Assessing ICT literacy via computer

ICT literacy is about using computer technology to access, manage, evaluate and create information, and communicate it appropriately. The last few years have seen dramatic changes in computer technology and how it is used, particularly by young people. Think of tablets and smart phones, “apps”, cloud computing, wireless connectivity, social media, crowd-sourcing and so on. Is there a valid ICT literacy construct that remains stable and relevant despite all these changes? This paper describes a computer-based test instrument that was recently developed and used to measure ICT ability in 10 000 Australian students in Grades 6 and 10. The instrument consists of a suite of modules containing authentic simulated environments with which students interact on-line to demonstrate their ICT skills. The modules attempt to take into account the recent changes in technology. The instrument is contended to have a high degree of validity. The construction process, the contents of the modules and an IRT analysis of the response data are discussed in this paper in support of this contention.