The Influence of Digital Tools and Social Networks on the Digital Competence of University Students during COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has generated a transformation in students’ competences and university education, especially in the use of digital tools. This study aims to analyze the use of digital tools and social networks of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. For the collection of information, a validated Likert questionnaire (10-point scale) was adopted. The instrument consisted of a total of 66 items comprising a total of seven dimensions. The sample contained 581 students pursuing degrees in Childhood Education and Primary Education. The analysis of the available information was carried out in two different stages. First, we started by performing an exploratory factorial analysis (EFA) to determine the underlying structure of the Digital Competence of Higher Education Students (DCHES) scale factor. In the second phase, we used SEM (structural equation modeling), a statistical approach to test the relationships between observed and latent variables. More specifically, we estimated a multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model. The results showed the importance of two of the considered covariates in explaining the variability of the different dimensions of the scale analyzed (DCHES) considering the use of social networks and digital tools of university students. In this sense, both the degree to which virtual tools are used to develop teamwork and the degree of use of YouTube when communicating most fully explained the level of digital skills among the university students studied.

Digitainability—Digital Competences Post-COVID-19 for a Sustainable Society

“…However, not all of us are "Homo Interneticus" [174], which causes a digital divide in these processes of the digitalization of societies [51,59,172,[175][176][177] because digital inclusion technology is not neutral [178]:…”

“…This pandemic shaped and added to the already ongoing implementation of the digitalization of society [29,[51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58] and education [59][60][61][62][63][64]. According to Blume [65] (p. 880), While the emergence of COVID-19 disrupted all facets of daily life around the world, education was one of the sectors most severely affected by the sudden imperative to move teaching and learning from primarily face-to-face interactions to distanced structures.…”

“…In this context, the ability to exhibit digital competences or digital literacy is critical, as competences for conscious and intentional participation, not only in consumption but also in digital production in the most diverse areas of life [6,73,74], creating digital citizens [55,59,63]. A clear example is the existence of the "infodemic" in relation to the excess of (mis)information on COVID-19 itself [41,[75][76][77].…”

Competencias digitales de los profesores universitarios durante la pandemia por covid-19 en el Perú

“…Estamos inmersos en la era digital, el profesorado necesita demostrar un alto nivel de conocimientos tecnológicos para poder desarrollar su trabajo. Teniendo en cuenta la dificultad de gestionar la tecnología educativa, combinando conocimientos educativos y tecnológicos, los docentes podrán hacer frente a las exigencias de su rol profesional (Rodríguez et al, 2021).…”

“…La enseñanza remota de emergencia se desarrolló como una respuesta rápida a la situación y su naturaleza ha dificultado la adquisición adecuada y el acceso a la tecnología necesaria (Portillo et al, 2020). Esta nueva normalidad exige que cada estudiante y docente esté adecuadamente formado para adquirir las competencias digitales que necesita en entornos digitales (Rodríguez et al, 2021). Debemos recordar que la enseñanza remota de emergencia es una forma alternativa de enseñanza debido a las circunstancias de la crisis sanitaria, mientras que el aprendizaje en línea o mixto de calidad requiere un diseño y una planificación instruccionales cuidadosos (Rodríguez-García et al, 2019).…”