Enhancing Digital Skills as Part of an Integrated Curriculum in a STEM Foundation Year

Abstract

This study provides an overview of a structured approach to digital skill development in a transitional university programme and offers insights into student perceptions of these learning activities, which can inform future curriculum design and support mechanisms. Specifically, we review the deliberate design of a digital skills curriculum for a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Foundation Year programme, aimed at equipping students from diverse educational backgrounds with essential computational and academic competencies. The curriculum integrates foundational skills in Microsoft Excel, programming with MATLAB, and web development using HTML/JavaScript. To evaluate the curriculum's effectiveness and the student experience, a mixed-methods approach was employed, gathering survey data from 147 students across two academic years. The findings reveal that while students found learning new programming concepts, particularly in MATLAB, to be the most challenging aspect of the module, they also identified it as one of the most valuable skills they acquired. Students self-reported improvement across a range of digital skills, including programming, data analysis, and website development.