Methods: This presentation will discuss the integrated student results from a two phase sequential mixed methods study guided by the philosophical underpinning of pragmatism according to John Dewey. The qualitative phase involved data collection via focus groups from students and academics. Phase 2 survey development was in formed from the Phase 1 findings and the literature. Two survey instruments were developed and validated prior to being administered to undergraduate nursing students and academics who taught predominantly in undergraduate nursing programs.
Results: The four integrated findings from the national study will be presented:
- Students had difficulty with database searching and wanted to learn database searching skills
- Few students were positive about E-learning;
- Students had low computer literacy skills but wanted to learn ICT skills;
- Students experienced frustration and anxiety using computers.
The study results indicated that students continue to have less than adequate levels of digital information literary (DIL) skills. These results dispel the myth of “digital native” put forward initially by Prensky (2001) that students are adequately equipped to commence higher education due to the year in which they were born. He surmises that year of birth as the predictor of ability in accessing a variety of Information Computer Technology (ICT). Significantly, other studies have found similar results that support the current thesis (Smith, Skrbis et al. 2013, Lai & Hong 2015, Parkes, Stein et al. 2015).
Conclusion: The implications of these student findings draws attention to current nationally accredited curricular identifying how students are learning DIL skills and having these skills assessed across their course. Recommendations are made for undergraduate nursing programs across Australia that may have implications for nursing education worldwide.
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