Khairul Bariyyah, Santy Andrianie, Restu Dwi Ariyanto, Laily Tiarani Soejanto, Setyorini Setyorini, Maria Oktasari, Miftahul Muttaqiin, Ifdil Ifdil
Digital transformation is reshaping many spheres of life, most notably higher education. Universities play a pivotal role in equipping students with the competencies required to meet digital-era challenges. Digital competence encompasses information literacy, online communication, collaboration, and data protection skills. This study measures undergraduates' digital competence by administering the Students' Digital Competence Scale (SDiCoS) and analyzing the responses with the Rasch model. Data were collected between March and May 2025 from a sample of 829 randomly selected students across public and private universities in major Indonesian cities. The use of the Rasch model was justified by its ability to simultaneously assess item and person quality, ensure measurement precision, and detect potential bias, thereby strengthening the validity of the instrument. Results indicate that students are proficient in information search and evaluation (highest mean dimension), but comparatively weak in digital collaboration and security awareness (lowest mean dimension). Demographic analysis revealed only minimal differences between urban and rural students, suggesting overall fairness of the scale across groups. These findings underscore the need to design inclusive, context-sensitive digital-competence programs that bridge existing gaps and prepare students to meet twenty-first-century digital challenges. This research informs targeted curriculum design in digital literacy and cybersecurity training among undergraduates. © 2025 IEEE.
University of Malang, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Malang, Indonesia; Universitas Sebelas Maret, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Solo, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Surabaya, Indonesia; Universitas Pgri Kanjuruhan Malang, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Malang, Indonesia; Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Salatiga, Indonesia; Universitas Pgri Indraprasta, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Jakarta, Indonesia; Institut Agama Islam Al-Khairat Pamekasan, Madura, Indonesia; Universitas Negeri Padang, Dept. of Guidance and Counseling, Padang, Indonesia
