The Implementation of a Sustainable Online Course for the Development of Digital Citizenship Skills in Higher Education

Abstract

This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a digital citizenship curriculum developed using online teaching for undergraduate students. For this purpose, answers were sought to the following general research questions: “How are students performing their digital citizenship skills?”, “What is the efficiency level of the developed digital citizenship curriculum?”, “What are the students’ self-evaluations during the implementation process of the developed digital citizenship curriculum?” and “What are student opinions about the implemented digital citizenship course?”. A “parallel-simultaneous design”, one of the mixed research methods, was used in this research. The content of the curriculum was determined within the framework of a needs analysis consisting of university students and field experts, and a document review. A quasi-experimental design method was used to implement the programme. A total of 39 teacher candidates, registered in the spring semester of the 2022 academic year, participated in the experimental process. A Moodle learning management system was used as the teaching environment. Participants’ digital citizenship behaviours and attitude levels were measured before and after the experimental application. It was observed that there was a significant (positive) difference between the pre-test and post-test average scores in favour of the post-test scores, and the effect value of this difference was high. It turned out that the teacher candidates’ opinions on the effectiveness of the online digital citizenship programme were positive. It is understood that the digital citizenship teaching curriculum developed for higher education can be used sustainably for similar university student groups as in this study. However, it is anticipated that the developed programme can be updated along with technological evolutions.

Digital skills and digital citizenship education: An analysis based on structural equation modeling

“…On the other hand, a meta-analysis by Gil and Armenta (2022) categorizes scientific research on digital citizenship, emphasizing the educational process as the most relevant area, while a study in Indonesia by Prasetiyo, Sari, Sa'diyah, Naidu and Prasetyo (2022) demonstrates high levels of readiness in skills and attitudes related to digital citizenship, noting differences according to demographic profiles. Additionally, Bal and Akcil (2024) develop and evaluate a digital citizenship curriculum for university students, showing significant improvements that suggest a potential for sustainable application. Collectively, these studies underscore the critical intersection between digital skills education and digital citizenship, illustrating the need for educational programs that prepare students to participate in the digital world in an informed and ethical manner.…”