Studying the Relationship Between Digital Literacy and Academic Performance of Higher Education Students: Systematic Review

Abstract

In the digital era, being digitally literate is essential, extending beyond reading and writing to encompass the ability to access, evaluate, create, and communicate information using digital technologies, which is crucial in the 21st-century learning environment. This paper examines the existing literature on digital literacy and its correlation with academic performance. This research paper aims to examine existing research on digital literacy skills and analyse its effects on the academic performance of higher education students. This study aims to understand how existing researchers have approached the study of digital literacy among higher education students. The primary aim of this study is to assess the level of digital literacy among students and to examine the relationship between their digital literacy skills and academic performance. The study included graduate and postgraduate students from diverse academic fields in higher education. For this systematic review, 32 research papers were selected from all over the world. The findings reveal that some papers found high levels of digital literacy, while others found low levels; however, a positive correlation exists between students' digital literacy and their academic performance. It shows that students possess a good understanding of digital literacy, as they have a basic knowledge of ICT literacy skills. However, only three papers have found that, because of digital literacy, students' marks are increasing. Apart from this, academic performance is measured vaguely, suggesting that the use of digital literacy skills has a positive effect on the academic performance of higher education students.