Relationship Between Digital Literacy Skills and the Effective Use of Online Educational Resources in Learning Among Undergraduate Students in Kenyan Public Universities
Keywords:
Digital literacy; Online educational resources; Undergraduate students; E-learning; Public universitiesAbstract
Digital technologies have expanded the availability of electronic databases, learning management systems, institutional repositories and online learning resources in the university environment. But, simply having access is not enough, students must be able to use the digital information in an effective way, which involves searching, evaluating, retrieving, and using digital information effectively. This study explored the relationship of digital literacy skills with usage of online educational resources for effective learning in the undergraduate students of Kenyan public universities. This was a descriptive survey using a mixed methods design (MCD) that included second year undergraduate students and librarians at the University of Nairobi and Dedan Kimathi University of Technology. A total of 328 respondents were studied, which included 322 students and six librarians. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires, semi-structured interview guides and analysed descriptively, through Pearson correlation and thematic analysis. Moderate to high access and use of resources online, such as access to course materials (M = 3.88, SD = 1.02); retrieval of academic materials (M = 3.81, SD = 1.01); navigation of university platforms (M = 3.74, SD = 1.05). Internet speed and stability had a lower rating (M = 3.45, SD = 1.17). In the case of access and use of online educational resources, digital literacy was positively and significantly correlated (r = 0.62, p < 0.05). The use of databases and the training on them, library support and ICT support were identified as important factors in effective use of resources, whilst low participation in digital literacy programmes posed a challenge for librarians. Based on the findings of the study, ICT integration training into curricula, strengthening of ICT infrastructure and better cooperation between librarians and lecturers are recommended to improve the results of digital learning.
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