Supporting digitally enhanced learning through measurement in higher education: Development and validation of a university students' digital competence scale

Abstract

Digital competence is critical for university students to adapt to and benefit from digitally enhanced learning. Prior studies on its measurement mostly focus on educators and relied on factor analyses. However, there is a lack of valid and convenient tools to measure university students' digital competence. This study aimed to develop a digital competence scale for university students (DC‐US) in digitally enhanced learning with robust psychometric properties. An initial DC‐US with 23 items was proposed to measure the single latent trait of digital competence. It was validated and refined continuously through a pilot study, a main study and a predictive validity study in three datasets involving 825 participants altogether, using factor analyses, Rasch analyses and the partial least squares modelling. The final DC‐US turned out to comprise two subscales: technical literacy and digital skills, with 10 items retained, and manifested high internal consistency, unidimensionality and measurement invariance. The scale also demonstrated strong predictive validity, with technical literacy greatly predicting digital skills, which negatively predicted technostress. The DC‐US enables instructors and school administrators to conveniently obtain preliminary information of university students' digital competence, informing their digital class preparation and development of timely interventions for addressing digital deficiencies.

Digital learning of English as a foreign language among university students: How are approaches to learning linked to digital competence and technostress?

“…There were four, three, and four items measuring a deep, a surface, and an organized approach to learning, respectively, with reported Cronbach's alpha values of 0.73, 0.71, and 0.83. The construct of digital competence came from López‐Meneses et al (2020) and Wang et al (2021), and was assessed through five items, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.81. Technostress was modified from Wang et al (2020a) and was evaluated using seven items, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.88.…”

“…It is considered as critical a skill as writing and reading and one of the crucial competencies for lifelong learning in the digital age (European Commission, 2019; Røkenes & Krumsvik, 2016). Students with high digital competence may experience low technostress in digital learning (Wang et al, 2021). However, there has been limited research on digital competence in CALL.…”

Bibliometric Analysis on Research Trends of Digital Literacy in Higher Education from 2012 to 2021

“…In literacy studies, digital literacy could date back to 1960, and the origins of the contemporary understanding of the term were introduced and made known in the sense by the work of Gilster in 1997 [3]. Since then, it has evolved with time due to the fact that the technological, social and cultural stance redefined the usage of digital technology in life and work [4]. Generally, digital literacy is referred to as a multidimensional concept that encompasses a complex integration of knowledge, skills, attitudes and cognition necessary for the confident, creative and critical use of technologies and systems [5].…”

“…In addition, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 health crisis, the concern about digital literacy reached a new height as traditional classroom teaching activities were suspended [13]. The focus on digital literacy has gained increasing attention as it supported the functioning of higher educational institutions in the unprecedented difficult times [4]. The pandemic forced learners to take a digital leap in learning modes and initiated an extensive and dramatic digital transformation in society [14].…”

“…The emergence of a novel coronavirus actually brought a huge impact on higher education, which posed a great challenge to university administrations, teaching faculties and students. Due to the confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has made digital enhanced learning and teaching a necessity to support the functioning of the educational system [4]. The need for effectiveness evaluation of digital literacy among teachers and students became the hotspot, which attracted universal social attention [12].…”