Exploring Digital Literacy among Indigenous Medicine University Academics in Sri Lanka: A Case Study Based on The Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Digital Information Literacy (DIL) is a very important aspect in any field. This paper aims to evaluate digital information literacy among the Indigenous Medicine University academics in Sri Lanka. The study involved 68 Indigenous University academics at the Gampaha Wickramarachchi University of Indigenous Medicine. Analysis and presentation were done using Microsoft Excel software. The results show that 38.5% of academics prefer using the library's online catalog to find information, and electronic resources are commonly used for learning activities. A majority of 89.7% of academics are aware of digital information resources for their academic work, while 10.3% are not. Academics mostly use Google and Google Scholar (64%), e-journals (61%), e-books (61%), and online databases (56%) respectively to fulfill their academic requirements. Challenges associated with information access include unstable internet connection (56%) and unavailability of sufficient digital information in the related field of study (56%). Furthermore, a substantial majority (52%) of respondents claimed that they do not encounter difficulty in identifying relevant information to meet their information needs. Accordingly, some recommendations can be implemented, such as increasing awareness by the library to enhance their digital information literacy. Furthermore, more online resources should be subscribed by the institute, and additional databases relevant to indigenous medicine should be acquired