Digital practices of Honduran university students: case study

Abstract

This work presents the results of a case study carried out at the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (UPNFM) in Honduras. The main purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the digital practices of students outside and within the school context. We worked from the theoretical and methodological perspective of New Media Studies and Internet Studies, both derivative currents of Media Studies. The research was designed following the methodological principles of virtual ethnography. The different techniques and instruments for data collection in the two phases of the research project are described: a) application of a questionnaire and b) in-depth interviews, as well as e-observation. The retrieval of data was mainly focused through c) a blog (digital diary) as a medium to generate reflections by the participants. The results cover different aspects of their digital practices: most frequently used social media; preferred resources and applications for learning activities, reading habits, as well as areas in which they express themselves. It is considered of great importance to delve into these topics, since no similar research has been carried out in Honduras and there are few studies of this type located in Central America.