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The Digital Economy and Society Index ranking. Source: International Digital Economy and Society Index 2019

The Digital Economy and Society Index ranking. Source: International Digital Economy and Society Index 2019

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This paper addresses a key issue in the development of youth-focused social work: the role of digital skills in the relationship between young people and social workers who work with these native digital users. To this end, we analysed data from the International Digital Economy and Society Index 2019 and Eurostat. Information from the sixth Europe...

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... recent decades, EU countries have all improved their digital performance to some extent. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranking (Foley et al., 2019), several countries such as Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark are global leaders in digitalisation (Figure 2). In this context, most Spanish indexes are above the European average, although the human capital dimension presents below average results. ...
Context 2
... recent decades, EU countries have all improved their digital performance to some extent. According to the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranking (Foley et al., 2019), several countries such as Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark are global leaders in digitalisation (Figure 2). In this context, most Spanish indexes are above the European average, although the human capital dimension presents below average results. ...

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... In social work education, the use of AI and ChatGPT is an emerging field of research. The integration of technology and development of digital skills, including AI skills, have had a low impact on social work education so far [16,17]. In line with this, social work students show only average technical efficacy, meaning their belief in their own capability to use technology is moderate, and at individual level, negative reactions to technology use are not uncommon [18]. ...
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Recent advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, have generated high expectations and concerns regarding the future impact of AI on education and learning. In light of this, our goal was to investigate the usage of ChatGPT among social work students and to identify factors that predict its adoption according to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). To achieve this, we conducted an online study with a large sample of social work students (N = 875). The results revealed that ChatGPT has been widely adopted, with 80% of social work students reporting its use for study-related tasks. However, the frequency of use was moderate. Thus, although students experiment with ChatGPT, they do not use it very frequently for their studies. Its primary applications include clarifying questions, explaining concepts, analysing, editing, and writing texts, as well as conducting literature reviews. The frequency of ChatGPT use was primarily predicted by its perceived usefulness, followed by perceived ease of use. Interestingly, affinity for technological interaction did not emerge as a significant predictor. This suggests that even students who are typically less interested in technology are utilizing ChatGPT for their studies due to its perceived usefulness. Overall, these findings highlight the widespread adoption of ChatGPT among social work students and emphasize the importance of perceived usefulness in driving its usage.
... Students have participated in various learning activities supported by digital technology, such as accessing learning management systems, searching online learning resources, reading e-books, developing online cooperation, and participating in internet-based learning forums (Culduz, 2024;Riyanti et al. 2023). With the application of digital technology in learning, more and more researchers have determined that DL is becoming a prerequisite for students to learn effectively (Peláez et al. 2020), and excellent academic performance can support students in securing better employment opportunities. Therefore, it is necessary for educators to ask: Is DL related to students' academic achievement in the digital era? ...
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This meta-analysis focuses on the relationship between digital literacy (DL) and academic achievement. The 35 independent effect sizes that were collected were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) software version 2.0, and the results showed a significant, medium positive correlation between DL and academic achievement. In addition, there were significant differences in the correlation between DL and academic achievement among students of different grade levels, orientations of DL, subjects, sampling methods, and genders. We suggest that (1) schools should develop students’ DL by strengthening the construction of a digital learning environment; (2) teachers and parents should give more guidance to primary and middle school students on the application of digital tools, making them aware of the advantages and disadvantages of digital technology for learning; and (3) students should have general digital operation skills and further master the special methods and learning models of digital technology applied to different subjects. Finally, although the relationship between DL and academic achievement was moderated by gender, with a stronger link observed in males than females, there are no full gender ratios of participants from the samples. Therefore, the relationship between DL and achievement across genders needs to be further verified in future research.
... This can be formal or informal or both. To respond to these needs, the curriculum of higher education systems has been upgraded to help students gain the much-required digital skills (López Peláez et al., 2020). However, the digital skills needed to be able to remain relevant can be gained at all levels of education but mainly at the higher level. ...
... The emergence of Industry 5.0 has placed increased demands on vocational education, especially in the fields of mechanical manufacturing and automation (Ghosh & Ravichandran, 2024). It is imperative for vocational education to impart students with skills that align with the evolving needs of the industry (López et al. 2020;Zhang, 2020). By fostering collaboration between educational institutions and enterprises, vocational education can significantly improve graduate employability by keeping curricula updated and incorporating human-machine collaboration, automation, and blockchain technology. ...
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This study analyzes students' employment status in vocational colleges based on Industry 5.0 context. We identify key factors affecting employment rates, and proposes strategies to address the students’ employment potential. The study integrates theory and practice in teaching, optimizing content and methods to meet industry needs, and enhancing students’ employability. The study recommends educational and teaching reforms, including the "dual-teacher" model, entrepreneurship education, industry training, and certification, to improve students' adaptability and competitiveness in the job market. This offers practical guidance for educational institutions and enterprises to enhance the quality of vocational education and meet the talent requirements of modern manufacturing industries.
... According to Pelaez et al. (2020), the fees paid by online students are comparable to those paid by campus-based students. However, online education also has several drawbacks. ...
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Digitization in education has brought about a halt to conventional teaching approaches and addressed challenges such as teacher shortages, inadequate student-teacher ratios, and a lack of teaching resources. In traditional education, significant financial resources are required to establish physical campuses, classrooms, administrative buildings, and other facilities. These costs can be substantial, especially for universities and colleges with large campuses. Digital education reduces the need for extensive physical infrastructure. Instead, investments are primarily directed towards creating and maintaining online platforms, software, and IT infrastructure. While initial development costs might be high, the long-term maintenance expenses can be relatively lower. This study has been limited to Educational Institutes in Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh. The present research study has been conducted in Meerut district based on education institutions. The students of the institutions have been considered the population. DOI:12.163022.Gj.2024.v17.02.014
... One fundamental difference between younger and older adults' civic participation is where they engage. Young people generally participate more in the digital context (Cho et al., 2020;López Peláez et al., 2020;Zeng & Abidin, 2021). Indeed, new digital spaces, like social media groups, are vital places to include in research that is aiming to centralize youth's voices (Pérez Aronsson, 2020). ...
... Populasi penelitian ini adalah digital workers atau pekerja digital yang menggunakan kompetensi digital untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaannya. Hasil penelitian sebelumnya menemukan bahwa frekuensi penggunaan teknologi digital dan pemakaian internet sehari-hari berhubungan dengan peningkatan kompetensi digital pada individu (López Peláez, et al., 2020). Individu yang rutin menggunakan perangkat digital selama kurang lebih empat jam sehari menunjukkan peningkatan pada kemampuan digital yang dimilikinya. ...
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Digitalisasi meningkatkan kebutuhan akan sumber daya manusia yang mampu mengoperasikan dan menguasai teknologi digital. Pekerja yang mampu menggunakan kompetensi digital untuk menyelesaikan pekerjaannya dan dapat mengakses data pekerjaan dimana pun dan kapan pun disebut sebagai digital workers. Digital workers memainkan peran penting dalam memberikan inovasi bagi perusahaan sebagai bentuk respon perusahaan terhadap perkembangan digital dan usaha untuk mengimbangi persaingan. Kecenderungan digital workers untuk menyumbangkan inovasi-inovasi bagi perusahaan berhubungan dengan komitmen yang dimilikinya terhadap perusahaan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara perilaku kerja inovatif dengan komponen komitmen organisasi pada digital workers. Perilaku kerja inovatif diukur menggunakan innovative work behavior scale yang dikembangkan oleh Janssen (2000) dan komitmen organisasi diukur menggunakan organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ) yang dikembangkan oleh Allen dan Meyer (1990). Pengambilan data dilakukan dengan menyebarkan kuesioner secara online melalui media sosial. Data penelitian ini berasal dari 215 digital workers yang bekerja secara full-time. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan positif secara signifikan antara komitmen afektif dan komitmen normatif dengan perilaku kerja inovatif, tetapi tidak ditemukan hubungan negatif antara komitmen berkelanjutan dengan perilaku kerja inovatif pada digital workers. Kata kunci: komitmen afektif, komitmen berkelanjutan, komitmen normatif, pekerja digital, perilaku kerja inovatif
... Several studies (Peláez et al. 2020;Zhen et al. 2021;Teng et al. 2022;Puliwarna et al. 2023) have suggested that digital culture, digital skills, and digital transformation strategies are interrelated, and have a significant impact on fostering innovation and performance in SMEs and addressing competency gaps between different groups. ...
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This study aimed to understand the impact of digital culture on companies’ knowledge and constant commitment to digital transformation, as well as its impact on organizations as a whole. Secondly, it aimed to explore the impact of digital technology adoption on organizational performance and competitiveness. Finally, the study investigated the role of knowledge management during digital transformation. A quantitative study was developed using a descriptive design. A questionnaire was developed on pre-test was carried out withon 15 participants and since no doubts or difficulties were detected, it was made available on the internet between January and April 2022. A total of 291 questionnaires were collected and validated. Data were imported from Google Forms for analysis in SPSS, version 25.0, andSmartPLS® 4.0 software. The questionnaire revealed good internal consistency (α = 0.922). Ten of the twelve hypotheses were confirmed, that is, the existence of positive and significant relationships between digital culture (DC) and knowledge of digital transformation (KDT); DC and adoption of digital technologies (ADT); DC and knowledge management (KM); commitment (C) and KDT; C and productivity (P); KDT and ADT; ADT and KM; ADT and P; ADT and C; and P and C. The results of regression analyses showed that the variables that contributed to the model (“competitiveness of organizations”) were productivity, the adoption of digital technologies, commitment to digital technologies, and knowledge management. The variables CD and KDT (Knowledge of digital transformation) presented lower and non-significant values.
... In this sense, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant changes in the roles of social workers and social services agencies, especially in terms of digitization in the work organization (i.e. non-face-to-face professional contact and meetings) and the learning and development of new skills to address these new social, digital, and technological demands (Fronek and Smith Rotabi-Casares, 2022;López Peláez et al., 2020. ...
... For example, technological and digital skills are necessary in the relationship between young people and social workers who work with these native digital users (López Peláez et al., 2018, 2020. Access to opportunities refers to the acquisition and use of skills related to professional development in the workplace, especially digital skills as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent digitization (López Peláez et al., 2020Peláez et al., , 2021. ...
Article
This study examined the relationship between structural empowerment and affective commitment, mediated by work engagement, in frontline social workers in Spain. Based on two samples (240 participants from public agencies and 226 participants from private agencies) and using linear regression models (bootstrapping method), our results showed two effects in the relationship between structural empowerment and organizational commitment: a direct effect fostering experiences of power and an indirect effect by increasing engagement at work. Empowering human resources management (HRM) practices (access to opportunities, information, resources, and support) is a useful tool for managers and administrators, with strong benefits for both social workers and agencies.
... A gap exists between the level of digital skills required in the labor market and the actual level of digital skills of social work students (Boddy and Dominelli, 2017;Reamer, 2019;López Peláez et al., 2020). This course illustrates the power of digital technology and reviews the ethical use of technology. ...
Article
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Career readiness of college graduates is of critical importance in higher education. As defined by the career readiness is the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare college graduates for successful transition into the workplace and/or graduate school. This article outlines the development of a sophomore-level course – Critical Thinking and Writing for Social Work Professionals – as part of a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program at Ball State University. The primary purpose of this course is to help students develop career readiness competencies that support their growth throughout their educational and professional social work careers. The career readiness competencies support the Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards required by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). The authors discuss the importance of this approach for undergraduate education and how career readiness enhances and builds upon CSWE competencies. The authors conclude with a brief discussion of student feedback and lessons learned through this process that suggests students’ gained career readiness skills.