Digital Literacy Development of Undergraduate Students for Society 5.0: Pedagogical Implication for Language and Science Education

This study was conducted in response to the fast advancement of technology which affects the students’ need for digital literacy skills in facing Society 5.0. This article examined the digital literacy development and factors affecting students’ digital skills in the Language and Science Departments of a state Islamic university in Tulungagung, Indonesia. Twelve subjects selected from the survey test of 174 students indicated having a good portrait of digital literacy skills. They were then interviewed in depth. The data were thematically analyzed by adopting a systemic perspective in two different qualitative approaches: cross-checking and linking data from interviews with the data obtained from observation. The results of this study demonstrated that good digital literacy skills are developed from internal factors like strong curiosity towards digital technology, individual desires, and educational needs for digital, students’ preference for digitalization, and keeping up to date through using digital technology. External factors like the student’s environment and lifestyle also contributed to good digital literacy development. This can be pedagogically implemented in teaching language and sciences such as building college OLABS, digital college system, digital-based learning, and digital-based competitions. These proposed instructional programs need further investigation to assess their effectiveness.