Digital Skills’ Impact on the Use of Digital Learning Tools

Abstract

Innovations and developments in the ICT sector drive significant changes in how higher education institutions (HEIs) execute their teaching and learning processes. HEIs have always succeeded in the implementation of ICT tools for the facilitation of the process of teaching and learning. However, they have faced many challenges related to using these tools. Various tools have been introduced, not only for teaching and learning but also for socialisation. These tools include social media tools that are used to achieve different activities in response to the demands of society. Social media, however, is more utilised than digital learning tools, causing major concerns because users appear more interested in social media tools to perform academic activities than in digital learning tools. Students entering the university spaces are often comfortable using their phones but less comfortable using laptops or PCs. These, however, are the primary devices used in digital classrooms at institutions of higher learning. The basic ability to use them is crucial in succeeding in today’s digitised e-learning classrooms. This study investigates the impact digital literacy could have on using digital learning tools in HEIs. The study employed quantitative research methods using a survey developed and distributed to university alums to assess their digital skills upon entering their studies and how this impacted their learning experience. The participants were recruited from two public universities and one private university in the Eastern Cape. The purpose of the study was to formulate a checklist, based on the analysis of the data collected, that will inform the digital literacy factors impacting the use of digital learning in HEIs. While the study acknowledges that different students have different learning needs, it was still possible to create a solution through the suggested checklist consisting of eight (8) interventions developed to guide universities in improving the use of digital learning tools in their institutions.