The Myth of the Digital Native

Today’s college students may have grown up around technology, but that doesn’t mean they have the skills to thrive at school or work. Knowledge gaps remain a major barrier to success, particularly affecting low-income students. How can higher education institutions more effectively teach, assess, and measure digital skills? The Chronicle surveyed more than 1,200 faculty, higher ed leaders, and students to find out. The study discovered that:

• 78% of students said colleges strongly contributed to their digital proficiency
• 36% of faculty and leaders think their college instructors are “somewhat unprepared” or “not at all prepared” to teach digital skills
• Only 15% of faculty and 16% of leaders think students are very well prepared to use digital tools in a work environment