Digital Competencies in Higher Education Students: Analysis of Attitude, Knowledge, and Use of ICT

Abstract

In the contemporary era, the convergence between education and digital technology demands an ongoing revision of pedagogical strategies, focusing on placing the student as the protagonist of the learning process. This study aimed to analyse the digital competencies of students from the Higher Technological Institute of Spain (ISTE) in Ecuador, considering their attitude, knowledge, and use of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as how sociodemographic variables affect this context. Using a non-experimental, descriptive, cross-sectional research design with a correlational approach to variables, the ACUTIC questionnaire was applied to a sample of 156 ISTE students. The data was analysed with R Commander 4.3.1, first performing a descriptive analysis exploring trends in variables such as age and gender. Furthermore, the use of parametric and non-parametric tests depends on the data distribution. The results confirmed that there are no gender differences in attitude, knowledge, or use of these technologies (p-value > 0.05). While age does not correlate with ICT use (p = 0.1661) or attitude (p = 0.1173), it does relate to knowledge of them (p = 0.0182) and to the possession of computers and smartphones (p < 0.001 and p = 0.0059, respectively). There is a robust correlation between ICT knowledge and use (p-value < 2.2e-16). Geographical location corresponds with stable internet access (p = 0.0000) and computer ownership (p = 0.0028). In conclusion, the digital competencies of ISTE students in Ecuador are influenced by multiple sociodemographic factors and represent a crucial aspect of adapting to the changes and demands of education.