The Relationships of Family, Perceived Digital Competence and Attitude, and Learning Agility in Sustainable Student Engagement in Higher Education

Hye Jeong Kim, Ah Jeong Hong and Hae-Deok Song
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Hye Jeong Kim: Department of Education, Graduate School of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Ah Jeong Hong: Department of Education, College of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea
Hae-Deok Song: Department of Education, College of Education, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Korea

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: College students are often assumed to be digitally fluent as they are “digital natives”, owing to their exposure to digital technologies from an early age. Furthermore, it is assumed that this digital competence is likely to prepare them for learning in college. However, it has been observed that current college students who are “digital natives” may or may not effectively apply digital technologies during their college education. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of college students’ prior digital experiences, particularly their families’ influence, on their in-college digital competence and attitude, and by extension, on student engagement. A total of 381 university students were surveyed in this study. Data was obtained from a self-administered, online survey and analyzed using partial least squares, which also evaluated the research model. According to the findings of this study, students’ positive prior digital experience significantly influences their perceived digital competence and their attitude toward digital technologies. In addition, our research also indicates that college students’ perceived digital competence and attitudes are mediated by their learning agility, which is the ability to continuously learn and the willingness to apply acquired knowledge. This article may thus act as a springboard for further empirical research, as well as for examining the nature of students’ prior and positive experiences and learning agility in digital competencies.

Keywords: digital literacy; digital competence; student engagement; learning agility; higher education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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