{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T01:27:09Z","timestamp":1784683629219,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":64,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,30]],"date-time":"2021-09-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1632960000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Librarianship and Information Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>The concept of digital competences incorporates the effective use of constantly-changing digital tools and media for learning and performing digital tasks, digital behaviours (such as online communication, teamwork, ethical sharing of information), as well as digital mindsets that value lifelong digital learning and development. The current pandemic crisis has accelerated the need to diagnose and understand more systematically Higher Education students\u2019 digital competences and the way in which they shape academic performance and outcomes. This empirical study explores the digital competences of students, studying in Law related courses, by means of a self-assessment survey tool, which has been previously tested with information and library science students, and was developed to study students\u2019 technology mastery (i.e. the abilities, competences, capabilities and skills required for using digital technology, media and tools) and their digital citizenship mindsets (consisting of attitudes and behaviours necessary to develop as a critical, reflective and lifelong learners). The study found age demographic differences, which presented significant correlations pointing to the presence of diverse levels of competences in the student group. Correlation statistics of the survey data demonstrated that students\u2019 prior everyday participation as a digital citizen was connected to a number of important academic skills, such as the ability to identify information in different contexts, students\u2019 digital learning and development, their digital abilities to complete academic work, their information literacy skills and their skills around managing their digital wellbeing and identity. Focus groups data with academics revealed that they valued the development of students\u2019 digital competences for the purposes of learning, while studying at university and placed less emphasis on digital citizenship skills. These academics also considered the value of digital platforms and tools (the focus on \u2018ICT Proficiency\u2019) to be more relevant for academic study than digital citizenship mindsets.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/09610006211048004","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,30]],"date-time":"2021-09-30T06:28:30Z","timestamp":1632983310000},"page":"751-769","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":53,"title":["A study of university law students\u2019 self-perceived digital competences"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"54","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3435-6606","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Konstantina","family":"Martzoukou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Robert Gordon University, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8974-1128","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Petros","family":"Kostagiolas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ionian University, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2181-4655","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Charilaos","family":"Lavranos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ionian University, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thorsten","family":"Lauterbach","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Robert Gordon University, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Crystal","family":"Fulton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University College Dublin, Ireland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/9781316761380"},{"key":"bibr2-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Beltran AM (2017) Digital Literacy for Law Students. Available at: https:\/\/futuresinitiative.org\/rethinkhighered\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/193\/2017\/12\/Beltran-Rethinking-Higher-Ed-Final-Project-FA17.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr3-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1467-8535.2007.00793.x"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr4-09610006211048004","first-page":"143","volume":"13","author":"Blaustone B","year":"2006","journal-title":"Clinical Law Review"},{"key":"bibr5-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-69415-9_145"},{"key":"bibr6-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03069400.2017.1332951"},{"key":"bibr7-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Carretero S, Vuorikari R, Punie Y (2017) DigComp 2.1: The digital competence framework for citizens with eight proficiency levels and examples of use, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg."},{"key":"bibr8-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2008.10.012"},{"key":"bibr9-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/S2055-53772016"},{"key":"bibr10-09610006211048004","volume-title":"Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches","author":"Cresswell JW","year":"2003","edition":"2"},{"key":"bibr11-09610006211048004","volume-title":"Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research","author":"Creswell JW","year":"2017"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr12-09610006211048004","first-page":"71","volume":"3","author":"Dagilyte E","year":"2016","journal-title":"Journal of Teaching of Law"},{"key":"bibr13-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Dimock M (2019) Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center. Available at: https:\/\/www.pewresearch.org\/fact-tank\/2019\/01\/17\/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins\/ (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr14-09610006211048004","unstructured":"European Commission, Science for Policy Briefs (2020) Telework in the EU before and after the COVID-19: Where we were, where we head to. Available at: https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/jrc\/sites\/jrcsh\/files\/jrc120945_policy_brief_-_covid_and_telework_final.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr15-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2009.10.015"},{"key":"bibr16-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Gabbatt A (2021) Texas lawyer, trapped by cat filter on zoom call, informs judge he is not a cat. The Guardian, 10 February. Available at: https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2021\/feb\/09\/texas-lawyer-zoom-cat-filter-kitten (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr17-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Good Things Foundation (2018) The economic impact of digital inclusion in the UK: A report for Good Things Foundation. Available at: https:\/\/www.goodthingsfoundation.org\/research-publications\/economic-impact-digital-inclusion-uk (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr18-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Grant-Cement S (2017) Digital learning; education and skills in the digital age. An overview of the consultation on digital learning held as part of the Corsham Institute thought leadership programme 2017. Available at: https:\/\/www.rand.org\/content\/dam\/rand\/pubs\/conf_proceedings\/CF300\/CF369\/RAND_CF369.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr19-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1086\/208906"},{"key":"bibr20-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10447318.2019.1647665"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr21-09610006211048004","volume":"4","author":"Huss JA","year":"2013","journal-title":"Education Inquiry"},{"key":"bibr22-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Ilom\u00e4ki L, Kantosalo A, Lakkala M (2011) What is Digital Competence? Brussels, Belgium: Linked Portal, European Schoolnet (EUN), pp.1\u201312."},{"key":"bibr23-09610006211048004","unstructured":"IPSOS MORI (2018) Beyond binary: The lives and choices of generation Z, July. Available at: https:\/\/www.ipsos.com\/sites\/default\/files\/ct\/publication\/documents\/2018-07\/ipsos-thinks-beyond-binary-lives-loves-generation-z_0.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr24-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (2012) Developing digital literacies programme. Available at: https:\/\/digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk\/our-service\/discovery-tool\/ (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr25-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (2015) Frameworks mapped to the six elements. Available at: https:\/\/digitalcapability.jiscinvolve.org\/wp\/files\/2015\/06\/3.Frameworks-mapped-to-6-elements.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr26-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (2019a) Digital capability and employability. Available at: https:\/\/www.jisc.ac.uk\/guides\/designing-learning-and-assessment-in-a-digital-age\/digital-capability-and-employability (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr27-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) (2019b) Discovery tool. Available at: https:\/\/digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk\/our-service\/discovery-tool\/ (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr28-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1142405.1142463"},{"key":"bibr29-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4018\/IJDLDC.2019040102"},{"key":"bibr30-09610006211048004","first-page":"166","volume-title":"Inside Consumption: Frontiers of Research on Consumer Motives, Goals, and Desires","author":"Khan U","year":"2005"},{"key":"bibr31-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03069400.2019.1568675"},{"key":"bibr32-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781526435620.n24"},{"key":"bibr33-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/EUM0000000007076"},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr34-09610006211048004","first-page":"407","volume":"35","author":"Larcombe W","year":"2013","journal-title":"The Sydney Law Review"},{"key":"bibr35-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Law Society of Western Australia (2017) The future of the legal profession. Report, 12 December. Available at: https:\/\/www.lawsocietywa.asn.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/2017DEC12-Law-Society-Future-of-the-Legal-Profession.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr36-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Legg M (2018) New Skills for New Lawyers: Responding to Technology and Practice Developments. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales Law Research Series. Available at: http:\/\/www5.austlii.edu.au\/au\/journals\/UNSWLRS\/2018\/51.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr37-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Leckie GJ, Pettigrew KE, Sylvain C (1996) Modeling the information seeking of professionals: A general model derived from research on engineers, health care professionals, and lawyers. The Library Quarterly 66(2): 161\u2013193.","DOI":"10.1086\/602864"},{"key":"bibr38-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Little M, Lateef-Vaksvik A, Yu B, et al. (2021) Engaging Allard law students in virtual wellbeing programming. Available at: https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/soa\/cIRcle\/collections\/undergraduateresearch\/18861\/items\/1.0398397 (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr39-09610006211048004","unstructured":"McCoy BR (2020) Gen Z and Digital Distractions in the Classroom: Student Classroom Use of Digital Devices for Non-Class Related Purposes. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska, pp.1\u201333. Available at: https:\/\/journalism.unl.edu\/images\/McCoy.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr40-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ipm.2007.05.001"},{"key":"bibr41-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/JD-03-2020-0041"},{"key":"bibr42-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/JD-07-2016-0094"},{"key":"bibr43-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mironova S, Bogdanova T, Simonova S (2019) The introduction of digital technologies in the educational process of training lawyers. In: SHS web conference, the international scientific and practical conference. Current issues of linguistics and didactics: The interdisciplinary approach in humanities and social sciences (CILDIAH-2019), p.69. Available at: https:\/\/www.shs-conferences.org\/articles\/shsconf\/pdf\/2019\/10\/shsconf_cildiah2019_00079.pdf (accessed September 2021).","DOI":"10.1051\/shsconf\/20196900079"},{"key":"bibr44-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Moore R, Vitale D, Stawinoga N (2018) The digital divide and educational equity: A look at students with very limited access to electronic devices at home, insights in education and work. ACT, Inc. Available at: https:\/\/files.eric.ed.gov\/fulltext\/ED593163.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr45-09610006211048004","volume-title":"Educating the Net Generation","author":"Oblinger D","year":"2005"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr46-09610006211048004","first-page":"149","volume":"21","author":"O\u2019Brien MT","year":"2011","journal-title":"Legal Education Review"},{"key":"bibr47-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Ofcom (2020) Children and parents: Media use and attitudes report 2019. Available at: https:\/\/www.ofcom.org.uk\/__data\/assets\/pdf_file\/0023\/190616\/children-media-use-attitudes-2019-report.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr48-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Petr Balog K, Siber L (2014) Students of law and e-democracy. In: European conference on information literacy (ECIL), Dubrovnik, Croatia, 20\u201323 October. Available at: https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/272149125_Students_of_Law_and_E-Democracy (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr49-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Pew Research Center (2015) The whys and hows of generations research. Available at: http:\/\/www.people-press.org\/files\/2015\/09\/09-3-2015-Generations-explainer-release.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr50-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/IJCHM-02-2014-0073"},{"key":"bibr51-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03069400.2020.1805927."},{"key":"bibr52-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijlp.2020.101631"},{"key":"bibr53-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/03069400.2019.1643647"},{"key":"bibr54-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/2331186X.2018.1519143"},{"key":"bibr55-09610006211048004","unstructured":"Taylor P, Keeter S (eds) (2010) Millennials: A portrait of generation next: Confident. Connected. Open to change. Available at: www.pewsocialtrends.org\/files\/2010\/10\/millennials-confident-connected-open-to-change.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"issue":"2","key":"bibr56-09610006211048004","first-page":"25","volume":"6","author":"Thanaraj A","year":"2012","journal-title":"Practitioner Research in Higher Education"},{"key":"bibr57-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5339\/irl.2017.17"},{"key":"bibr58-09610006211048004","unstructured":"UK Department for Business Innovation & Skills and Department for Culture Media & Sport (2016) Digital skills for the UK economy: A report by ECORYS UK. Available at: https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/government\/uploads\/system\/uploads\/attachment_data\/file\/492889\/DCMSDigitalSkillsReportJan2016.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr59-09610006211048004","unstructured":"UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (2017) UK digital strategy 2017. Available at: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/uk-digital-strategy\/uk-digital-strategy (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr60-09610006211048004","unstructured":"UK Department for Education (2019) Essential digital skills framework. Available at: https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/essential-digital-skills-framework (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr61-09610006211048004","unstructured":"UK Higher Education Academy (2017) Digital literacies. Available at: https:\/\/www.heacademy.ac.uk\/knowledge-hub\/digital-literacies (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr62-09610006211048004","unstructured":"van Deursen A, Helsper EJ, Eynon R (2014) Measuring digital skills: From digital skills to tangible outcomes project report. London School of Economics. Available at: https:\/\/www.lse.ac.uk\/media-and-communications\/assets\/documents\/research\/projects\/disto\/Measuring-Digital-Skills.pdf (accessed September 2021)."},{"key":"bibr63-09610006211048004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.25019\/MDKE\/7.2.07"},{"issue":"1","key":"bibr64-09610006211048004","first-page":"64","volume":"36","author":"Wang ZJ","year":"2019","journal-title":"Law in Context"}],"container-title":["Journal of Librarianship and Information Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/09610006211048004","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/09610006211048004","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/09610006211048004","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,1]],"date-time":"2026-05-01T22:58:31Z","timestamp":1777676311000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/09610006211048004"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,30]]},"references-count":64,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,12]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/09610006211048004"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/09610006211048004","relation":{},"ISSN":["0961-0006","1741-6477"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0961-0006","type":"print"},{"value":"1741-6477","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,30]]}}}