Students' digital competencies are important for their academic performance. Although scholars have highlighted the importance of students' digital informal learning in developing their digital competence, the mediating role of digital informal learning between digital competence and academic performance have remained unexplored. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the mediating role of digital informal learning between higher education students' digital competence and their academic performance. The data were collected from 319 students from Shiraz University in Iran. Data were analysed using structural equation modeling via AMOS. The result showed a positive effect of the students' digital competence on their digital informal learning and academic performance. Moreover, digital informal learning as the mediator variable had a positive effect on the relationship between digital competence and students' academic performance. In conclusion, to improve students’ academic performance, educators and curriculum designers should consider both their digital competence and their digital informal learning.

学生的数字能力对于他们的学习成绩很重要。尽管学者们强调了学生数字非正式学习对发展他们的数字能力的重要性，但数字非正式学习在数字能力和学业表现之间的中介作用仍未得到探索。因此，本研究旨在调查数字非正式学习在高等教育学生的数字能力和他们的学业成绩之间的中介作用。数据来自伊朗设拉子大学的319名学生。通过AMOS使用结构方程模型分析数据。结果表明，学生的数字能力对他们的数字非正式学习和学习成绩产生积极影响。而且，数字非正式学习作为中介变量对数字能力与学生学习成绩之间的关系产生积极影响。总之，为了提高学生的学习成绩，教育者和课程设计者应同时考虑他们的数字能力和数字非正式学习。