Digital Competence Development for Information Engineering Students in Higher Education Institutions in Yunnan Province: A Research Framework and Preliminary Exploration

Abstract

With the deepening of global digital transformation and the advancement of China's "Digital Yunnan" strategy, digital competence has become a core competency for information engineering students to adapt to industrial upgrading and national development needs. This study focuses on the digital competence development of information engineering students in higher education institutions in Yunnan Province, aiming to address the gaps in current research on regional specificity, infrastructure adaptation, and curriculum optimization. Through a systematic literature review, theoretical framework construction, and research design, this paper clarifies the research background, core questions, and methodological paths. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, including questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and quasi-experimental design, to investigate the current status of digital competence among students from four representative universities in Yunnan, develop a targeted training program, and evaluate its effectiveness. The theoretical framework integrates five dimensions: Digital Awareness, Digital Knowledge, Digital Skills, Digital Security, and Digital Ethics, providing a localized research paradigm for engineering education digital competence cultivation. The research findings are expected to enrich the disciplinary differentiation research of digital competence theory and provide practical guidance for optimizing digital talent training in underdeveloped western regions.