Digital Natives Research Articles

Blended Learning in EFL Classrooms at a Vietnamese University from Students’ Perspectives

The utilization of blended learning in the field of English language instruction has shown a notable rise in recent times. Blended learning has the ability to provide an optimal setting for language education, enabling a transition from conventional instructional approaches to more progressive ways through the integration of technology. Nevertheless, several unresolved issues remain in relation to this methodology. This paper examines the perceptions of students regarding the potential benefits and obstacles associated with the implementation of blended learning in English language courses at a university in Vietnam. Additionally, the study proposes many solutions with the objective of enhancing the current situation and establishing a solid foundation for the future growth of blended learning. The study involved a sample of 165 first-year students, with online surveys and interviews being utilized as the primary methods of data collection The results of the study indicate that contemporary students can be classified as digital natives. While they demonstrate proficiency in various technical skills, have easy access to technology, and exhibit a propensity for self-directed learning, their inclination towards traditional classroom environments is evident when it comes to their attitudes regarding online engagement with instructors and peers in English courses.

Reshaping of Dating Culture through the Presence of Online Dating Application

Online dating is an inevitable phenomenon in this digital age. The close interaction of digital natives with the internet makes them seem to entrust all activities in their lives to the internet, including dating and finding a mate. This makes them more likely to use online dating applications. This thesis investigates the drivers of the use of online dating applications by the digital natives, their opinions about online dating application and how the use of such application is different or the same between Indonesians and Americans. Data collection techniques are using questionnaire and interview. The secondary data in this study were obtained from other sources such as research results presented on the official website. This research found that there are many factors that influence digital natives in using online dating applications. This study reveals an array of eastern philosophical ideas, such as the predominance of female gendered application users in Indonesia, which implies that the gender line has become more ambiguous.

Effect of Leadership Styles on Gen-Z Work Performance: An Empirical Analysis

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between leadership styles and Gen-Z workforce performance. A disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select respondents from private secondary schools in Ogun State, Nigeria. Given a sampling frame of 1300 Gen-Z employees, this study adopted Cochran (1977) sample size method to analyse 279 usable questionnaires. The proposed structural model was assessed through established GOF indices. While specified hypotheses were tested using SEM. Findings show that confirmatory factor analysis reduced the measurement model to 20 items. In addition, the structural model showed GOF indices of χ² / df ratio (438.572 / 166) = 2.642, RMSEA (0.053), TLI (0.901), and CFI (0.907). SEM hypotheses testing revealed that transformational leadership styles do not only have positive path estimates, but also established practical and statistically significant relationship with Gen-Z workforce performance. Contrary to previous research, laissez-faire leadership style was found to be positive and significant with Gen-Z performance. Perhaps, due to the autonomy it accorded Gen-Z cohort to handle tasks without interference. This style makes Gen-Z feel respected and empowered. However, transactional leadership style reported a different outcome. Transactional leadership style was found to be positive, but its path estimate was not practical and statistically significant (β = 0.07, p = 0.120) with Gen-Z work performance. Hence two out of three specified hypotheses were accepted. This paper has it contributions. By implication, its outcome addressed some equivocal issues in leadership literature. Theoretically, it extends body of knowledge on empirical linkage between leadership styles and the digital natives (Gen-Z). Also, the paper impliedly suggests to CEOs / HR / management experts on formulating and implementing policies that will motivate, inspire, and retain Gen-Z in their organisations. Practically, the established relationship between laissez-faire leadership style and Gen-Z cohort suggests that Gen-Z can practically come on board with their ideas and work as ally with their leaders towards achieving the overall organizational goals. There are limitations which may have biased the outcome of this study. Hence, potential areas for further studies have been highlighted.

Literasi Anti Hoaks dan Sosialisasi Pelaksanaan Pemilu 2024 pada Generasi Z melalui Webinar

The fierce competition between political parties and legislative candidates tends to use various methods to win the 2024 elections, including using fake news or hoaxes. Generation Z, who have no experience in conducting general elections, are trapped in a spiral of information on various social media platforms, making it difficult to make their choices and leading to irrational voters and "abstentions". The webinar for digital natives who are fluent in communicating via digital media was carried out 5 days before the 2024 election. The aim was for novice voters as webinar participants to play an active role by becoming anti-hoax agents and being able to convey the procedures for implementing the 2024 election. The webinar method includes public education through presentation of resource material, training in the form of intensive questions and answers, also mediation in the form of quizzes with prizes and filling out questionnaires. Post-test results on 52 participants who filled out the Google form showed that they had made their choice during the webinar and often read news about the 2024 Election. All respondents admitted that they accessed information from digital and electronic media and none used print media. Interestingly, 54% of respondents have the intention in getting involved in politics. Through an open questionnaire, it was discovered that Gen-z respondents had positive hopes for the election winners and future Indonesian leaders.

Investigation on the Willingness and Influencing Factors of Digital Reciprocity among Digital Natives

With the development of China's internet industry and the emergence of new technologies, digital services have been widely utilized, altering production and lifestyles while enhancing societal efficiency. However, the rapid growth of the elderly population has highlighted the issue of the digital divide. To address this challenge, it is crucial to enhance the digital skills of the elderly. The "Digital Feedback" initiative relies on the assistance of young people, who provide solutions, share knowledge, and impart skills to promote the widespread adoption of digital technology among the elderly, thereby reducing the digital divide. By investigating and analyzing the willingness of digital natives to engage in digital feedback, practical references are provided to improve the digital literacy of the elderly and enhance their quality of life. This investigation, combining previous research and semi-structured interviews, employs the UTAUT model and introduces three new variables— "self-efficacy," "intergenerational relationships," and "risk perception"—to construct a model influencing the willingness to engage in digital feedback. A questionnaire was designed for digital natives in Zhejiang Province, and 470 valid responses were collected. Through statistical software analysis, pathways to enhance willingness for digital feedback are proposed, along with suggestions for optimizing solutions to the digital divide among the elderly in the future.

Trust, Social Influence and Perceived Usefulness: Examining Online Purchase Intentions among Gen Z

The growing popularity of online shopping collides with user reservations related to trust, social influence, and perceived purchase usefulness, with such concerns acutely observable among Gen Z populations. As digital natives and prolific online users, Gen Z's purchasing patterns offer valuable insights for marketers adjusting their online strategies. This study extends the body of knowledge by examining the determinants of online purchase intentions among Gen Z thereby guiding university administrators, educators, and online retailers in crafting improved online shopping experiences. Utilizing a non-intrusive, naturalistic research setting, the study harnesses an anonymous survey methodology, and data is rigorously analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Findings indicate that trust and perceived usefulness are significantly connected to students' online purchasing decisions. This study enhances the theory of online buying habits by emphasizing trust and value in e-commerce. It advises adding trust cues and functional benefits to online portals, the key to influencing Gen Z buyers and boosting market expansion and e-shopper satisfaction.

Addressing youths’ digital agency with internet technologies: discourses and practices that produce inequalities

ABSTRACT This study approached the issue of youths’ digital agency by analyzing the ways in which youths talk about their use of Internet technologies for recreational purposes outside of school. Using interview data from young people (n = 28) born in 2005 and 2006, this paper approaches youths’ speech as culturally embedded discourses that express their strategies for making their digital practices understandable and acceptable to adults. By doing so, the paper addresses the need for ongoing research that explores youths’ digital engagement with Internet technologies within a wider social context that positions them as ‘digital natives’. The study results were organized into 11 discourses under four themes: benefits, harms and risks, person-based networking, and Internet skills. The identified discourses reflect the ways in which young people articulate and negotiate their digital agency with social norms, assumptions and expectations of them as tech-savvy youths. By focusing on youths’ speech and discourses, this study advances current research on digital inequalities among young people. It also highlights the need for young people to be supported and empowered in developing skills that enable critical and safe engagements with Internet technologies.

Who Makes Popular Content? Information Cues from Content Creators for Users’ game Choice: Focusing on User-Created Content Platform “Roblox”

User-generated game platforms have emerged as a channel fostering creative activities in online communities. Therefore, this study reveals users’ decision making at UGG platform such as Roblox, where millions of users contribute to game creation and play the game. In particular, teenagers, who are digital natives and known as Generation Z, select a game from various UGGs on Roblox. Thus, this study focuses on how game creator information in personal profile plays a significant role in determining digital natives’ choice of UGG. Drawing the signaling theory, this research focus on creators’ abilities and popularities as indicators for UGG choices. We collect a total of 1,301 fighting games from Roblox and game creator information. To address endogeneity, a two-stage least squares(2SLS) analysis was conducted using instrumental variables. The results show that the number of limited items and followers achieved by the creator positively affect game popularity.

Screen media-based devices usage patterns: Comparison between digital immigrant parents and digital native adolescents

Smartphones are frequently the subject of digital screen media-based research due to their popularity. Other screen devices, such as computers, conventional TV, laptops, smart TV, and tablets, which have a significant impact on children’s and adolescents’ psychological behaviors, are rarely covered. Parents are considered the active agents who can regulate adolescents screen-based media use and control online risks. Parents of adolescents in developing countries are digital immigrants, and their consumption patterns of screen devices must be studied before exploring their media usage regulatory strategies for children and adolescents. To gather information on screen device usage patterns, including availability, usage, ownership, and screen time, a quantitative technique approach was used in the study. A statistical analysis was performed on survey data collected from 447 parent-adolescent dyadic samples (n=894). Results show a positive association between socio-economic status and the number of screen devices present in households. Parents and adolescents spend the same amount of screen time on conventional TV and smart TV as they do on smartphones. Tablets were the least used, but they had more screen time than laptops and computers. Screen time is associated with the intended use of the device. Screen time spent per device by digital immigrant parents is quite like that of their digital-native adolescents. Girls use smartphones often; boys spend more screen time with them. Parents’ screen-based media usage practices should also be regulated, as they highly influence their children’s screen time.

Perspectives of Young Digital Natives on Digital Marketing: Exploring Annoyance and Effectiveness with Eye-Tracking Analysis

Currently, there are a wide range of approaches to deploying digital ads, with advanced technologies now being harnessed to craft advertising that is engaging and even tailored to personal interests and preferences, yet potentially distracting and irritating. This research seeks to evaluate contemporary digital advertising methods by assessing how annoying they are to users, particularly when they distract users from intended tasks or cause delays in regular online activities. To pursue this, an eye-tracking study was conducted, with 51 participants navigating a specially designed website featuring seven distinct types of advertisements without a specific content to avoid the effect of ad content on the collected data. Participants were asked to execute specific information-seeking tasks during the experiment and afterwards to report if they recalled seeing each ad and the degree of annoyance by each ad type. Ad effectiveness is assessed by eye-tracking metrics (time to first fixation, average fixation duration, dwell time, fixation count, and revisit count) depicting how appealing an ad is as a marketing stimulus. Findings indicated that pop-ups, ads with content reorganization, and non-skippable videos ranked as the most annoying forms of advertising. Conversely, in-content ads without content reorganization, banners, and right rail ads were indicated as less intrusive options, seeming to strike a balance between effectiveness and user acceptance.

Revolutionizing Banking: The Path to an AI-driven Future with a Special Reference to Union Bank

Banking stands at a transformative crossroads, propelled by technological disruption, shifting consumer dynamics, and the catalytic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research charts the course for a new era in banking business models, introducing a paradigm shift known as 'the AI bank of the future.' Grounded in the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, this model offers traditional banks the potential to elevate revenue while reducing costs, ushering in innovative customer engagement approaches. In response to multifaceted challenges, including market valuations, competitive threats from neobanks, and changing customer expectations, traditional banks are urged to become 'AI-first' in strategy and operations. This involves leveraging economies of scale through efficient AI deployment to enhance customer engagement with distinctive experiences and superior value propositions. The research meticulously explores the building blocks of an AI bank, delving into four critical layers: engagement, AI-powered decision-making, core technology, and data infrastructure, and a platform-based operating model. Through a series of articles, the study examines trends, challenges, and requirements for each layer, offering an end-to-end view of the capabilities essential for the AI bank of the future. The articles cover topics ranging from the challenges leading banks to adopt an AI-first approach, a day in the life of a consumer transacting with an AI bank, reimagining customer engagement, to AI-powered decision-making and the modernization of core technology. The final piece discusses the necessity of a platform operating model, emphasizing the deployment of AI and analytics capabilities at scale through cross-functional business-technology platforms. To embark on this transformative journey, bank leaders are advised to formulate strategic goals for the AI-enabled digital age, establish an AI-first vision, and strategically modernize enterprise technology. The research underscores the importance of assessing emerging technologies, prioritizing initiatives aligned with customer needs, and considering partnerships for non-differentiating capabilities while focusing on in-house development for distinct competitive advantages. In conclusion, building the AI bank of the future is envisioned as a pathway to innovation, competitive prowess against digital natives, and sustainable increases in profits and valuations. The research serves as a guiding compass, assisting banks in establishing their vision and crafting a strategic roadmap for this transformative journey into the AI-driven future of banking.

Improving Library Services: From Information Services to Knowledge Services

Digital natives and the alpha-beta generation have different behavior from previous generations when it comes to searching for information. They are more likely to use gadgets in every activity of searching, processing, and sharing information/knowledge. This has implications for how libraries serve them. The importance of appropriate services for digital natives and the alpha-beta generation is because they are the nation’s assets in the future. The SECI model describes how knowledge is disseminated from, by, for, and/or to individuals in an organizational environment. The use of the latest web technology in libraries will further dynamize the organization of knowledge in an institution. This text is in the form of an idea prepared based on a literature review with a qualitative approach, describing how to improve library services from information services to knowledge services. Traditional library services only provide information as desired by the library without any analysis or abstracts beyond the data/information in question. The combination of understanding of ontology, semantics, and SECI models encourages an increase in higher service levels from information services to knowledge services. Knowledge services are developed from a combination of various data/information formats on the same subject linked to each other through multimedia visualization so that users get solutions/knowledge to the problems they are looking for. The development of knowledge services requires several related things, namely: technology architecture design, content, human resources, and future development.
 Keywords: information services, knowledge management, knowledge services, library

Strengthening Religious Literacy as an Effort to Overcome the Moral Degradation of Generation Z in the Digital Era

Generation Z is a group of individuals who grew up in the digital era. Even though digital technology has provided great benefits, there are concerns about moral degradation in this generation. This article discusses efforts to strengthen religious literacy as a step to overcome moral degradation among Generation Z in the digital era. This research method uses a qualitative descriptive approach, with a library method. The results of this research illustrate how the digital era plays an important role today. The tendency of Generation Z, digital natives, to have easy access to various digital content, both positive and negative, has influenced their understanding of moral values. This generation’s exposure to information that is not always in accordance with religious values can cause negative behavioral changes. To overcome this problem, strengthening religious literacy is important in reducing the occurrence of moral degradation in Generation Z. This article also highlights the important role of schools, families, and religious leaders in supporting the strengthening of religious literacy through religious moderation, character education, and the use of digital literacy. With this effort, it is hoped that Generation Z can strengthen their understanding of religious values, strengthen their morals, and become more responsible individuals in facing the challenges of the digital era. Strengthening religious literacy is the basis for forming a generation with moral integrity amidst rapid technological change.
 Keywords: moral degradation, Generation Z, strengthening religious literacy

A bibliometric exploration of infographics as tools for visual literacy in education

The purpose of this paper is to examine how infographics are used in the dynamics of designing or creating in the teaching and learning process. Utilising a bibliometric approach and content analysis, we examined a sample of 760 documents from the Web of Science and Scopus databases with no lower time limit until November 2023. The analyses aimed to identify trends, including main topics, authors, sources, most cited articles, institutional affiliations, and countries in the literature. This bibliometric approach allows for the observation of trends in the educational application of promoting visual literacy through students’ design or creation of infographics in formal and informal learning settings. Initial publications emerged in 2007, gaining momentum from 2014 to the present. The most prolific fields were medical science, chemistry, and computer science. This investigation shows that educational institutions could employ infographics beyond present boundaries to prepare students—particularly Generation Alpha, digital natives—for a data-driven society. Institutions should expand their use of infographics to improve visual literacy and address the changing educational requirements of students in a dynamic learning environment. Overall, this paper provides insights into the readiness of educators and institutions to engage Generation Alpha, the digital natives, through visual literacy and infographics.

Student metacognition in online learning using website hyperlink facilities on Microsoft Team’s platform

Without the ability to analyze their own learning (metacognition), students can find it difficult to manage their educational journey. The good news is, future learning environments on online platforms offer innovative ways to develop these skills, even for those who are digital natives. This study aims to ascertain the effectiveness of online learning by using a website hyperlink-based teaching and learning scenario, especially using the Microsoft Teams platform towards students’ metacognition during online learning. Both metacognition knowledge and awareness (regulation), representing the metacognition, were checked. Coordination systems in learning biology were the chosen topics to be taught in quasi-experimental research using a pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design. Two classes were selected purposely based on the normality and homogeneity test to have the controlled and experimental classes. We examined the metacognitive knowledge and awareness using tests and questionnaires. We checked the effectiveness of the web hyperlink-based media on students’ metacognition knowledge and awareness using MANOVA Regression analysis and N-Gain scores. Our developed web hyperlink-based media has significantly enhanced students’ cognitive knowledge and awareness.

Examining Junior High School Students’ Personality Factors as Predictive Indices of Adolescent Digital Technology Interaction and Importance

Adolescents considered digital natives, have become increasingly involved in weaving together their offline and online lives before and during the pandemic. The web is an indispensable space for connecting with people and the environment. Hence, their digital use is often related to well-being and risks. Adolescent Digital Technology Interaction and Importance (ADTI) Scale took a different angle in explaining adolescents' focus on their use of digital technology. This tool is a self-report survey administered to 1,322 students from an exclusive boys’ school. Along with the Adolescent Personality Questionnaire (APQ), this study aimed to explore personality factors that are correlated with adolescent digital interaction. Results analyzed using correlation and regression showed APQ Factors were significantly correlated with ADTI and its subscales. Among these factors, some were also shown to be significant predictors of ADTI. Findings imply that personality factors influence how adolescents interact with digital technology.

Student perspectives on health informatics in a medical curriculum: A case study

Introduction: Health informatics (HI) is the study and practice of technology used to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare. Formal HI teaching lacks visibility in most Australasian medical schools. In this study, medical students collected data from their peers and recent graduates on the teaching and learning of HI to inform development of a needs-based integrated HI curriculum. Methods: This mixed-methods case study of our medical degree program used clinically relevant vignettes to explore student confidence and opinions on HI. Current HI learning was benchmarked against recommendations. Recent graduates from University of Otago Medical School participated in an online survey (n = 26), and five focus group interviews of final-year medical students (n = 17) were carried out by a peer student. Results: More than half of the participants surveyed felt confident in most HI topics, though many were less confident in telemedicine, evaluating electronic resources for patient use, data communication and data storage. Most students recalled learning some HI principles and agreed these should be integrated within their degree. Students highlighted that HI curriculum development should consider students’ self-identity as digital natives and the need for clinically situated, relevant and authentic learning to avoid tensions between theoretical HI concepts and clinical environments. Conclusion: Medical students are critical consumers of potential HI curriculum content and expressed clear preferences for clinically relevant and up-to-date HI content. Key challenges in developing an HI curriculum will be ensuring a student-centered, authentic, contemporary and future-focused curriculum, with relevance demonstrated to digital native students.

Risk of using smartphones while walking for digital natives in realistic environments: Effects of cognitive–motor interference

The effect of using smartphones while walking on the cognitive and physical abilities of the “digital native” generation, i.e., individuals who have grown up in a digital media–centric environment, remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of cognitive–motor interference on the use of smartphones while walking in children and young adults. The study involved 50 individuals from the digital age generation, including 24 children and 26 young adults. The study encompassed three experimental conditions, in which participants were instructed to traverse a distance of 60 m. The initial condition functioned as a control, wherein the participants walked without supplementary stimuli. In the second condition, the participants were provided with explicit instructions to grasp the smartphone device and position it in front of their chest by using both hands. This manipulation introduced a postural component into the experimental setup. The third condition required participants to be ambulatory while concurrently engaging in a cognitive task, namely, participating in a game that necessitated focused attention. Gait parameters were obtained by using inertial measurement unit sensors. Subsequently, the acquired gait characteristics were converted into dual-task costs (DTC). In the cognitive condition, children exhibited significantly greater DTC values for gait speed (76%), stride length (79%), stride time (102%), and stride length coefficient of variation (CV) than the young adults (p < 0.025). Moreover, as shown by the increased CV, a significant association exists between poor performance in smartphone games among children and increased variability in stride length. In children, the DTC of stride time CV decreased as smartphone game scores increased (R2 = 16.5%), and the DTC of stride length CV decreased more markedly as smartphone game scores increased (R2 = 28.2%). In conclusion, children are at a higher risk of pedestrian accidents when using smartphones while walking compared to young adults.

‘Connective Alignment’ as the Educational Approach for Higher Education in the Digital Age

Most students in higher education at present are ‘digital natives.’ They use technology in every facet of their life, including their education. They learn from formally organised courses as well as from informal learning. Hence, informal learning has been identified as crucial for the sustainability of higher education in the current global context. Technology facilitates informal learning and, thus, has made substantial changes in how learning occurs in modern age learners. These changes that occurred in the learning process due to the influence of technology should be addressed by the educational approaches used in higher education to achieve the best outcomes in relation to the academic performance of students and students’ satisfaction. This commentary presents an educational approach: ‘Connective Alignment’ for higher education in the digital age, which can fulfil the learning needs of the learners in this digital age.

Student’s Entry Requirement System: An Initiative to Ease Enrollment Process By IJISRT

Today’s generation is considered as computer age. A lot of automated systems were developed to make one’s life easier and more comfortable to live with. As digital natives wanted to develop a software which could somehow help the Tario-Lim National Memorial High School of Tibiao, Antique, so does the students. This study developed a Student’s Entry Requirement System of the Tario-Lim National Memorial High School of Tibiao, Antique which aimed to make the manual based entrance application into an automated one. This study was composed of five chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the Introduction with a sub-topics, Background of the study, statement of the problem, assumptions, paradigm of the study, conceptual framework of the study, significance of the study, definition of terms and the scope and delimitation of the study. Chapter 2 was the Review of Literature and Related Studies. Chapter 3 defines the Methodology which deals with the Research Design, the Development of the study which is composed of seven (7) stages, the sample and the instrument used to evaluate the study. Chapter 4 was the Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Data which is presented in tabular form, analyzed and interpreted based on the appropriate statistical tools. It was in Chapter 5 were the summary, findings, conclusions and recommendations were done and performed. This study could be used by next generation’s IT Researchers.