Assessment of Digital Literacy Skills Among Final-Year Students of Colleges of Education in Taraba State, North East Nigeria

This study assesses the digital literacy skills of final-year students in colleges of education in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. As future classroom teachers, education students must graduate with adequate digital competencies to prepare their own learners for a technology-mediated world. Taraba State remains one of Nigeria's least digitally developed states, raising concerns about the digital readiness of its teacher graduates. A descriptive survey design was used, and 180 final-year students from two state colleges of education were sampled using purposive and simple random sampling. A digital literacy skills assessment instrument covering information literacy, communication tools, digital safety, and educational technology application was administered. Findings indicate low to moderate digital literacy across all measured domains. Fewer than 30 percent of respondents demonstrated competence in using learning management systems or creating digital lesson content. Gender differences were minimal, but students from urban backgrounds significantly outperformed rural counterparts. The study recommends revision of the colleges' ICT curricula to align with current digital literacy frameworks, provision of functional computer laboratories, and mandatory digital skills practicums for all education students before graduation. Keywords: digital literacy, colleges of education, final-year students, Taraba State, teacher education