Promoting Digital Skills and Critical Awareness through Online Search and Personal Knowledge Management: A Case Study

Abstract

Web applications and resources offer unique opportunities for lifelong learning and, at university level, to customise the learning environment for individual learners. But the processes of online learning and online knowledge management involve issues of complexity and sustainability that studentseven at university level -are not always able to recognise and cope with. This work presents two research case studies, concerning activities carried out within two university courses. The aim of the research was to determine whether specific activities can enhance the development of skills for lifelong learning, such as the ability to search the Internet and use online resources to promote continuous education and learning to learn. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered within a framework of personal knowledge management and the resulting guidelines are potentially useful both for teachers and learners.Keywords: higher education; personal knowledge management; lifelong learning; research and information management; digital competence; technology enhanced learning.Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Cinque, M. and Bortoluzzi, M. (2013)