(Tiểu luận) research on digital competence in learning among foreign trade university students

Trang 1 FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS ---

FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

-🙣🕮🙣🕮 🙣🕮🙡 🙡🙡 -

FINAL ASSIGNMENT RESEARCH PROPOSAL

RESEARCH ON DIGITAL COMPETENCE IN LEARNING AMONG FOREIGN TRADE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Class: KTEE206(GĐ2-HK1-2022-2023).3

Group number: 7

Instructor: Dr Ph m Ng c Anh ạ ọ

Name of the students: Nguyễn Đặng Thùy Dương – 2113150019

Bùi Nguyễn Hải Quỳnh – 2113150059

Trần Thị Yến Nhi – 2112450077

Hà Nội – 12/2022

No Group member Student ID % Of contribution

1 Nguyễn Đặng Thùy Dương 2113150019 33.3%

2 Bùi Nguyễn Hải Quỳnh (Leader) 2113150059 33.3%

INTRODUCTION 1

SECTION I: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND LITERATURE REVIEW 3 1.1 Theoretical framework 3

1.2 Literature Review 4

SECTION II: RESEARCH DATA AND METHODOLOGY 7

2.1 Research description 7

2.2 Research model and variables 7

2.3 Research Design and data collection 8

2.3.1 Methodological approach 8

2.3.2 Data collecting methods 9

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2.3.3 Data analysis methods 10

2.4 Data requirement table 11

2.5 Questionaire proposal 11

2.6 Proposed timescale 16

SECTION III: RESEARCH STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS/ IMPLICATIONS 18

3.1 Plan to avoid threats to internal and external validity: 18

3.1.1 Internal validity: 18

3.1.2 External validity: 18

3.2 Strengths 19

3.3 Limitations 19

CONCLUSION 20 REFERENCES

APPENDICES

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Nowadays, digital technology is constantly changing and increasing exponentially, affecting all aspects of life, and has become an essential part of the learning environment Educational institutions have been approaching digital technology to transform traditional learning systems into modern and digitalized learning systems through establishing connections between technology related to computers, the Internet, information, and communication technology (ICT), multimedia, and artificial intelligence (AI) In the process of digital education transformation, many studies have been carried out to explore the people and context–related essentials to prepare for successful learning in the increasingly digitized educational environment Research studies have confirmed that digital competence is one of the most crucial readiness factors, practical competency, factor for retention and learning outcomes of students in a digital learning environment Having good digital competence helps students to have higher interpreting and understanding ability of online learning, progress in their studies, and personal and professional lives, handle situations in virtual environments and have better practices in online education Not only that but digital competence is also considered a prerequisite for learning and working capability in the currently open and globalized educational environment

Digital competence is characterized as an indicator of quality education understanding in the 21st century Due to the limitations of research and literature on Digital Competence as a factor affecting lifelong study, we believe that it is necessary

to set related and practical objectives to give students more encouragement and raise public awareness about this issue The research objectives are to determine the level of digital competence in Foreign Trade University students, such as comparing the number

of students who master, well-trained, unsteady digital skills We gather students’ opinions about the importance of digital skills in this modern age, especially in their studies Therefore, determining the determinants of digital competence and its effects

on colleagues’ lifelong learning, to identify the key components of Digital Competence

in terms of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to be digitally competent

Digital competence is claimed to be one of the important core competencies for lifelong learning to be able to develop digital competence for students, determining its content The concept of digital competence and its elements, expressed through the digital competence framework, are the first important steps to take However, this role has not been widely reported in Vietnam Therefore, this proposal aims to have in-depth knowledge of digital skills and to propose a roadmap for the possible use and revision

of a Digital Competence framework and descriptors of Digital Competence for all levels

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literacy to determine Foreign Trade University students’ level of digital competence

Different models and frameworks have been developed to date in the measurement and diagnosis of digital competence “Research on Digital Competence

in studying among Foreign Trade University Students” mainly focuses on the scope

of FTU’s student's in-depth knowledge of digital skills Limiting the scope of research

in universities to give us a realistic, practical, and objective view of Digital competencies recently Moreover, the scope of this also provides the feasibility of the research topic

In this respect, the research questions discussed in this research are as follows:

To what aspect of study do Foreign Trade University students use their digital competence?

Colleagues' practical skills in digital recently

Does Digital Competence remain the top priority for FTU’s students? What effects does the daily use of digital technologies have on lifelong learning among Foreign Trade University students?

This proposal uses data collecting methods and data analysis methods to establish

an understanding of referencing strategy to digital competence of Foreign Trade University undergraduates

The rest of the proposal is organized as follows: Section I shows a literature review of research projects on students’ digital competence and digital competence frameworks, Section II is the methodology for measuring the current level of digital skills among students from FTU and interprets the collected data and strengths and limitations are stated in Section III

competency-Current situation of Digital Competence in studying in Vietnam

According to a report by the Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (VNIES), More than half a million students across Vietnam have been taught critical digital skills and how to stay safe in cyberspace over the last three years In fact, in Vietnam students in rural areas or ethnic minorities still have limited digital skills Especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic which caused their studies even harder Students should be equipped with digital skills so they will be able to seize the opportunity to become pioneers, adding that they must also be connected with the world of opportunities and provided with the necessary skills to succeed in a digital world It is also crucial for Vietnamese students to be taught about the importance of ethics of online communications and information exchange at schools and colleges as they are now facing challenges related to copyright, plagiarism, cyber-bullying, fact-checking and responsible interaction with others It will nurture a generation of more responsible netizens

Definition of Digital Competence

In recent years, several terms have been used to describe the skills and competence of using digital technologies, such as ICT skills, technology skills, information technology skills, 21st-century skills, information literacy, digital literacy, and digital skills In recent publications, the term competence is more used than skills, reflecting the need for a wider and more profound content of the concepts The relation between competence and skills is defined in an OECD project as follows: “Competency

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PHƯƠNG PHÁP Nghiên CỨU KINH T…

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is more than just knowledge and skills It involves the ability to meet complex demands,

by drawing on and mobilizing psychosocial resources (including skills and attitudes) in

a particular context.” Therefore, we can understand, digital skills are any skills related

to digital knowledge and understanding Anything from how likely you are to find your

or someone else's information on the internet to coding a website is considered a skill

1.1.2 The importance of Digital Competence to university students

Lifelong learning strategies need to answer the growing need for advanced digital competence for all jobs and for all learners Nowadays, educational systems must focus

on more than content, since it expires quickly Many lifelong learning and personal development activities now rely on e-learning resources Individuals, therefore, require

a degree of digital proficiency to be able to unlock the potential benefits offered by these resources These resources possess the added benefit of being greatly accessible to a huge number of people worldwide, as they are often free, and they can be accessed in one’s own time and location, without the need for a formalized ‘classroom’ environment We can work from home or are traveling outside, we can check or send correspondence via email, or we can know how many percent of the lessons students have completed, etc All work is done faster and more efficiently thanks to digital skills

Currently, people are also gradually turning to online shopping more and more and more popular online For example, on apps like Shopee, Tiki, etc., all are selected and paid online In fact, in the context of the rapidly developing Industry 4.0, workers need the right skills to take advantage of the digital transformation process Users need skills and capabilities to maximize time savings and manage the information collected

across digital platforms Without digital skills, the big risk is job loss in the future Digital technology application is expected to eliminate many low- and medium-skilled workers

1.2 Literature Review

1.2.1 Research into the digital competence of university students

For university students, digital skills are indispensable in this modern age as it helps them align their study effectively and logically to meet their strategic objectives

As such, researchers have conducted studies into the Digital competence of university students from both theoretical and empirical perspectives However, today, the number

of studies conducted to determine digital competencies among universities comprehensively is limited As those studies vary from different industries and contexts within different periods of time, the results can not be applied to Foreign Trade University’s outlook and characteristics of FTU’s students - the scope of this thesis

Phương Pháp Học Tập và NCKH

phương

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In 2019, a study at Politehnica University, Romania was conducted to investigate students' perceptions of certain digital skills such as information and data processing, digital communication, digital content creation, and problem-solving with a survey framework built on top of the European DigComp framework In general, most of the student's scores were relatively high Some aspects were rated lower (building different electronic records; choosing information to share for different purposes; etc.) showing that students were still inexperienced with these skills In 2020, researchers at Qingdao University - China conducted a survey, measuring students' digital competence in order

to develop a digital competence scale for university students (DC-US) They used the DCUS Digital Competence Framework self-built and developed on an original scale, with 23 categories of digital competence to survey 825 students from two universities

in China Three studies were performed combining the use of factor analysis, Rasch analysis, and the PLS model Finally, the DC-US digital competence framework was completed with 10 categories and two subscales That same year, a study measuring digital literacy and assessing the correlation between students’ literacies and their overall digital literacy was conducted at a university in Fiji using a newly designed Digital Literacy Scale with a survey of 867 freshmen

The results showed that first-year students had a high numerical ability The Cronbach’s Alpha test also showed that the newly designed digital competence framework was reliable and highly consistent In 2021, a study in Spain assessed the technology training level of teaching graduates at the University of Jaen, based on the European Commission's DigComp digital competence framework study The results showed that the students were mainly self-study and developed a learning style guided

by educational institutions, but their way to navigate and collect information was not effective That same year, research at a university in Malaysia found that digital competence is paramount to society's workforce N Khan, S Khan, BC Tan, and CH Loon proposed a digital competence model for students with 10 elements, including Information analysis, Social and communication, Creative, Safe, Problem-solving, Study, Leadership, Security ethics and culture, business inspiration, and Cooperation Another study in the Czech Republic analyzed and reflected on the digital competence

of students studying the Bachelor of Library Studies (LIS) Program at Masaryk University to renovate the curriculum and meet the demands of digital competence for librarians The study used a self-assessment questionnaire based on the DigComp framework The results showed that the level of competence stability had been relatively high over the years, besides the strongest competitors in the fields of information and

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participating in citizenship through digital technology and programming were the most underrated competencies; therefore, it indicated that these were the competencies that needed improvement

In Vietnam, the authors (Nguyen Tan Dai & Marquet Pascal, 2018) based on the concept of Digital Competence of the European Commission, describe digital capacity

as the ability to firmly and consciously use the tools of the information society in work, leisure and communication The prerequisite is the ability to master the means of IT and communication: to use computers to find, evaluate, store, create, present, and exchange information, as well as to communicate and participate in cooperative networks through the Internet Meanwhile, the authors (Tran Duc Hoa & Do Van Hung, 2021), using UNESCO's concept of Digital Competence, define digital capacity as the ability to access, administer, understand, combine, communicate safely and appropriately communicate, evaluate, and create information through digital technology to serve the unskilled labor market, high-end jobs, and business startups This definition is developed based on the definition of digital competence by the European Commission when UNESCO proposed to develop a global digital capacity framework

1.2.2 Justification of research gap

In sum, we find that the existing literature has contrasting scopes which triggers

us to find our own answer with Foreign Trade University student outlook and context Among those previous studies, none of them were launched in Vietnam universities, things can vary differently in aspects of regions so the final conclusion cannot be applied

to students in Vietnam Moreover, many studies mainly focused on the overall impact

of digital competence on students instead of mainly emphasizing lifelong studies Therefore, this hole in literature is the motivation for us to conduct the research

an insight into the level of digital competence of students at Foreign Trade University

in either learning or self-development The quantitative data was the main source of information, which is the broad scope and the qualitative data helped to strengthen the findings

2.2 Research model and variables

This study aims to validate the model structure for measuring the digital competence of students from Foreign Trade universities in Vietnam The study considered five different variables adopted from the DIGCOMP framework to measure the FTU students' overall digital competence Thus, the variables include Information and Data Literacy (IDL), Communication and Collaboration (CC), Digital content creation (DCC), Safety (SA), and Problem Solving (PS) The conceptual framework of the study is illustrated in the previous chapter

2.2.1 Information and Data Literacy (IDL)

The European Commission’s DigiComp 2.0 (The Digital Competence Framework 2.0)

defines Information and Data Literacy as: To articulate information needs, to locate

and retrieve digital data, information and content To judge the relevance of the source and its content To store, manage, and organize digital data, information and content.”

2.2.2 Communication and Collaboration (CC)

According to DigiComp 2.0, Communication and collaboration is “To interact,

communicate and collaborate through digital technologies while being aware of cultural and generational diversity To participate in society through public and private digital services and participatory citizenship To manage one’s digital presence, identity and reputation.”

2.2.3 Digital content creation (DCC)

Digital content creation is defined as “To create and edit digital content To improve

and integrate information and content into an existing body of knowledge while understanding how copyright and licences are to be applied To know how to give understandable instructions for a computer system.”

Problem solving has the definition as “To identify needs and problems, and to resolve

conceptual problems and problem situations in digital environments To use digital tools

to innovate processes and products To keep up-to-date with the digital evolution.”

2.3 Research Design and data collection

2.3.1 Methodological approach

In this study, a cross-sectional survey model was used The cross sectional survey model

-is a research model which aims to know individuals’ opinions on the subject being examined at a given time Moreover, the mixed method was also conducted in this –study, which included both quantitative and qualitative data simultaneously to gain an insight into the level of digital competence of students at Foreign Trade University

- Inductive reasoning: Inductive reasoning involves the foundation of conclusions through already available or confirmed evidence Therefore, it is worth collecting and analyzing related evidence to the point that conclusions drawn afterward will be as certain as possible

- Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data through survey research using questionnaires (Google Forms): Survey research is the process of gathering information from individual samples through their responses to questions In fact, in survey research,

a mixture of quantitative and qualitative research strategies could be facilitated, hence our selection of the approach We decided to propose Google Forms as a channel for our questionnaires From Google Forms, it is simple to use and straightforward to understand for both researchers and participants, and questionnaires could be converted into links that are readily available to be sent to a large number of participants Multiple platforms, including mobile and web browsers, could be used to access Google Forms

In addition

- Using simple random sampling as our sampling technique: we investigate the digital competence level of Foreign Trade University students in 3 months this year Such a probability sampling technique would provide greater external validity for our findings

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every participant has an equal probability of being selected to minimize sampling bias Therefore, a simple random sampling method is the most feasible one to generate a reliable and generalized result

+ Creating sets of survey questions

+ Informing the public of the purpose and benefits of the survey, as well as the absolute guarantee of information privacy for the participants

+ Directing to the Google Forms link with the survey and delivering questionnaires to

at least 400 students who are undergraduates in school

+ After gathering a significant number of replies from our respondents, we will analyze and visualize the data using Google Forms’ matrix tables, charts, and graphs

2.3.2 Data collecting methods

2.3.2.1 Instruments

The survey strategy was used through self completed questionnaires that –

involved these types of questions: Open questions Category Questions Rating , , questions The questionnaire was prepared to cover five dimensions of digital competence (“Information and data literacy”, “Communication and collaboration”,

“Digital content creation”, “Safety”, and “Problem-solving”) In order to measure the quantitative data variables, a five-point Rating questionnaire was applied to collect informative answers and emotional ones

(1-Not at all, 2- Poorly, 3- Normally, 4 -Strongly, 5-Significantly)

There would be open-ended questions to explore the other problems/difficulties in applying digital competence skills in learning and self-development among students Category options were also included to identify the use of digital tools or skills applied

in school

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Population:The survey was conducted among 300 students ranging from freshman to senior (18 - 22 years old) at Foreign Trade University in Hanoi In order to time restriction, it is attainable to only conduct the survey in one university

Sample : The quota sampling technique (non-probability) was used to ensure the most objectivism and time optimization

2.3.3 Data analysis methods

After collecting the data, we will use the charts, tables, and statistics numbers from the answers to evaluate the current level of digital competence skills of the students and suggest solutions to improve the individuals’ digital skills

To evaluate the Rating questionnaires, the collected sample will be analyzed by statistics, charts, and tables

- Prepare data for quantitative analysis We use a mixture of data: ratio, ordinal and : nominal scale Moreover, we also present the content analysis and all the background information about digital competence

- Data coding Since the majority of our questions are single-answer, we can easily : gather and count the responses using Google Forms’ helping tool, thus data coding is unneeded

- Data entry and checking: Specifically, online questionnaires generated by Google Form can automatically enter and store data to a computer file In our study, we will convert the obtained data into Excel file format for analysis Hence, we will be able to create simple data matrixes for 1 questionnaire form

- Organizing data: With the aid of the Google form assisting tool, it can automatically generate charts or graphs that are appropriate to the collected data

As suggested by previous research (O’Connor & Gibson, 2003), we would take the following actions for the analysis of qualitative data