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On the Reliability and Validity of Digital Competence Evaluation in Higher Education

Abstract:

This paper aims to provide an overview of the reliability and validity of the instruments used to measure digital competence in higher education. Three research questions were addressed about: 1) the demographic and methodological characteristics of the literature, 2) typical assessments and reporting practices, and 3) the association between studies' characteristics and their reporting practices. Through a systematic mapping study, 60 primary studies published in the period 2018-2020 were analyzed and classified the results indicated that most of the studies originated in Europe and Asia; they focused on university students from Social Sciences; they administered instruments composed of cognitive items for diagnosing digital competence; they were published in journals not indexed by the Journal Citation Report; and about 50% did not report on the reliability and validity of the instrument used. Studies published in low-quality journals or focused on administration only are more susceptible to not reporting these psychometric assessments.