Barriers to Internet Access and Adoption, and Strategies for Promoting Digital Skills among University Students in Puerto Rico

ABSTRACTThe study’s research problem is to assess digital inequities among university students and to explore how digital skills education can improve university-level education. The study objectives address three topics: 1) identify the barriers low-income college students face in accessing and adopting broadband internet services, 2) assess if digital skills education improves the adoption of broadband internet services, and 3) identify relevant teaching strategies to improve access to and adoption of internet services and digital skills education among university students, which could be valuable for government agencies and higher education organizations in Puerto Rico. Based on empirical findings, it explored the role of education in developing the digital skills needed to utilize the Internet effectively in these subjects. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with a sequential design. In the quantitative phase, an entry questionnaire was administered to a sample of fifty (n = 50) students. Subsequently, a workshop on digital skills was offered to the participants, followed by an exit questionnaire. In the qualitative phase, a focus group was conducted with six (6) students who had participated in the quantitative phase. The results revealed a low prevalence of barriers to Internet use and access among the sample subjects. They consistently connected to the Internet via their mobile phones, at home, and within the university context. There was a high demand for learning digital applications, such as CapCut and Canva, as well as information about artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Participants reported an increased perception of knowledge regarding concepts such as the digital divide, digital equity, and the digital skills emphasized in the workshop. This increase was statistically significant (p < 0.05).