The impact of academic programs on the development of digital literay: the case of first-year university students in social sciences
Objective: This research work questions the influence of the practice environment (didactic environment) on the acquisition of the digital skills of student candidates for the Certificate in Computer and Internet – Level 1 (C2i®1). Methods: The analyzes are based on the results obtained for the certification and the theoretical and practical tests of 3,796 students from eight disciplines of a French university, during three training sessions, accounting for three different training schemes (without specific training, with disciplinary training or with cross-training) between 2005 and 2008. Results: The relatively low success rates highlight the difficulty for students to reconcile the theoretical and practical skills required for certification. Without specific training, the candidates presenting for the certification are candidates sensitized to the uses (strong in practice) but with a lack of theoretical knowledge penalizing them to obtain C2i®1. A disciplinary training, based on a common curriculum but taught within the student’s paths, produces opposite effects, with students being more trained in theory at the expense of its practical application. Finally, a centralized training system common to all sectors seems to bring a better theoretical-practical matching in the direction of an improvement in the success rate in certification. Conclusion: This work highlights the influence of the context and the training system on the acquisition of students’ digital skills. It contributes to enrich knowledge and reflections on the definition of a didactic environment conducive to the learning and transposition of competences out of context.