Digital Skills in Distance University Students: A Psychometric Analysis

In recent years, research on the digital skills of higher education students has increased significantly. However, many of the existing studies have focused primarily on identifying these skills rather than exploring the factors that influence their development. This study investigates the digital skills of first-year undergraduate students enrolled at an online distance education university, as well as their key determining factors. Employing a quantitative methodology, the students completed a Likert-scale questionnaire as part of an online familiarization module. Based on the findings, the students' digital skills were grouped into the following categories: collaboration and creativity, networking, content sharing, information management, information evaluation, and critical thinking. Additionally, the key influencing factors were identified, including the perceived ease of using ICT for problem-solving, orientation towards learning goals, personal initiative, and self-regulation in the use of ICT and the Internet. The results suggest that both individual and social strategies related to Internet use play a crucial role on the acquisition of digital skills. Future research should explore theoretical frameworks and, especially, refine assessment tools, shifting the focus from simply describing digital competencies to examining the factors that influence and predict their development. Such theoretical and methodological adjustments are expected to significantly reshape training strategies in this field.