Indicator: Digital skills

Definition

Students and workers can use digital technology tools effectively to access, manage, evaluate, and communicate information.xiii

xiii Adapted from Katz, I. R., & Smith Macklin, A. (2007). Information and communication technology (ICT) literacy: Integration and assessment in higher education. Systemics, Cybernetics, and Informative, 5(4), 50-55.

Recommended Metric(s)

K–12: Reflecting the lack of developed tools in the field, we are unable to recommend a specific measure for K–12 students. Two validated instruments discussed in previous literature—the Instant Digital Competence Assessment (iDCA), and the Student Tool for Technology Literacy (ST2L)—do not appear to be available at this time.

Postsecondary and workforce: Percentage of individuals demonstrating proficiency on a performance assessment that measures digital skills required for workforce success

Example Instruments

Not finding an instrument that suits your needs? Visit EdInstruments.org for more measurement tools.

Type(s) of Data Needed

Assessments

Why it matters

Digital skills and online literacy are increasingly critical for academic and workforce success, as well as for informed participation in civic life. One state (Delaware) now requires students to demonstrate performance-based competency in technology as part of its high school graduation requirements. A meta-analysis of more than two decades of research shows a positive relationship between information and communication technology skills and academic achievement.1 Although some research points to disparities in digital literacy across socioeconomic and race and ethnicity groups,2 further research is needed to develop the field’s understanding of disparities in digital skills and media use.3 Digital skills are closely linked with access to technology, which is inequitable by race, ethnicity, and income.

What to know about measurement

The field currently lacks consensus around a definition of “digital skills” (alternatively referred to as digital literacy, Internet skills, computer literacy, and so on, each with slight nuance). However, the quality of engagement with technology is paramount in building digital literacy that supports academic achievement,4 and users should be careful not to conflate use of technology alone with digital skills. Research suggests that higher levels of media use among youth can be associated with lower academic achievement and lower feelings of personal contentment.5, 6, 7

There is not a “best-in-class” tool that is widely used to measure this concept. We see this recommendation as an area where the suggested indicator is aspirational, guiding the field toward a more widely validated and used measure. Users should seek to measure high-quality, productive engagement with technology to cultivate skills that benefit students in school, and eventually in the workforce.

Source frameworks

The P-16 Framework includes an indicator of Use of Digital Tools and Resources. Additionally, information and technology resourcefulness is included in the Urban Institute’s Robust and Equitable Measures to Identify Quality Schools (REMIQS) definition of “deeper learning skills.”

References

    • 4

      Lei, J., & Zhao, Y. (2005). Technology uses and student achievement: A longitudinal study. Computers & Education, 49(2), 284–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2005.06.013 

    • 5

      Rideout, V. J., Foehr, U. G., & Roberts, D. F. (2010). Generation m2: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year-olds. Kaiser Family Foundation. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED527859  

    • 6

      Walsh, J. L., Fielder, R. L., Carey, K. B., & Carey, M. P. (2013). Female college students’ media use and academic outcomes: Results from a longitudinal cohort study. Emerging Adulthood, 1(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696813479780 

    • 7

      Hurwitz, L. B., & Schmitt, K. L. (2020). Can children benefit from early internet exposure? Short- and long-term links between internet use, digital skill, and academic performance. Computers & Education, 146, 103750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103750

    • 1

      Lei, H., Xiong, Y., Chiu, M. M., Zhang, J., & Cai, Z. (2021). The relationship between ICT literacy and academic achievement among students: A meta-analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106123 

    • 2

      Ritzhaupt, A. D., Liu, F., Dawson, K., Barron, A. E. (2013). Differences in student information and communication technology literacy based on socio-economic status, ethnicity, and gender: Evidence of a digital divide in Florida schools. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 45(4), 291–307. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2013.10782607 

    • 3

      Tichavakunda, A. A., & Tierney, W. G. (2018). The “wrong” side of the divide: Highlighting race for equity’s sake. The Journal of Negro Education, 87(2), 110–124. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7709/jnegroeducation.87.2.0110