Digital literacy education is drawing attention as part of competency education to prepare for a future society expressed by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, this study attempted to derive meaningful implications for digit...
Digital literacy education is drawing attention as part of competency education to prepare for a future society expressed by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, this study attempted to derive meaningful implications for digital education by establishing the concept of digital literacy and the types of digital gaps, and systematically analyzing various variables that affect digital literacy.
First, based on previous research on digital literacy, the types of digital literacy gaps were divided into "digital accessibility," "digital utilization," and "digital acceptance." In addition, it was judged that it was necessary to analyze the factors affecting these types of digital literacy gaps by dividing them into student and school levels.
Therefore, in this study, the Multilevel Structural Equation Model was adopted as the data analysis technique that best fits the purpose of the study. Multilevel structural equations are a new data analysis technique that integrates the advantages of a multilevel model that can analyze hierarchical data and a structural equation model that can analyze complex structural relationships between variables.
The data analysis procedure of this study applying the multi-layered structural equation model is as follows. First, the tendency and normality of the sample extracted from the ICILS 2018 data were confirmed through descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis. Next, the validity of the multi-layered model analysis was confirmed through in-class correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis. Subsequently, the suitability of the measurement model and the structural model suitability of the designed multi-layered model were verified, respectively. Finally, the direct and indirect structural relationship between the influencing factors was proved through mediating effect analysis.
The conclusion of this study, which analyzed the structural relationship between factors influencing computer and information literacy (CIL) and computational thinking (CT), is as follows. First, it is necessary to reduce the difference in the influence of schools in digital education. In this study, it was confirmed that the difference caused by the influence of the school in the achievement gap between CIL and CT was more than 10%. This shows that there is a digital divide by school education. If these digital divide are accumulated and fixed, it can cause various social problems such as regional discrimination, democracy, elite concentration, and labor problems. Therefore, in the implementation and operation of digital education, it is necessary to ensure that no school is alienated or discriminated against due to regional deviations or school specificity, and it is necessary to establish standardized achievement standards at the national level to guide all students to reach a certain level of digital literacy.
Second, it is necessary to reorganize the curriculum for digital education more practically and realistically. As a result of the study, it was found that the use and frequency of students accessing digital media, and the programs students use had a negative effect on digital literacy. In addition, it was confirmed that the use and use of digital media covered by schools did not directly affect digital literacy. This means that students' computer use is focused on SNS search, leisure activities, or entertainment, and even the use of digital media covered in the teaching and learning process in schools is not practically helpful in improving digital literacy. Therefore, it is necessary to examine whether the scope of digital media and programs covered by students is too limited not only at home but also at school.
Third, there is a need for a plan to promote students' ICT self-efficacy and positive ICT perception. According to the research results, it was confirmed that digital accessibility and digital usability at the student level had a direct negative effect on digital literacy, but digital acceptance had a positive effect by mediating it. This suggests that it is very important to improve ICT self-efficacy and ICT positive awareness, which are the affective achievement areas of digital literacy in digital education.
Fourth, there is a need to improve the school's ICT usage environment. According to the results of this study, it was found that the number of computers possessed had a significant positive effect on digital literacy. Therefore, schools need to provide students with a sufficient ICT usage environment to close the gap due to the difference in digital device ownership at home. In other words, an environment and climate should be created in which students can conveniently and freely use ICT media and various programs in schools. In addition, although it is already being implemented in some schools, it is necessary to find a way to close the instrumental gap in digital literacy by providing more students with digital devices for learning that can be used at home.
Fifth, it is necessary to expand support for teachers' teaching and learning activities. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that teachers' lack of ICT skills, insufficient preparation time to apply ICT technology to classes, lack of effective professional learning resources for teachers, lack of effective online learning platforms, limited access to useful Internet resources, lack of sufficient incentives for teachers to integrate ICT use into education, and lack of educational support for ICT use had a negative impact on school-level digital literacy. This means that various support measures should be prepared to improve the teaching and learning environment of teachers so that teachers can voluntarily and proactively use ICT technology for teaching activities.
Finally, support measures for low-income students should also be prepared. As a result of the study, it was found that the proportion of low-income students negatively affected school-level digital literacy by mediating school-level digital utilization and digital acceptance. Therefore, schools with a high proportion of low-income families need to find a way to increase the level of basic digital literacy of students through after-school classes in addition to regular classes so that digital education can proceed smoothly.