Digital competencies among Management Master students and their relationship with age
Competencias digitales en estudiantes de la Maestría en Dirección y su relación con la edadArticle Sidebar
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Background: Digital transformation in higher education requires graduate students to cultivate robust digital competencies for academic and professional performance. The European Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) provides a standardized structure for assessing these skills across five fundamental dimensions. Objective: To analyze digital competence levels and their correlation with age among Master of Management students at the University of Granma, Cuba. Methods: A quantitative, descriptivecorrelational, and cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 25 students. Data collection utilized a DigComp-based Likert-scale questionnaire. Results: Findings reveal a mean overall digital competence of 3.59 (SD = 0.68), with 44% of students achieving an advanced level. Problem-solving recorded the highest mean (M = 3.72), while Safety scored the lowest (M = 3.44). Significant negative correlations were identified between age and four key areas: problem-solving (ρ = −0.458, p = 0.021), content creation (ρ = −0.445, p = 0.026), information and data literacy (ρ = −0.412, p = 0.041), and total competence (ρ = −0.431, p = 0.032). Conclusion: Younger students exhibit significantly higher digital proficiency, highlighting the necessity for age-differentiated training programs within graduate education.
Contexto: la transformación digital en la educación superior demanda que los estudiantes de posgrado fortalezcan competencias digitales firmes para su desempeño académico y profesional. El Marco Europeo de Competencia Digital (DigComp) ofrece una estructura para valorar estas habilidades en cinco dimensiones fundamentales. Objetivo: analizar el nivel de competencias digitales de los estudiantes de la Maestría en Dirección de la Universidad de Granma, en Cuba, y su relación con la edad. Metodología: estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo-correlacional y transversal con una muestra de 25 estudiantes. Se aplicó un cuestionario basado en DigComp con escala Likert. Resultados: la competencia digital general alcanzó una media de 3.59 (DE = 0.68), con el 44% en nivel avanzado. Resolución de problemas obtuvo la media más alta (M = 3.72) y Seguridad la más baja (M = 3.44). Se hallaron correlaciones negativas significativas entre la edad y cuatro áreas: resolución de problemas (rho = −0.458, p = 0.021), creación de contenido (rho = −0.445, p = 0.026), información y alfabetización informacional (rho = −0.412, p = 0.041) y competencia total (rho = −0.431, p = 0.032). Conclusión: los estudiantes de menor edad exhiben mayor dominio de competencias digitales, lo cual orienta la necesidad de programas formativos diferenciados según el perfil etario.
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