Abstract
This study explored how university students perceive and assess their own digital literacy, focusing on how these self-evaluations align with the international competitions and assessments for schools (ICAS) computer skills levels. Drawing on responses from 1,520 students at the University of Cape Coast, the research examined patterns across gender, college affiliation, program type, and academic level. A structured questionnaire based on the atomic digital literacy framework was used to capture students’ self-assessed ability to collect, compose (organizing, manipulating, and formatting), and communicate digital content in different media formats–text, numeric data, images, sound, and video. Data were analyzed with SPSS and AMOS to evaluate both the reliability of the instrument and the relationships among its components. The results showed a very dependable instrument with strong internal consistency (α = .946) and clear evidence of construct validity. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a coherent two-factor structure distinguishing between the “analytical work” (textual and numerical) and expressive or multimedia creation (visual, auditory, and video) dimensions of digital literacy. Males and students in STEM disciplines generally indicated higher competence than their female and non-STEM peers, although the variations across academic levels were not statistically significant. When their self-assessments were compared with the ICAS computer skills levels, most fell somewhere in the level 3–intermediate computer skills but not fluent mastery (advanced and proficient, which are level 4 and level 5, respectively). The research suggests that university curricula should incorporate multimodal production and interdisciplinary digital practices to foster a more holistic and transformative approach to digital literacy.
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Article Type: Research Article
Journal of Digital Educational Technology, Volume 6, Issue 2, October 2026, Article No: ep2612
https://doi.org/10.29333/jdet/18536
Publication date: 08 May 2026
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