College Students, Networked Knowledge Activities, and Digital Competence: Implications for Online Curricula and Workforce Preparation

Vanessa P. Dennen; Dan He; Hui Shi; Dawn Adolfson

doi:10.24059/olj.v27i4.4046

Authors

Vanessa P. Dennen Florida State University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2076-074X
Dan He Florida State University
Hui Shi Florida State University
Dawn Adolfson Florida State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v27i4.4046

Abstract

Amid the landscape of digital literacies and frameworks is a common assumption that contemporary youth, frequently dubbed “digital natives,” intuitively understand and use online technologies. While their use of these technologies may be frequent and highly skilled in some respects (e.g., communicating with friends), their use and abilities in other areas, such as those valued in school settings and the workforce, may differ. This survey of 350 college students examines how they use an array of online platforms for everyday life information-seeking purposes, including the frequency with which they engage in different networked knowledge activities. Findings show that while students often use platforms associated with personal networking, such as Instagram, professional platforms like LinkedIn are less commonly used. Students are much more likely to engage in passive online activities than active ones. In particular, skills related to tagging, writing, and creation are infrequently used. Additionally, about half of these college students do not believe social media, which fosters these networked knowledge activities, is relevant to their careers. These findings show opportunities for better developing college students’ digital skill sets, with guidance for skills that might be targeted, taught together, and supported through learning activities in online spaces to prepare college students for digital information tasks in the workplace.

References

Agosto, D. E., & Hughes-Hassell, S. (2005). People, places, and questions: An investigation of the everyday life information-seeking behaviors of urban young adults. Library & Information Science Research, 27(2), 141–163. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lisr.2005.01.002

Anderson, M., & Jiang, J. (2018). Teens, social media & technology 2018. Pew Research. http://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-social-media-technology-2018/

Auxier, B., & Anderson, M. (2021). Social Media Use in 2021. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/04/07/social-media-use-in-2021/

Aziz, N., Hashim, H., & Yunus, M. M. (2019). Using social media to enhance ESL writing skill among Gen-Z learners. Creative Education, 10(12), 3020.

Badoer, E., Hollings, Y., & Chester, A. (2020). Professional networking for undergraduate students: a scaffolded approach. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(2), 197–210. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877x.2020.1744543

Bedford, L. (2019). Using social media as a platform for a virtual professional learning community. Online Learning, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v23i3.1538

Benson, V., Morgan, S., & Filippaios, F. (2014). Social career management: Social media and employability skills gap. Computers in Human Behavior, 30, 519–525. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.06.015

Bergson-Shilcock, A. (2020). The new landscape of digital literacy. National Skills Coalition.

Breakstone, J., McGrew, S., Smith, M., Ortega, T., & Wineburg, S. (2018). Why we need a new approach to teaching digital literacy. Kappan, 99(6), 27–32.

Daniels, R. A., & Dempsey, M. (2021). Leveraging LinkedIn: How can educators help college students market themselves? Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 46(6), 444–447. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2021.1919242

Davis, J. L., & Jurgenson, N. (2014). Context collapse: Theorizing context collusions and collisions. Information, Communication & Society, 17(4), 476–485. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118x.2014.888458

Dennen, V. P., Bagdy, L. M., & Cates, M. L. (2018). Effective tagging practices for online learning environments: An exploratory study of approach and accuracy. Online Learning Journal, 22(3), 103–120.

Dennen, V. P., Bagdy, L. M., & Park, Y. (2021). Developing informed citizens: Exploring university students’ news consumption habits, beliefs, and related information skills. In P. Kommers & P. Isaias (Eds.), Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on the e-Society (pp. 151–158). IADIS Press.

Dennen, V. P., & Burner, K. J. (2017). Identity, context collapse, and Facebook use in higher education: Putting presence and privacy at odds. Distance Education, 38(2), 173–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2017.1322453

Dennen, V. P., Cates, M. L., & Bagdy, L. M. (2017). Using Diigo to engage learners in course readings: Learning design and formative evaluation. International Journal for Educational Media and Technology, 11(2), 3–15.

Dennen, V. P., He, D., Shi, H., & Adolfson, D. (2023). Conceptualizing networked knowledge activities: Related and co-occuring activities in online spaces. In P. Kommers, I. A. Sanchez, & P. Isaias (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conferences on E-Society 2023 and Mobile Learning 2023 (pp. 179–186). IADIS Press.

Dennen, V. P., & Jones, M. K. (2023). The role of the online instructor: A nexus of skills, activities, and values that support learning. In O. Zawacki-Richter & I. Jung (Eds.), Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 1073–1088). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0351-9_62-1

Dennen, V. P., Rutledge, S. A., Bagdy, L. M., Bunn, S., Jung, D., Cargill, C., Cosgrove, C., Hedquist, A., & McWaters, S. (2021). Virtual independence: Teen social media use during the summer of quarantine. In P. Kommers & M. Macedo (Eds.), International Conference on Web Based Communities and Social Media 2021 (pp. 211-215). IADIS.

Dennen, V. P., Word, K., Adolfson, D., Arechavaleta, V., He, D., Hsu, C.-W., Hur, J., Jung, D., Kent, H., Russell, A., & Toth, K. (2020). Using the networked knowledge activities framework to examine learning on social networking sites. In P. Kommers & G. C. Peng (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Web-based Communities and Social Media 2020 (pp. 165–172). IADIS Press.

Dennen, V. P., Yalcin, Y., Hur, J., & Screws, B. (2023). Student webcam behaviors and beliefs: Emergent norms, student performance, and cultural differences. Online Learning Journal, 26(4), 168–192.

Farivar, F., & Richardson, J. (2020). Workplace digitalisation and work-nonwork satisfaction: the role of spillover social media. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1723702

Galoyan, T., Betts, K., Delaney, B., & Fourie, M. (2021). Exploring online pedagogical practices for enhancing transfer of learning in higher education. Online Learning, 25(4). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i4.2887

Healy, M., Cochrane, S., Grant, P., & Basson, M. (2023). LinkedIn as a pedagogical tool for careers and employability learning: a scoping review of the literature. Education + Training, 65(1), 106–125. https://doi.org/10.1108/et-01-2022-0004

Ilomäki, L., Paavola, S., Lakkala, M., & Kantosalo, A. (2014). Digital competence—an emergent boundary concept for policy and educational research. Education and Information Technologies, 21(3), 655–679. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-014-9346-4

International Society for Technology in Education. (n.d.). The ISTE Standards. https://www.iste.org/iste-standards

Jenkins, H. (2006). Fans, bloggers, and gamers: Exploring participatory culture. New York University Press. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0610/2006008890.html

Kim, W., & Malek, K. (2017). Social networking sites versus professional networking sites: Perceptions of hospitality students. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 17(2), 200–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2017.1340763

Kirschner, P. A., & De Bruyckere, P. (2017). The myths of the digital native and the multitasker. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 135–142. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.06.001

Kühnel, J., Vahle-Hinz, T., de Bloom, J., & Syrek, C. J. (2020). Staying in touch while at work: Relationships between personal social media use at work and work-nonwork balance and creativity. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 31(10), 1235–1261. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1396551

List, A. (2019). Defining digital literacy development: An examination of pre-service teachers’ beliefs. Computers & Education, 138, 146–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.03.009

López-Meneses, E., Sirignano, F. M., Vázquez-Cano, E., & Ramírez-Hurtado, J. M. (2020). University students’ digital competence in three areas of the DigCom 2.1 model: A comparative study at three European universities. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 36(3), 69–88.

Malvini Redden, S., & Way, A. K. (2019). How social media discourses organize communication online: A multi-level discursive analysis of tensions and contradictions in teens’ online experiences. Communication Quarterly, 67(5), 477–505. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2019.1668440

Marín, V. I., & Castañeda, L. (2022). Developing digital literacy for teaching and learning. In O. Zawacki-Richter & I. Jung (Eds.), Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp. 1–20). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0351-9_64-1

Martin, F., Stamper, B., & Flowers, C. (2020). Examining student perception of readiness for online learning: Importance and confidence. Online Learning, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v24i2.2053

Martzoukou, K., Fulton, C., Kostagiolas, P., & Lavranos, C. (2020). A study of higher education students' self-perceived digital competences for learning and everyday life online participation. Journal of Documentation, 76(6), 1413–1458. https://doi.org/10.1108/jd-03-2020-0041

McCosker, A. (2017). Data literacies for the postdemographic social media self. First Monday, 22(10).

Menzies, R., & Zarb, M. (2020). Professional communication tools in higher education: A case study in implementing Slack in the curriculum. IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference. https://doi.org/Https://Doi.Org/10.1109/FIE44824.2020.9273906

Ng, W. (2012). Can we teach digital natives digital literacy? Computers & Education, 59(3), 1065–1078. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.016

Novakovich, J., Miah, S., & Shaw, S. (2017). Designing curriculum to shape professional social media skills and identity in virtual communities of practice. Computers & Education, 104, 65–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.11.002

Nwangwa, K. C. K., Yonlonfoun, E., & Omotere, T. (2014). Undergraduates and their use of social media: assessing influence on research skills. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 2(6), 446–453. https://doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2014.020602

Oh, S. S., Kim, K. A., Kim, M., Oh, J., Chu, S. H., & Choi, J. (2021). Measurement of digital literacy among older adults: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(2), e26145. https://doi.org/10.2196/26145

Pitafi, A. H., Rasheed, M. I., Kanwal, S., & Ren, M. (2020). Employee agility and enterprise social media: The Role of IT proficiency and work expertise. Technology in Society, 63, 101333. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101333

Prior, D. D., Mazanov, J., Meacheam, D., Heaslip, G., & Hanson, J. (2016). Attitude, digital literacy and self efficacy: Flow-on effects for online learning behavior. The Internet and Higher Education, 29, 91–97. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2016.01.001

Putri, N., & Aminatun, D. (2021). Using Facebook to practice writing skill: What do the students think? Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 2(1), 45–50.

Rainie, L., & Wellman, B. (2012). Networked: The new social operating system. The MIT Press.

Savolainen, R. (1995). Everyday life information seeking: Approaching information seeking in the context of “way of life.” Library & Information Science Research, 17(3), 259–294. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/0740-8188(95)90048-9

Scolari, C. A. (Ed.). (2018). Teens, media and collaborative cultures: Exploiting teens' transmedia skills in the classroom. Transmedia Literacy H2020 Research and Innovation Action/Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

Scolari, C. A., Masanet, M.-J., Guerrero-Pico, M., & Establés, M.-J. (2018). Transmedia literacy in the new media ecology: Teens’ transmedia skills and informal learning strategies. El profesional de la información (EPI), 27(4), 801–812.

Sime, J.-A., & Themelis, C. (2020). Educators’ perspectives on transmedia identity management: Redefining tele-teacher presence. Distance Education, 41(1), 70–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2020.1727292

Sorrentino, P. (2018). The mystery of the digital natives' existence: Questioning the validity of the Prenskian metaphor. First Monday, 23(10). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v23i10.9434

Spante, M., Hashemi, S. S., Lundin, M., Algers, A., & Wang, S. (2018). Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: Systematic review of concept use. Cogent Education, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2018.1519143

Ting, Y.-L. (2015). Tapping into students' digital literacy and designing negotiated learning to promote learner autonomy. The Internet and Higher Education, 26, 25–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2015.04.004

Trust, T., Carpenter, J. P., & Krutka, D. G. (2017). Moving beyond silos: Professional learning networks in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 35, 1–11. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2017.06.001

Trust, T., Krutka, D. G., & Carpenter, J. P. (2016). “Together we are better”: Professional learning networks for teachers. Computers & Education, 102, 15–34. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2016.06.007

Tuhkala, A., & Kärkkäinen, T. (2018). Using Slack for computer-mediated communication to support higher education students’ peer interactions during Master’s thesis seminar. Education and Information Technologies, 23(6), 2379–2397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-018-9722-6

Vishnu, S., Raghavan Sathyan, A., Susan Sam, A., Radhakrishnan, A., Olaparambil Ragavan, S., Vattam Kandathil, J., & Funk, C. (2022). Digital competence of higher education learners in the context of COVID-19 triggered online learning. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 6(1), 100320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2022.100320

Vuorikari, R., Kluzer, S., & Punie, Y. (2022). DigComp 2.2: The digital competence framework for citizens—With new examples of knowledge, skills and attitudes—EUR 31006 EN. Luxembourg Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/115376

Wiley, D., & Hilton III, J. L. (2018). Defining OER-enabled pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 19(4). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i4.3601

Zhao, Y., Pinto Llorente, A. M., & Sanchez Gomez, M. C. (2021). Digital competence in higher education research: A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 168, 104212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104212