The level of digital literacy was high when the first time using a digital device was before five years old. (Image credit: Kobiz Media/Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Jan. 20 (Korea Bizwire) — A recent study has found that the level of digital literacy was the highest when computers and other digital devices were first used between the ages of five and seven.
Digital literacy refers to “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills as basic skills for those living in a digital society.”
The Korea Education and Research Information Service analyzed the results of digital literacy tests and surveys of 8,847 elementary students between fourth and sixth grades and 11,534 middle school students nationwide.
As a result, the digital literacy level of students who answered that the first time they used a digital device such as a computer was between the ages of five to seven was higher than that of students who said they had never used a digital device before or after that.
Elementary and middle school students who used digital devices for the first time at ages five to seven accounted for 23 percent and 29.2 percent, respectively, of the total.
In addition, their digital literacy scores stood at 60.97 and 62.32 points out of 100, respectively.
Furthermore, the level of digital literacy was high when the first time using a digital device was “before five years old.”
These included 5.6 percent of elementary school students and 9.3 percent of middle school students, with their digital literacy scores standing at 59.64 and 61.09 points, respectively.
Some 52.7 percent of elementary students and 41.3 percent of middle school students, who first used digital devices when they were in the lower grades, scored 58.32 and 60.49 points, respectively.
Students who used digital devices for the first time when they were older, namely 17.5 percent of elementary and 18.2 percent of middle school students, and students who did not use digital devices, including 1.2 percent of elementary and 2.1 percent of middle school students, had relatively low digital literacy scores.
The average digital literacy score for all elementary school students was 58.53 points, compared to 59.37 points for middle school students.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
