Review Article
Rita Wong Mee Mee, Fatin Syamilah Che Yob, Lim Seong Pek, Muhammad Fairuz Abd Rauf, Yang Mingmei, Ali Derahvasht
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 17, Issue 3, Article No: ep581
ABSTRACT
Computational thinking (CT) has emerged as a foundational skill for young learners, preparing them to navigate and contribute to an increasingly digital world. This bibliometric analysis utilizes 374 articles from the Web of Science database to explore the research landscape surrounding CT in children’s learning, focusing on its applications in language acquisition and cognitive development. Using co-citation and keyword co-occurrence analyses, the study identifies key thematic clusters, including CT’s integration into curricula, its role in enhancing critical thinking, and its social-emotional benefits. Findings suggest that CT holds significant potential in advancing equitable and inclusive education, aligning with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 by promoting accessible, high-quality learning experiences. Furthermore, CT’s interactive and problem-solving methodologies, such as coding exercises and robotics, actively engage children and encourage collaborative learning, directly supporting SDG 10 by reducing educational inequalities across diverse learning environments. This analysis not only highlights CT’s transformative impact on traditional educational practices but also reveals critical research gaps, particularly in the areas of inclusivity and accessibility. Future research is encouraged to investigate these areas further, advancing sustainable educational strategies that equip children with essential skills for a rapidly evolving technological landscape, thus fostering resilience, adaptability, and creativity among young learners.
Keywords: computational thinking, children’s education, digital literacy, cognitive development, creativity
Research Article
Rida Afrilyasanti, Yazid Basthomi, Evynurul Laily Zen
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 2, Article No: ep414
ABSTRACT
The global expansion in the Internet access and the rise of digital media are compatible with students’ characteristics as generations-Z who mainly engage in nature through mobile applications. Because of the characteristics of today’s students and the growth of digital media and information, there is a need for critical media literacy (CML) instructions and the use of digital-based and student-centered learning approaches such as online discussion forums (ODFs). Through an exploratory study, we aim to understand better students’ perceptions of ODF for their CML learning within EFL classes, factors affecting students’ active participation in ODF, and teachers’ roles in ODF while facilitating students’ CML learning in an EFL context and enhancing students’ engagement and performance in ODF. 250 EFL students from Indonesian secondary schools took part in this study. The participating students were studying English with CML embedded into the lessons. The research showed significant conclusions about factors that need to consider while having ODF in CML learning within the EFL context and the roles of teachers in ODF. We have also provided some practical and feasible suggestions from which practitioners in the area might benefit.
Keywords: critical media literacy, digital literacy, EFL classes, students’ perception, teachers’ perception, online discussion forum
Research Article
Afif Ikhwanul Muslimin, Nur Mukminatien, Francisca Maria Ivone
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 2, Article No: ep409
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to scrutinize the correlation between English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers’ digital literacy competence (DLC) based on the TPACK-SAMR framework and their technostress. In addition, this study revealed how the variables correlated to the lecturers’ EFL teaching performances. Therefore, a correlational design with a descriptive explanation model was conducted. The participants were six EFL lecturers from six different universities in various cities in East Java Province, Indonesia. The data were collected by administering TPACK-SAMR DLC and technostress questionnaires, conducting a semi-structured interview, and documenting the teaching scenarios. The results showed that most participants were more confident with their pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge. They claimed it was hard to mingle them into harmonious teaching performances with technology that challenged them to achieve the higher TPACK-SAMR DLC level. Relevant to this finding, their DLC had a negative ‘very high’ correlation with technostress, shown by -.824 Pearson correlation coefficient. Henceforth, their EFL teaching performances reflected the minimum operation of technology, according to SAMR stages, to mediate EFL teaching by substituting and augmenting the technology. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of DLC training to escalate the positive outcomes of EFL teaching with technology and minimize technostress.
Keywords: digital literacy competence, EFL, TPACK-SAMR, teaching performance, technostress
Research Article
Linda Castañeda, Daniel Villar-Onrubia
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article No: ep397
ABSTRACT
Digital literacy has moved away from its traditional instrumental conception, to be nourished by critical perspectives that have been increasingly adopted in all areas of the analysis of technology and education. The importance of generating educational models that contribute to the emancipation of people in a post-digital and highly complex world is an increasingly evident challenge. However, it is still difficult to find concrete examples of pedagogical strategies specifically devised to foster digital literacy in line with this much needed emerging critical lens. This paper presents a case study of a set of learning experiences integrated into a compulsory module for students in the 1st year of a degree in education sciences, which leads to the qualification required to teach at primary schools in Spain. The results highlight the importance of providing students with learning opportunities conceived to help them become future teachers ready to have a transversal impact on education for the emancipation of people in the post-digital world, rather than simply training them as operators who use technology to enhance skills.
Keywords: digital literacy, digital competence, teachers’ education, critical digital literacy, digital education
Research Article
Mailizar Mailizar, Khairul Umam, Elisa Elisa
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 4, Article No: ep384
ABSTRACT
The global COVID-19 pandemic has created the urgent need for online instruction throughout all levels, including teacher professional development. As we move beyond the survival phase of remote teacher professional development, it is critical to well understand teacher acceptance and continued use of online professional development. Digital literacy and social presence (SP) have been widely studied to understand online teaching and learning process. However, there is a dearth of studies that examine the impact of digital literacy and SP on the acceptance of online teacher professional development (OTPD). This study aimed to examine if digital literacy and SP affected secondary school teachers’ acceptance and continued use of OTPD. A quantitative method was employed with two hundred and thirty-two Indonesian secondary school teachers completed a 48-item questionnaire based on an extended technology acceptance model and teacher digital literacy framework. Data were analyzed by structural equation modeling. The findings showed that digital literacy and SP significantly affected teachers’ acceptance of OTPD. Therefore, this study suggests that the proposed model is valid to explain teachers’ engagement in OTPD. The results have implications for educational leaders, designers, and facilitators who want to promote online professional development.
Keywords: OTPD, digital literacy, SP, acceptance of OTPD
Research Article
Richeal Phil Thien Kim How, Hutkemri Zulnaidi, Suzieleez Syrene Abdul Rahim
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 14, Issue 3, Article No: ep372
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to identify the teaching styles and problems that are faced by teachers in cultivating digital literacy skills for the topic of quadratic equations. This study helps to overcome and refine all shortcomings that occur in the process of instilling digital literacy skills into the topic of quadratic equations. This study employed a qualitative approach by adopting the structured interview method that involved four participants from three districts in Malaysia. The interview data were analyzed using the ATLAS.ti 8 software by dividing the transcripts into small codes based on thematic analysis. The findings show that the importance of digital literacy skills in quadratic equation comprises the aspect of motivation, space saving, conducive environment, fostering thinking skills, and diversity of resources. The results have also indicated that the teachers’ teaching approach is based on existing hardware and software such as the Microsoft software, Google software, teaching aids, the Internet resources, and mobile device applications. Among the constraints that are faced by the teachers include the use of technology in calculations, communicating information, issues in exploring the diversity of information, issues in mathematical modelling, and technical limitations. Accordingly, all emerging themes and codes are summarized using schematic diagrams. A major implication of this research is that it serves as a catalyst in cultivating digital literacy among generation Z such as using the TI-Nspire software to solve mathematical problems.
Keywords: quadratic equation, qualitative approach, teaching styles, problems, digital literacy skills
Review Article
Barry Matthews
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 4, Article No: ep317
ABSTRACT
Introduction: To meet the ambition of the UK becoming the global leader in health technology, the future workforce needs to have a developed digital literacy. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the move to online learning has also increased the requirement for a reinvention of traditional teaching methodologies (Sá & Serpa, 2020).
Methodology: A systematic review was conducted using a mix of Boolean search terms in twelve education and health journal databases to discover the extent of current international research of digital literacy in health programmes. Papers were selected for their specificity to digital literacy in health education pre-registration professional programmes.
Results: The initial search included 5359 papers, 3925 after duplicates removed, 134 remained after title review which were then input into Covidence for full reading, finally 47 papers being included for thematic analysis. This thematic analysis identified a number of key themes within these papers: digital literacy of the educator, digital literate workforce, technical skills limit adoption, information literacy, a curriculum requirement in education, institutional infrastructure or personal access, preparedness for entering academia, concerns over the use of digital skills, personalised digital literacy experience, increased communication skills with digital literacies, competency frameworks, COVID-19 and social media in education.
Conclusion: This research identifies areas of good practice and areas that need to be considered in higher education programmes and by academics to ensure the digital literacy of the future healthcare workforce.
Keywords: health education, digital literacy, digital skills, technology enhanced teaching, health care, higher education
Research Article
Francisco David Guillén-Gámez, Maria Jose Mayorga-Fernández, Marta Ramos
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 13, Issue 1, Article No: ep282
ABSTRACT
The growing rise of information and communication technologies (ICT) in all areas of society demands that university professors have an adequate level of digital literacy, so that they can contribute effectively to the training of their students and respond to the demands of the job. The objective of this research is to know and compare the use by university teachers of different ICT resources, in their teaching, evaluation, and research (UTIC-EEI model, its acronym in Spanish), depending on the area of knowledge to which they belong (science and engineering-architecture, health sciences, art-humanities, and social-legal Sciences), in order to be able to take measures to effectively address the digital shortcomings of teachers. An ex post facto study is carried out, with a quantitative methodology utilising a survey technique, with a sample of 867 Spanish university teachers, with a descriptive and inferential analysis via ANOVA for multiple comparisons. The results showed a medium-high use by teachers of ICT resources in four areas, with there being a superior use in the teaching and research dimensions compared to the evaluation dimension in each area of knowledge. These data underline the need to continue training teachers to make excellent instrumental use of specific ICT resources in each area of knowledge.
Keywords: digital literacy, teachers, ICT, educational use, ANOVA
Research Article
Nilgun Ozdamar-Keskin, Fatma Zeynep Ozata, Kerim Banar, Karl Royle
CONT ED TECHNOLOGY, Volume 6, Issue 1, pp. 74-90
ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study is to examine digital literacy competences and learning habits of learners enrolled in the open and distance education system of Anadolu University in Turkey. Data were gathered from 20.172 open and distance learners through a survey which included four parts: demographic information, abilities to use digital technologies, learning habits, preferences in using digital technologies for learning purposes. Principal Component Factor Analysis was applied in order to group and classify the attitudes and statements of the learners in their personal learning preferences, problem solving skills, project work skills, and abilities to use digital tools for learning purposes. Their personal learning preferences produced five factors: visual, auditory, dependent, collaborative, and reading-writing learning styles. According to the results of the study, learners believe that they have problem solving and project working skills to deal with educational difficulties. However, they seem to have only basic competences of digital literacy and the skills to use information and communication technologies at a basic level. They need training on how to use digital tools more efficiently for learning purposes. Further research is needed to explore how to increase the use of digital tools for the purpose of effective learning and also how to design learning environments to improve digital literacy of open and distance learners
Keywords: Open and distance learning, Digital literacy, Learning preferences, Learning styles, Problem solving, Project skills