Development of the Digital Literacy Instrument of Heart Communication 55 64
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26623/themessenger.v18i2.14401Keywords:
Communication Ethics, the Heart Communication Digital Literacy Instrument, Heart Communication TheoryAbstract
Purpose: This study aimed to develop and validate the Heart Communication Digital Literacy instrument, an integrative model combining the Digital Literacy of Tular Nalar (Contagious Reasoning) framework and the Heart Communication Theory. The model was designed to foster critical thinking, empathy, and communication ethics in digital spaces. It consisted of six aspects of heart communication linked to three levels of digital literacy from Tular Nalar.
Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-method approach was used. Qualitative development involved instrument specification and item construction, validated through expert Focus Group Discussions. A 4-point Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to 362 students in Yogyakarta quantitatively. Data were analyzed using JASP via Confirmatory Factor Analysis to evaluate construct validity, and Cronbach's alpha was used to check the reliability.
Findings: Results yielded 32 valid items with good item-total correlations (0.43–0.75) and excellent reliability (Cronbach’s Alpha=0.963). CFA indicated that the three-level digital literacy model fit better than the original six-aspect heart communication construct, which proved unidimensional. Thus, this instrument is valid and reliable, and it resulted in the refinement of the Heart Communication Theory dimensions from six to four: Thought Cultivation, Feeling Cultivation, Empathy, and Peace of Heart.
Originality: The study's originality lies in developing a Heart Communication-Based Digital Literacy Instrument that integrates heart communication with the Tular Nalar framework to promote empathetic and constructive digital communication. The novelty of this research is found in the four dimensions of Heart Communication, which refine the definition of Heart Communication Theory.
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