Dimensions and instruments to measure digital competence in university students: A systematic review

Abstract

The importance of developing digital skills is evident given the increasingly rapid advancement of technology in all areas of our lives. There are numerous studies that address the issue of digital competences, from their analysis and diagnosis to tools to develop them. However, there is no single concept or consensus in the way to evaluate them since there are as many evaluation instruments as there are models and definitions of the term itself. This paper aims to analyze instruments to measure the digital competence of university students used in recent years through a systematic review of the specialized scientific literature through the Scopus and Web of Science databases. After the search and selection process, 21 articles were chosen and analyzed and also applied the CASP checklist. It was concluded that, while the instruments have many points in common, their differences respond to different research objectives that are important to consider. As a final comment, it is expressed that, if an analysis of any aspect of the digital competences of university students is to be carried out, before designing an own instrument it is convenient to study the existing ones and evaluate if it corresponds to what is sought by the research.