Digital Technologies at the Pre-University and University Levels

• Main Authors: Francisca Angélica Monroy García, Fátima Llamas-Salguero, María Rosa Fernández-Sánchez, José Luis Carrión del Campo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: ICT; competence; secondary education; university; learning strategies; educational innovation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10426

The education sector is undergoing significant challenges in the process of transforming learning models in order to face the new requirements of our hyper-connected society. Teaching students how to adequately interact as active and committed citizens in our knowmadic global society is the most challenging task facing educators nowadays. Moreover, the university must consider a student’s knowledge of digital technologies to be able to design new educational models that respond to their current needs. The aim of our research is to assess that knowledge and the use of digital technologies among college students and the relationship this has with their prior academic experience. Data collection included a validated ad-hoc questionnaire divided into 16 categories applied to 757 students of both sexes between 20 and 57 years of age. The results show that, irrespective of gender and age, those students who have used Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in their secondary education have a better knowledge of how to use them to their advantage throughout their university learning process. In conclusion, students need to undergo a training in digital skills before entering university, so as to equip them with a higher level of digital competence.