The dot.com generation: IT practices & skills of transition students (2000)

The Dot.Com or generation Y student was born after 1981 and will be entering university as a transition student from 2000. The Dot.Com transition student has received an intensive education in information technology. The Dot.Com student comes to university with a need to be information competent and can demonstrate considerable information technology skills. This paper analyses the information literacy and knowledge of the Dot.Com transition student at Victoria University. Two definitions were used to categorise IT usage of students; General IT practices looked at the availability of IT to students and specific IT skills refer to the use of business IT packages. The main findings show that home access to a computer has peaked, home internet usage is escalating, the gender gap in IT practices is closing but a gender and Dot.Com gap in IT skills still exist.