Role of Digital Literacy in Improving Students’ Learning at University Level

Abstract

Digital literacy refers to an individual's ability to use digital technologies, communication tools, and networks to access, manage, integrate, analyze, evaluate, and create information in a critical, ethical, and effective manner. The prime objective of the study was to explore the role of digital literacy in improving students’ learning at the university level in Pakistan and to determine the understanding and engagement of students in digital practice. The study was quantitative in nature and descriptive research design was approached. A sample of 490 students from the population of 2237 students from four public universities of Southern Punjab was selected with a simple random sampling technique and these universities were selected on the basis of convenient sampling techniques. Moreover, the students from natural and social science departments including male and female gender were selected as population as well as sample for study. The researcher developed a questionnaire for students in order to collect quantitative data. Moreover, the questionnaire was based on the five-point Likert scale including 52 restricted response statements. The collected data was analyzed by SPSS. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were applied. The mean and standard deviation along with variance and co-relation were found. All factors were tested through an independent t-test for the mean difference of factors. It was concluded from the findings of the study that most of the participants were found agreed with the statements of the survey questionnaire and it was concluded that digital literacy having a significant effects on the learning of the students’ at university level in district Multan especially. Moreover, the results of the study indicated that students have a high level of perception of and skills in the use of digital literacy to improve their learning at university level. From the findings and conclusion of the study, it was also recommended from the study that students at university level of education as well as educational policy makers’ further need to focus on improving student’s perception on the Digital literacy role in improving students’ learning at university level as well as at secondary level. Some useful recommendations and solutions have been proposed so that the future challenges can be coped within the presence of new crises. The study was found as a significant path for future research on digital literacy also.

Keywords:  Digital literacy, university students, student learning, digital skills, descriptive research, quantitative study, SPSS analysis, educational technology, inferential statistics, perception, digital practice, higher education, Southern Punjab, Pakistan, questionnaire, Likert scale, independent t-test, educational policy