Navigating the unbeaten track from digital literacy to digital citizenship: A case of university students in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province

Comparison of Students’ and Teachers’ Opinions Toward Digital Citizenship Education

“…Similarly, the results of the study conducted by Symantec (2010) were similar to ours and it was found that children were aware of the rules about secure browsing in the online environment, but they could not keep pace with the rapid changes in the online environment. Our results are not in agreement with those of Takavarasha et al (2018) , who emphasized that individuals did not consider the digital security factor.…”

The Digital Divide and Higher Education Challenge With Emergency Online Learning: Analysis of Tweets in the Wake of the Covid-19 Lockdown

“…However, the digital divide and educational inequalities remain a significant societal problem in South Africa's emerging context, affecting disadvantaged students from low income households. Accordingly, universities are challenged to meet the needs of students with varying levels of technological readiness with deficiencies in information and digital literacy shown to be a hindrance to student success (Takavarasha, Cilliers & Chinyamurindi, 2018).…”

“…Evolving digital divides in information literacy manifest with students who struggle to use digital tools (Reedy & Parker, 2018). Digital tools are the devices, gadgets and various software and hardware artefacts that influence one's ability to learn how to use digital platforms for engaging in social, business and educational activities in a responsible and safe manner (Takavarasha et al, 2018). Historically Black universities were marginalised prior to South Africa's transition to democracy in 1994 and still have legacy issues that hinder their delivery.…”

“…Marginalised universities serve the majority of Black African and previously disadvantaged university students (Mzangwa, 2019). For marginalised universities, not only is technology access and device ownership less prevalent than at privileged institutions, but students are less prepared to use the internet, core computer applications, and digital library/scholarly resources for academic pursuits (Takavarasha et al, 2018). Kajee and Balfour (2011) highlight that in South Africa, an advantaged elite minority have multiple access routes to digital literacy in their sociocultural environments.…”

“…Based on a review of relevant higher education scholarship, the authors grappled with the tensions that arise when educators harness digital technology for student learning, meet marketplace needs, and improve livelihoods during a pandemic. Marginalised university students, from the historically disadvantaged poor economic backgrounds, acutely experience digital divides and evolving inequalities (Mzangwa, 2019;Takavarasha et al, 2018). Drawing upon the data captured on Twitter's microblogging social media platform, the present qualitative study explores students' user generated content regarding online learning.…”