The challenge-based education approach and generative AI tools in the development of digital skills
Keywords:
Digital skills, Generative AI, Higher Education, digital literacyAbstract
This study underscores the need to foster digital skills in higher education. It examines how integrating generative AI tools and challenge-based education into a statistics curriculum can promote data and information literacy, as well as the ethical use of information. The study aims to examine the perceptions of 112 undergraduate students enrolled in a higher education data analysis course concerning the development of six digital literacy skills following a pedagogical intervention. Conducted over one academic term, this mixed-methods study collected data through questionnaires and student reports. Results indicate that students made the greatest progress in communication, personal security, critical thinking, and technological skills, with communication standing out. These skills were strongly correlated, showing the interrelated nature of digital competence, while information skills remained the main challenge. Qualitative data highlight the role of generative AI tools in enhancing collaboration, output quality, and ethical awareness. Overall, the findings suggest that AI-supported interventions can foster digital literacy and transversal soft skills, thereby preparing students for the demands of the twenty-first century.
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