Can the Digital Skills of Higher Education Students Improve as They Progress Through Their Studies?

Patrício, Maria Raquel; Gonçalves, Bruno F.; Gonçalves, Vítor

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/34794

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Authors

Patrício, Maria Raquel

Gonçalves, Bruno F.

Gonçalves, Vítor

Abstract(s)

In recent years, there has been growing concern within the academic and scientific communities regarding the digital skills of teachers. However, it is our belief that the digital skills of students have been somewhat overlooked. We assert that it is not sufficient for teachers to possess digital skills in various areas; it is equally vital for students to develop and enhance their digital skills. This is essential for ensuring that the learning process is innovative, dynamic, and reflective of reality. Consequently, there has been a need to explore the digital skills of students in higher education. This article aims to present the findings of a questionnaire survey assessing the level of digital competence of students at the School of Education of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (Portugal). The questionnaire was adapted from the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.2). The results were analyzed based on the students’ level of study (Higher Professional Technical Course, Bachelor’s Degree, and Master’s Degree) and their level of digital proficiency (basic, intermediate, advanced, and highly specialized) to identify differences and similarities among the students. The results indicate that students at all three academic levels generally perceive themselves to possess an intermediate level of digital proficiency. Therefore, it is essential that students improve their digital skills to reach the highest level of digital proficiency.

Keywords

DigComp 2.2 Digital Skills Higher Education Students

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10198/34794

Citation

Patrício, Maria Raquel; Gonçalves, Bruno F.; Gonçalves, Vítor (2025). Can the Digital Skills of Higher Education Students Improve as They Progress Through Their Studies? In A. Rocha; C. Ferrás; H. Calvo (Eds.) Information technology and systems. ICITS 2025: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems. Mexico City: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. p. 233-240. ISBN 978-3-031-93103-1