Are students digitally literate? Progress, shortcomings and future challenges

Abstract

As part of the broader digitalisation of education and society, considerable efforts have been made in recent decades to develop the digital competencies of teachers and students, from primary education through to higher education. Based on a documentary review focused on the Ibero-American context, this article analyses the main advances, misalignments and challenges identified by educational research on students’ digital competence over the last 25 years. Specifically, the article aims to examine the principal advances and shortcomings in relation to the established goals for the development of students’ digital competencies. The methodology is based on the review of high-impact or highly relevant publications in academic databases, selected according to criteria of thematic relevance, citation count/relevance, open access, language and geographical scope. The data are analysed inductively in response to the research questions. The findings reveal a predominant focus on the university context compared with school education, as well as an assessment approach that draws on European and international frameworks and relies largely on instruments based on self-perceived digital competence. Students have made progress in their digital competence; however, some areas still require specific training to ensure the exercise of citizenship with sufficient critical judgement in the consumption and dissemination of information, as well as to promote equity in education and personal well-being. The article concludes that the development of digital competence requires intentional, critical and contextualised training models, together with further research addressing compulsory education, usage gaps and the emerging challenges associated with artificial intelligence.