Technology integration for students’ information and digital literacy education in academic libraries
| Pages | 203-217 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IDD-07-2019-0049 |
| Date | 18 November 2019 |
| Published date | 18 November 2019 |
| Author | Muhammad Rafi,Zheng JianMing,Khurshid Ahmad |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Technology integration for students’
information and digital literacy education in
academic libraries
Muhammad Rafi, Zheng JianMing and Khurshid Ahmad
School of Information Management, Nanjing University, PR China
Abstract
Purpose –Digital literacy has become a widely studied topic for connecting people, participation in government and public affairs. It encourages
library professionals to train students and effectively acquire, preserve and disseminate knowledge. Academic libraries involve using digital
technology improved the students’level of digital literacy and technological skills. This paper aims to understand the students’technological
competence in using database resources and searching for online information. In addition, to evaluate the training contents and designated
instructors on digital literacy education, the study also focuses on digitally exposed students’learning behavior, the library management and
students’academic interaction on new technological trends.
Design/methodology/approach –This study uses a quantitative method for which primary data were collected from university students using a
structured research questionnaire. Through targeted random sampling techniques, 1,500 printed questionnaires were distributed among students,
and 1,266 (84.4%) responses were received. The authors applied descriptive statistics to analyze the demographic information of male and female
students. The statistical technique Chi-square test (
x
2
) was applied using SPSS to determine the association between variables. Moreover,
Bonferroni correction for the new a value [modified = 0.05/number of possible comparisons/analysis for each question shown in Ta bles (II-IX)] was
also used to avoid a family-wise error.
Findings –The results inferred a strong association between students’technological skill with using digital tools, uti lization of database resources
and browsing networked information on the Web. The association between universities in terms of recruiting designated instructors on digital
literacy education, introducing ICT based curriculum and the association between library management in maintaining a regular training program on
digital literacy demonstrated a negative association. Besides, the findings disclosed that student’s digital exposure is not the forcing facto r in
developing technological competence, but found to be a more encouraging factor. It was also concluded that lib rary technological involvement
significantly improves student technology-based learning skills.
Practical implications –The results obtained after the analyzed data may help library management in providing long-term strate gy for improving
digital literacy education and training for students in the effective utilization of technology for better academic performance and social integration.
Originality/value –The study was based on quantitative methods using a questionnaire. Extensive database coverage and digital literacy skills
based on coach input can improve student performance and academic quality.
Keywords ICT, Digital literacy, Information literacy, Digital inclusion, Virtual learning, Computer literacy
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In the age of communication technology, human interpersonal
relationships, participation in government and public affairs
began to rely on digital technology. Digital literacy creates an
opportunity to integratethe intellectual capital of society and its
residents into sustainable development. The published
literature reveals that this term (Digital literacy)in the pasthas
undergone through many stages such as ICT literacy,
technology literacy, online information literacy, new media
literacy and finally the digital literacy (Bontis, 1998;Hilbert,
2011;Javorský and Horváth, 2014). Regarding drivability, it
refers professionally to skill, knowledge, and attitude in the
proper use of digital media (Rambouseket al., 2016). The term
literacy includes all methods of languages in reading, writing,
speaking, listeningand thinking, while information literacy uses
to identify the problem at hand (Owusu-Ansah, 2003;Pinto
et al.,2017). Understanding the importance of information,
libraries, train the younger generation of information for
resolving academic related issues (Ng, 2015;Sharma et al.,
2014); Goulão and Fombona, 2012). Therefore, Judging the
importance of information some organizations use computer
literacy agents and digital learning-based games to improve
students’learning skills and effective expression (Guo and
Goh, 2016). Digital literacy encourages, equip and enable
people to participate more actively in all areas of new public,
social and political life (Schmidt-Hertha and Strobel-Dümer,
2013;Rowley et al., 2015).Therefore, in the practice of literacy
students face four fundamental challenges such as language
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on
Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/2398-6247.htm
Information Discovery and Delivery
47/4 (2019) 203–217
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 2398-6247]
[DOI 10.1108/IDD-07-2019-0049]
Received 7 July 2019
Revised 19 September 2019
21 September 2019
Accepted 21 September 2019
203
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