Digital Literacy of Rajabhat University Students in the Western Region

Abstract

This research study aimed to: 1) determine the level of digital literacy possessed by the first-year full-time undergraduate students enrolled in the western-region Rajabhat universities, and 2) propose a content outline and lesson plans on digital literacy. Survey research was conducted using questionnaires covering UNESCO’s digital literacy framework to collect data from over 380 students. The data were analyzed with statistics for percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The hypotheses were tested with One-way ANOVA and LSD at significant (p < 0.05). The research results  found the following. The students enrolled in the western-region Rajabhat universities have a moderate level of digital literacy. When considering each university, it was found that Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University students have a high level of overall digital literacy, and Phetchaburi, Nakhon Pathom, and Kanchanaburi Rajabhat University students have a moderate level of overall digital literacy. The results of the hypothesis testing found that students studying in different universities did not have different overall digital literacy at significant (p < 0.05). Therefore, the researcher presented a set of digital literacy course content outlines for students, to include 9 chapters: digital literacy, digital literacy and thinking, digital literacy and communication, digital technology use and problem-solving, information literacy, digital communication, digital collaboration, digital content creation, and digital safety. Considering the results of hypothesis testing based on indicators, it was found that students studying at different universities have different levels of digital literacy in some indicators. Therefore, the researchers designed a lesson plan for a digital literacy course, dividing the teaching method into 3 parts. Part 1 focuses on teaching essential foundational content for digital literacy according to the content outlined in chapters 1-3, through lectures and exercises to review knowledge. Part 2 teaches digital literacy skills according to the content outlined in chapters 4-9, through lectures and practical exercises, focusing on indicators with a mean score below 5.00, which vary among universities, in order to increase understanding and competence in those areas. Part 3 involves assigning collaborative projects and presenting the results using digital technology to promote real-world application and deeper understanding.