Announcing the demise of the Digital Native

Abstract

We challenge the assumption that students entering higher education are digitally prepared to navigate a digital learning environment and explore strategies to ensure students are able to develop into digitally literate graduates. Students from low SES areas at poorly digitally resourced schools tend to be less digitally fluent than students from high SES areas at well-resourced schools. Digital fluency is defined as the ability to create, re-formulate knowledge and to move with ease in a digital environment. Digital literacy, the foundation for digital fluency, is the ability to identify and use technology confidently, creatively and critically to effectively meet the demands and challenges of living, learning and working in a digital society (Coldwell-Neilson, 2018). Supporting Russo's findings, Coldwell-Neilson found that there is a significant mismatch between academic staff expectations, and their observations, of students' digital literacy capabilities. Therefore, digitally underprepared students could be disadvantaged if unsupported in a digital learning environment. Prenksy's (2001) concept of a Digital Native, defined as those who grew up with technology was flawed. Research demonstrates that extensive use of mobile technologies does not readily translate into being digitally literate nor does it provide the skills needed to navigate a digitally enhanced learning environment