Influence of demographics and digital literacy skills on students’ awareness and usage of electronic information resources (EIRs) in Bangladeshi public universities

Abstract

This study explores the awareness, utilization and challenges of using Electronic Information Resources (EIRs) among public university students of Bangladesh considering the influence of digital literacy skills and demographic factors in shaping engagement with these resources. Using a survey approach, a total of 350 valid questionnaires were collected from two reputable Bangladeshi public universities (the University of Dhaka and Noakhali Science and Technology University). The study indicates that 60% of the respondents engaged with EIRs frequently, and 65.7% demonstrated intermediate proficiency in digital literacy. Awareness levels were moderate to high, with mean scores ranging from 3.45 (E-books) to 3.88 (bibliographic databases). Moreover, demographic factors had significant impact both on digital literacy and usage frequency (p < 0.05). Moreover, the research demonstrates a positive correlation between students’ awareness of EIRs and frequency of use (r = 0.141 to 0.308, p < 0.01), though infrastructural barriers such as slow download speed (16.57%), limited access (13.43%) and inability to access from home (13.43%) hindered effective use. The study emphasizes that the need to enhance digital infrastructure, implement targeted training programs and expand access to EIRs in order to strengthen academic engagement among public university students in Bangladesh. Additionally, the study contributes to understanding the use of EIRs in the developing world and offers valuable insights for policymakers and academia to provide a more digitally inclusive learning environment.