University Students^ Awareness of Critical Digital Literacy in Indonesia: Dimensional Analysis, Demographic Differences, and Inter-Dimensional Relationships Aditya Ramadhan Islami, Ade Gafar Abdullah, Dadang Lukman Hakim, Isma Widiaty
Technology and vocational education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Jl. Dr. Setiabudi No.229, Isola, Kec. Sukasari, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40154
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the level of Critical Digital Literacy (CDL) awareness among university students in Indonesia, analyze demographic differences, and examine the interrelationships among CDL dimensions. A quantitative approach with a survey method was employed, involving 299 undergraduate students. The research instrument consisted of a four-point Likert scale questionnaire measuring four main dimensions of CDL: technology use, data literacies, information literacies, and digital content creation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman^s correlation. The results revealed that students^ overall CDL awareness was at a moderate level, with an average score of 3.24. Among all subdimensions, critical technical skills recorded the highest score, while remixing and big and open data obtained the lowest. Demographic analyses indicated that only the age variable showed a significant difference, where young adults exhibited higher CDL awareness than late adolescents. No significant differences were found based on gender, study program type, educational background, or academic year. Spearman^s correlation analysis demonstrated strong and significant relationships among all four CDL dimensions (r = 0.580-0.699), with the strongest association observed between data literacy and information literacy. These findings suggest that CDL is a multidimensional and interrelated construct, emphasizing the importance of explicitly integrating critical digital literacy into higher education curricula to foster deeper, reflective, and responsible digital awareness among students.
Keywords: Critical Digital Literacy- Student Awareness- Data Literacy- Information Literacy- Technology Use- Digital Content Creation
