During the COVID-19 crisis, digital informal learning is important for students' academic engagement. Although scholars have highlighted the importance of students' digital competence in improving digital informal learning (DIL), the mediating role of DIL between digital competence and academic engagement has remained ambiguous. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between students' digital competence and their academic engagement with the mediating role of DIL in the higher education context. This study used a descriptive correlational design, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The study sample included 308 students from Shiraz University, Iran. The results showed that digital competence positively and significantly correlated with students' DIL and their academic engagement. Furthermore, DIL, as the mediator variable, was found to mediate the relationship between students' digital competence and their academic engagement. Since higher education institutions have a key role in improving students' academic engagement, particularly in the COVID-19 pandemic, academic administrators should pay more attention to students' digital competencies and provide them with efficient and user-friendly DIL platforms that can increase their academic engagement.

中文翻译：

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数字非正式学习在 COVID-19 大流行期间学生数字能力与学术参与之间关系中的作用

在 COVID-19 危机期间，数字非正式学习对于学生的学术参与非常重要。尽管学者们强调了学生的数字能力在提高数字非正式学习（DIL）中的重要性，但 DIL 在数字能力和学术参与之间的中介作用仍然模棱两可。本研究的目的是调查学生的数字能力与其学术参与之间的关系，以及 DIL 在高等教育环境中的中介作用。本研究采用描述性相关设计，并使用结构方程模型 (SEM) 分析数据。研究样本包括来自伊朗设拉子大学的 308 名学生。结果表明，数字能力与学生的 DIL 和他们的学术参与。此外，DIL 作为中介变量，被发现在学生的数字能力与其学术参与之间的关系中起中介作用。由于高等教育机构在提高学生的学术参与度方面发挥着关键作用，特别是在 COVID-19 大流行中，学术管理者应更加关注学生的数字能力，并为他们提供高效且用户友好的 DIL 平台，以提高他们的学业订婚。