UDC 37.016:004

An D.S.¹ (Khabarovsk, Russian Federation) – 013637@togudv.ru

Pacific National University

Abstract. The article examines mismatch between students’ active use of digital devices and the level of their practical computer literacy. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that, when moving from school to university, students are expected to use text editors, spreadsheets, files and digital services confidently, while these skills are uneven. The purpose of the study is to compare basic computer literacy of school and university students in non-technical fields and to identify areas of their practical training. The study used a survey and testing in Google Forms. A total of 121 students took part: 58 school students and 63 university students. The diagnostic material included general information, self-assessment, test questions on Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and other digital tools, and questions about difficulties and learning needs. For comparison, a 35-task block was used. The results showed that computer literacy in both groups can be assessed as sufficient: school students completed 73.6% of the tasks, and university students completed 69.0%. University students did not demonstrate a clear advantage over school students. The main problem was working with spreadsheets, especially formulas, functions and cell ranges. Self-assessment confirmed this result: participants rated their Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets skills the lowest. The novelty of the study lies in comparing practical computer skills among school and university students in non-technical fields. The results can be used to adjust computer science classes, entrance diagnostics and short modules. The study concludes that computer literacy should be developed through practice-oriented training.

Keywords: computer literacy, digital literacy, school students, university students, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, spreadsheets, self-assessment of skills, Google Forms, non-technical fields.

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For citation: An, D. S. (2026).  Computer literacy of school and university students in non-technical fields: a comparative analysis of basic practical skills. CITISE, 3, 422-437.(In Russian).