THE ROLE OF DIGITAL LITERACY IN THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF FIRST YEAR STUDENTS STUDYING AN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COURSE

The majority of students entering the University of Johannesburg in South Africa come from schools and communities which do not enjoy the same technologically rich environments as that of their counterparts, yet on entering their first year of studies, they are expected by lecturers to perform at the same level as those from advantaged backgrounds. First year students enrolled for the National Diploma: Information Technology at the University of Johannesburg, were targeted for this study, using a mixed methods inquiry that incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data to illuminate the factors related to digital literacy that may have influenced the students’ likelihood to succeed in the Information Technology modules. The data that were collected were brought in relation to the students’ final marks for the subject Information Systems 1 Module A (Computer Concepts). It emerged that the computer literate students performed significantly better during the first semester compared to the computer illiterate students. The computer illiterate students indicated that the lack of computer experience influenced their ability to pass computer related subjects; however, it was not the only limiting factor as socio-economic factors also played a role.