DIGITAL PROFICIENCY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS PPT

1. DIGITAL PROFICIENCY AMONG
COLLEGE STUDENTS: UNVEILING
CRITICAL THINKING & ETHICAL
ONLINE PRACTICES

2. INTRODUCTION
The study, "Digital Proficiency among College Students: Unveiling
Critical Thinking & Ethical Online Practices," delves into the active role
that college students play in shaping today's digital landscape. It focuses
on how these students critically assess online content and maintain
ethical conduct in diverse digital environments. Understanding their self-
perceived digital literacy is essential for improving digital education
techniques and promoting responsible online behavior. The study aims to
equip educators, policymakers, and stakeholders with crucial insights to
foster the development of future leaders in our interconnected, digital
world. By unraveling the complexities of students' digital competency,
the research emphasizes the importance of cultivating critical thinking
skills and ethical behavior in online spaces.

3. OBJECTIVES
• To assess college students' self-perceived digital literacy
skills, examining their confidence levels and perceived
proficiency in various digital tasks.
• To assess students' critical thinking skills concerning online
information to discern credible sources, identify biases, and
evaluate the reliability of digital content.
• Explore the ethical online behavior of college students,
focusing on respectful communication, responsible sharing,
and engagement in online communities.

4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study was done from the responses provided
by students from various colleges in Thrissur
Corporation By examining students' self-assessment
of digital proficiency and ethical engagement with
online content, the research provides essential
insights for localized educational initiatives. These
findings are vital for shaping responsible digital
leaders in Thrissur Corporation by thoroughly
evaluating students' digital skills, critical thinking
abilities, and ethical behavior in the digital domain.

5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The study is analytical and descriptive in nature. The data
was collected from primary and secondary sources.
Purposive sampling is the method used to choose the
samples for the purpose of study. 174 students from different
colleges in the Thrissur district were surveyed using a
structured questionnaire to get primary data. Additionally,
secondary sources including journals and websites were
used to acquire data. For analysis average and percentages
were used and T Test used for testing hypothesis

6. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
DIGITAL LITERACY
LEVEL
UNDER GRADUATION
STUDENTS
POST GRADUATION
STUDENTS
P VALUE DECISION
VERY HIGH 3 3
.016565 REJECT
HIGH 15 12
MODERATE 90 27
LOW 15 6
VERY LOW 3 0
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Null Hypothesis (H0): There is no significant difference in digital literacy skills of Under Graduation and
Post- Graduation students.
Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Post-Graduation students have more digital literacy skills than Under
Graduation students.
TABLE 1: DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS BETWEEN UNDER GRADUATION (UG) AND POST-GRADUATION (PG)
STUDENT :TWO SAMPLE T TEST
INTERPRETATION
The table shows the digital literacy level skills of Under Graduation (UG) and Post-
Graduation (PG) students. Here the p-value is .016565. Hence the result is significant
at 5% level of significance. That is we reject the null hypothesis and Post-Graduation
students have more digital literacy skills than Under Graduation students.

7. TABLE 2: SELF-PERCEIVED DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE
LEVELS
Statements
Average ( Lickert Scale) Standard Deviation
I do often fact-check information found
online before believing or sharing it.
3.06 0.69
I am confident in evaluating the
credibility of online sources.
3.60 0.66
Rating towards digital literacy skills. 3.36 0.66
INTERPRETATION
People check information they find online before believing it or spreading it (average
rating 3.06). Although they believe their own digital literacy skills to be limited
(average rating 3.36), they feel relatively secure in evaluating the reliability of online
sources (average rating 3.60).

8. TABLE 3: STUDENTS' CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
CONCERNING ONLINE INFORMATION
Statements Average (Lickert Scale) Standard Deviation
I do often critically evaluate information
found online, considering its credibility
and sources.
3.71 0.58
I think critical thinking is important for
evaluating online information
3.21 0.92
INTERPRETATION
This suggests that, on average, respondents only slightly disagreeing with the statement,
and the relatively low level of response variability suggests that the majority of
respondents had similar views on the matter. This shows that respondents generally agree
with the statement to a considerable extent, but that there is more variation in replies
than there was for the previous assertion. This indicates that respondents' views on the
significance of critical thinking for evaluating online information were more varied.

9. TABLE 4: ETHICAL ONLINE BEHAVIOR OF COLLEGE
STUDENTS
Statements Average (Lickert Scale) Standard Deviation
I do frequently engage
respectfully in online
discussions and avoid
arguments
3.21 0.92
I had encountered
misinformation online.
2.63 0.94
I believe its important to
maintain ethical behavior online.
3.72 0.58
INTERPRETATION
The majority of students (average rating 3.21, standard deviation 0.93) participate in
online arguments in a respectful manner while attempting to avoid disputes. With a
moderate degree of agreement (average rating 2.63, standard deviation 0.95), they had
come across false information online. The higher average rating of 3.71 with a smaller
standard deviation of 0.59, reflecting a larger agreement on the necessity of upholding
ethical conduct in the online sphere, shows a shared belief in the need of preserving
ethical behavior.

10. CONCLUSION
The study illuminates the varied digital proficiency, critical thinking
capabilities, and ethical online conduct exhibited by college
students within the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Its findings
emphasize the pressing requirement for tailored digital literacy
initiatives aimed at bridging skill gaps and enhancing critical
thinking abilities. By emphasizing the importance of respectful
online behavior and integrating critical thinking lessons into
curricula, these discoveries provide educational institutions with
valuable insights, guiding the development of effective programs
that nurture a generation of ethical, informed, and responsible
digital citizens.

11. SUGGESSIONS
• Integrate digital literacy into the college curriculum, placing an
emphasis on ethical behavior online.
• For educators to improve their digital teaching abilities, offer
continual training.
• Hold workshops to inform pupils about cybersecurity precautions and
online threats.
• Collaborate with tech firms to offer accessible materials and modules
for digital literacy.

12. REFERENCE
• Smith, A., & Johnson, B. (2019). Digital Literacy in Higher Education: The Spark That Ignites an
Informed Society. Journal of Higher Education, 42(3), 356-367.
• Brown, C., et al. (2020). Enhancing Digital Literacy in Higher Education: A Case Study of
Integrating Technology into the Curriculum. International Journal of Educational Technology,
18(2), 45-57.
• Anderson, L., & Smith, J. (2018). Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: Online Tools and
Technology Use. Journal of Higher Education Research & Development, 37(4), 834-847.
• Liu, M., & Wang, Y. (2017). Fostering Critical Thinking in Online Discussions. Journal of Online
Learning and Teaching, 13(2), 189-2
• Garcia, R., & Smith, K. (2019). Online Ethics: Understanding the Digital Responsibility of
College Students. Journal of Digital Citizenship Studies, 5(1), 78-92.
• Lee, H., et al. (2020). Cyberbullying and Online Ethics: Understanding College Students'
Perspectives. Journal of Internet Ethics, 2(1), 32-45.
• Johnson, P., & Davis, L. (2018). Ethical Behavior in Digital Spaces: The Impact of Digital Literacy
Education. Journal of Educational Technology, 21(4), 143-155.

13. THANK YOU