Evaluating digital literacy levels among students in two private Universities in Panama

Abstract

Digital literacy has become an indispensable skill in 21st century society because it is necessary for all citizens to function efficiently. The objective of this work was to know the level of digital literacy of undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students from two private universities located in Panama City (Universidad Internacional de Ciencia y Tecnología - UNICyT and Universidad Nuestra Señora del Carmen - UNESCA). An analytical survey developed and validated by Ramírez et al. (2019) was used as a data collection instrument. The type of questions selected was closed-ended. A total of 247 data were collected (47% men and 53% women). The study yielded relevant information on the level of digital literacy of the students of the two Panamanian universities studied: all students have devices and Internet connectivity; the most used tools are instant messaging, word processors and videoconferencing platforms; they are not frequent users of programs or information systems; they are familiar with basic file types and know how to search the Internet; they are users of social networks, the most popular being Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn; they know how to use digital tools to obtain information and for collaborative learning. Regarding ethical use, they are aware of the importance of verifying the reliability of the source before transmitting information.