In order to fulfil these objectives, we performed a positivist exploratory study based on a quantitative methodology supported by a descriptive method with a survey design. The data collection is performed with a questionnaire, the data from which are analyzed through two statistical studies: a descriptive one and a causal one. The results show good competence from the students in this area, being somewhat higher in Italian students. We identified some of the factors associated with competence, such as Internet access or having a tablet. In conclusion, it is clear that politics on a global, national and local level are essential to the acquisition of digital competence, especially regarding the digital gap caused by access to resources. In this sense, governments must guarantee free and universal access to technology to all their citizens in order to diminish the digital gap between them.

Attitudes of Czech College Students Toward Digital Literacy and Their Technical Aids in Times of COVID-19

“…The element that would be separated from the group last if the set number of clusters was enlarged was always chosen. The competences were grouped into the following six clusters: Basic (1,2,4,7,8,9,13,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,27); Advanced (10,11,12); Personal information management ( 14); E-forms (26); Operating system administration (3,6,15,16); Operating system control (5).…”

“…• MS Office (7,8,9,27) • Communication (4,18,20,21,22,23) • Shop&Bank (13,17,19,24,25) • PC&Mobil (1, 2) • Advanced (10,11,12) • Personal info ( 14) • E-form (26) • Operating system (3,5,6,15,16) Eight competence families were put together based on similar characteristics, which were identified by the mathematical statistical method, and at the same time they essentially correspond to the perception of the professional users who employ these tools in their everyday work. It was necessary to choose one representative from each family and subsequently it was further subjected to a dependence analysis according to the set hypotheses.…”

“…As regards the digital divide caused by access to means (the internet), it is important for state policy to become actively involved in this aspect. In this sense, the government must guarantee free and universal access to technologies to all of its citizens in order to reduce the digital divide between them [17]. The use of digital technologies increases the level of digital literacy and has the effect of positively influencing attitudes towards modern educational technologies.…”

Competencia digital ciudadana: análisis de tendencias en el ámbito educativo

“…En último lugar, atendiendo a los resultados de las investigaciones y, más concretamente al abordaje de la competencia digital en ellas, se concluye que la integración de Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje contribuyen a una mejora de la competencia tanto en el contexto escolar inmediato (McGuiness y Fulton, 2019) como en el aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida (Aleandri y Consoli, 2020). Los niveles competenciales son mayores en las áreas de Información y alfabetización informacional (Ata y Yildirim, 2019; Shopova, 2014) y en la de Comunicación (Fraga-Varela et al, 2019;Llorent-Vaquero et al, 2020). Además, se concluye que el nivel de competencia digital está relacionado con la edad (Basantes-Andrade et al, 2020;Mirke et al, 2019) y el nivel educativo (Dolničar et al, 2020), así como de factores organizativos que están más allá de los roles docentes y discentes (Hinojo-Lucena et al, 2019;Sjöberg y Lilja, 2019).…”

COVID-19 y virtualización de la docencia universitaria: caso práctico de la asignatura de gestión farmacéutica avanzada

“…Esta plataforma de teleformación era ya ampliamente utilizada en el ámbito universitario antes de la crisis sanitaria, experimentando un gran crecimiento en los últimos años [3][4][5]. Sin embargo, cabe destacar que, en su mayoría, y especialmente en las carreras de disciplinas científicas, esta herramienta virtual se utilizaba como un sistema complementario a la enseñanza presencial con el objetivo de ofrecer recursos de aprendizaje extra a los alumnos, tales como material de estudio y herramientas de autoevaluación, para facilitarles la preparación de la asignatura [6][7][8][9], mientras que el principal sistema de enseñanza eran las clases magistrales presenciales.…”