Digital competencies in higher education: an agenda for students' equal participation.

Martzoukou, Konstantina

Abstract

In the modern online and interconnected environment, digital competences have emerged as an umbrella concept that is considered an important condition for learning, communication, civic participation and engagement, informed citizenship, employability, health and well-being. The concept incorporates information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, media literacy, the creation of online content, online safety and digital wellbeing, as well as problem-solving, critical thinking and innovation - using digital tools and technologies. Digital competences are, therefore, not only about technology-related skills, but also about the attitudes and behaviours in the online information and communication environment - for example, the responsible, ethical, and safe use and sharing of information, or the ability to interact with others in our information society. In the higher education (HE) context, the COVID pandemic prompted an important emphasis within the education agenda for the implementation of a systematic plan to develop HE students' digital competences, to help them adapt to a fast-changing online learning and digital professional environment. The pandemic also highlighted the important role that academic librarians play in helping students to develop information and digital literacy skills, so that students can independently select, access and use sources of information that are accurate, reliable, trustworthy and credible, and so that they can effectively use different digital tools and resources for their academic studies. However, some key questions still remain unanswered despite this: "Do we know and understand the existing diversity of information and digital skills present in our students?" and "Should we approach our students as a heterogeneous group, or should we expect them all to arrive with a baseline set of skills?". Drawing from research conducted over the past few years into diagnosing students' digital competences, this paper critically discusses the importance of understanding the wider context of a learner's experiences within the digital, media and information landscape, and in the "continuum" of lifelong learning - where the contexts of everyday life, work and education converge, and where learning takes place in multiple contexts, both formal and informal. A fundamental question in HE should be how to understand and relate to students' different levels of digital experiences and competences within diverse online subject contexts; and further how to empower students to proactively develop their own digital competences for life.

Citation

MARTZOUKOU, K. 2022. Digital competencies in higher education: an agenda for students' equal participation. Presented at the 28th Panhellenic academic libraries conference: green and sustainable academic libraries in the post-COVID era, 19-21 October 2022, Corfu, Greece.

• Presentation Conference Type: Keynote
• Conference Name: 28th Panhellenic academic libraries conference: green and sustainable academic libraries in the post-COVID era
• Conference Location: Corfu, Greece
• Start Date: Oct 19, 2022
• End Date: Oct 21, 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 16, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 16, 2023
• Keywords: Digital competences; Information literacy; Digital literacy; Media literacy; Higher education; Undergraduate students; Employability; Digital citizenship
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1912526