Digital Skills in Distance University Students: A Psychometric Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12795/revistafuentes.2025.26469Keywords:
Digital skills, Internet, distance education, Students, Higher Education, Assessment toolAbstract
Research on the digital skills of higher education students has increased over the past few years. However, most studies have focused on identifying students' skills rather than the factors that determine their development. This study aimed to analyze online digital skills and their determining factors among incoming undergraduate students at an online distance-education university. Using a quantitative methodology, an online Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to the students within an online familiarization module. The findings revealed that students' digital skills could be grouped into the following categories: collaboration and creativity, networking, content sharing, information management, information evaluation, and critical thinking. Additionally, key factors influencing digital skills were identified, including the ease of use of ICT in problem-solving, orientation towards learning objectives, personal initiative, and self-regulation in ICT/Internet use. We conclude that individual and social strategies related to the Internet significantly impact the acquisition of digital skills. In future research, it is recommended to delve deeper into theoretical frameworks and, especially, into the assessment instruments for these competencies, broadening the focus from merely describing digital competencies to examining the factors that influence and predict their development. It is estimated that theoretical and methodological changes of this kind will drive significant transformations in training strategies within this field.
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