Empirical research into digital technology use by Emirati tertiary students, and implications for library services in the region. Data collected 2011/12.

1. Digital Natives in the UAE?
A report of research into digital technology
use by Emirati tertiary students,
and implications for
academic library services in the region.
Janet Martin
© 2013

2. The Digital Natives debate
* Are innately skilful,
expert, confident,
intuitive when dealing
with technology
* Have a short
attention span
* Prefer non-linear,
visual, interactive,
collaborative learning
* Can multitask
* Have experienced
brain changes

3. Digital Natives in Education
* Education needs to
radically change to remain
relevant to students and
society
* Education which is not
technology-based is
boring/obsolete
* They expect digital
technologies to be an
integrated part of education
* “Natives” vs “Immigrants”

4. A “piece of the evidence”
Policy decisions in education and
in libraries in the UAE should be
based upon the findings of valid
and empirical investigation, rather
than on anecdotal discussions.

5. Are young Emiratis Digital Natives?

6. Research in the UAE
Mixed method approach used 2011/12
1. Online survey (N=587)
* Sample of Emirati nationals, attending tertiary
education in the UAE, 18-25 yrs of age
* Involved multiple institutions, all geographical
locations, all disciplines, ages, genders
2. Interviews (N=15)
* Follow-up interviews also ensured very broad
representation within Emirati students.

7. Major findings of research in the UAE
The UAE is technologically well
established, and tertiary Emirati
students are generally well
connected at home (80%
broadband) and at university
(100% broadband)

8. Interview comments:
“I am always wired – I
used to carry a BB
[BlackBerry], iPod, iPhone.
I haven’t bought the iPad
yet. The BlackBerry has
internet as well. I have
laptop… everything.”

9. Interview comments:
“I didn’t use a computer
before I came here [to
university]. In my last year
of high school I started using
a computer. Before that we
didn’t have, because we didn’t
need it, so my parents

10. Major findings of research in the UAE
Most students have basic
technology usage patterns
(e.g. little use of Web 2.0 or
content creation)

11. Interview comments:
“I got a Blackberry, and
iPhone, laptop. I write
notes, read emails, write
messages, check my calendar.
I search all the time. I always
Google things up, YouTube and
such things. I used to shop
online but not now.”

12. Major findings of research in the UAE
Students have VERY high
self-reported skills and
confidence
when using digital technologies

13. Interview comments:
“I have everything Googled…
You just can’t live without
Google, and whatever you
want to know, just type
it”

14. Week (2011):
“A confusion by people of all ages
between a wider digital
competence,
and the communications and
entertainment competence,
of young people”

15. Major findings of research in the UAE
EDUCATION
* Technology is highly valued – most
important reason to use it is to
“achieve better results”
* Internet is the primary source of
academic and non-academic
information
* Tertiary institutions are well placed to
meet student needs and
developments in technology

16. Interview comments:
“Live without the Internet?
I could not do that.”
“It’s really important for me
I think. The life without
the Internet is like, … I
don’t know how to tell you,…
is like the car without

17. Major findings of research in the UAE
EDUCATION
* Use of digital technologies is not
well established in many UAE
schools – both private and public.
* Transition to laptop universities and
colleges is not an easy one for
many students

18. Interview comments:
“Some students couldn’t even
move a mouse”
“Somehow we knew about the
laptops but we didn’t know that
we were going to use it that
much. We didn’t know that we
have to use it

19. Interview comments:
“What happens when students
who haven’t had a computer
come to university? They fail
and they leave. They were
like… What is this? It’s a
completely
new thing for them.”

20. Major findings of research in the UAE
EDUCATION
Variation identified in student
confidence with faculty skill
and confidence with
technologies

21. Interview comments:
“Some of them … use the
PowerPoint slide. Sorry,
they’re boring! They just
read the slides so I think
they didn’t use the
advantage of technology.”

22. Major findings of research in the UAE
Consideration of the cultural and
socio-economic context within
which technological changes have
occurred was an integral part of
this research

23. Are young Emiratis Digital Natives?
Yes....
and No.

24. What can academic libraries in
the UAE take from this
research?

25. Research in the Library World?
American Library Association (ALA)
Association of College and Research
Libraries (ACRL)
OCLC Research
Joint Information Systems Committee
(JISC)
PEW Research Center

26. Research in the Library World?
* Changes to information
* Changes to general characteristics of
younger scholars
* Research characteristics of young
people as they affect library services

27. Conclusions

28. This research has documented that
most Emirati tertiary students are
wired and ready!
There is one of the
best infrastructures
for digital technology access in the
world.
Emirati students are
not a homogenous group.

29. However...
Emirati students are likely to
overestimate their research
skills, and will require more IL
support than ever before.

30. Emirati students have not
embraced more advanced
technology applications, and
few are avid content
contributors.

31. Special Libraries Association
Arabian Gulf Chapter
Abu Dhabi, April 2013
©Janet Martin, MEd
Librarian, researcher and consultant
martinz8077@gmail.com

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33. References
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Full PhD dissertation:
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