How much ICT literacy is required? The epistemic perceptual framework of Iranian university faculty members during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Nowadays, information and communications technology literacy (ICT) means more than achieving isolated digital and technological skills. ICT literacy means the skills young people need in the digital world in which information and interaction are accessed through such digital technologies as social networks, virtual environments, and smartphones. To enhance the ICT literacy of these “digital natives”, university faculty are encouraged to implement digital technology in their classes and this will be fulfilled if they are highly competent in the area. This situation gained more prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic as the educational systems all around the world were reshaped requiring educators to embrace new educational technologies in instruction. This study is based on the premise that faculties play a key role in successful incorporation of digital technology in higher education. To explore the issue, the epistemic perceptual framework of 285 male and female university faculty members teaching different fields of study in both public and private universities in Iran was investigated considering their knowledge and perception of ICT literacy, its integration at academic levels, and how coronavirus pandemic has affected the incorporation of digital technology in teaching. Exploring the results showed that there was a significant difference between the lecturers’ actual and perceived ICT literacy in Iran. It was revealed that some faculty had never used technological tools in their classes before the pandemic and the situation has forced them to adopt digital teaching. However, most faculty favored digital integration claiming the pandemic had caused them to improve their ICT literacy and teaching methods. The findings called for an urgent need for faculty’s continuous and effective ICT education upgrading which in turn results in training a more efficient young generation for the digital world.