Abstract:

Several studies have shown that younger generations' informal experiences with internet technologies do not adequately cover all the skills needed to fully exploit the benefits of such technologies in academic settings. Furthermore, there is a lack of empirical studies that refer to the design of learning environments to enhance students' internet skills in Higher Education.

In this paper, we present the results of an empirical study that aimed to develop an instructional intervention that enhances undergraduate students' internet skills. To develop the intervention, we used the internet skills indicators from the Internet Skills Scale developed by Van Deursen, Helsper & Eynon (2014), which we validated in the context of Higher Education.

The intervention was tested in an empirical investigation with different groups of undergraduate students during the implementation of three research circles. A Kruskal–Wallis test showed statistically significant differences between the three study groups, namely, the mean score of the scale items improved with the refinement of the learning materials between the groups from the first, second and third research cycles.

The experience and knowledge gained during the implementation and the refinement of the research cycles resulted in developing a model of project-based learning for the design of learning environments to enhance students' internet skills in Higher Education. The model follows the principles of constructivism, emphasizes the progressive development of skills, and follows a holistic approach where each internet tool and process are linked to an activity that contributes to completing a final project. The paper also describes the twelve design principles of the model that were identified during the refinement process. The proposed principles can be applied to the design and development of online materials using internet-based technologies.

This study presents the first attempt in informing, theoretically and methodologically, the research community about the potential of project-based learning on internet skills education. Specifically, the model presented herein can guide the development of programmes and training resources for undergraduate students in Higher Education.

Keywords:

Project-Based Learning, Model, Constructivism, Design Principles, Internet Skills, Higher Education, Programme Development, Internet-Based Technologies.