Computer literacy

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Introduction

Wikipedia, retrieved nov. 2011, defines computer literacy as “the knowledge and ability to use computers and related technology efficiently, with a range of skills covering levels from elementary use to programming and advanced problem solving.[1] Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and other applications that are associated with computers. Another valuable component of computer literacy is knowing how computers work and operate. Having basic computer skills is a significant asset in the developed countries.”

See also:


Computer literacy definitions

Beyer's technology ladder

Definitions of what computer literacy should be probably vary quite a lot. However, most definitions seem to distinguish between some kind of very basic literacy and some kind of "functional" literacy, i.e. being able to use ICT efficiently in a given domain.

Beyers and Koorbanally(2009) define a double ICT/technological ladder:

The Technological ladder (Beyers, 2008)
Level School and business focus Technology in society
4 ICT enabled innovator Technology enabled innovator
3 ICT practitioner Technology practitioner
2 ICT user (applications) Technology user
1 Basic ICT literacy Technology literacy

In this ladder, digital divide only concerns level 1, i.e. skills that most kids somewhat do acquire in most western countries and that are not enough in order to be operational in an ICT rich profession or field of study. “Once basic literacy has been achieved, users need to be exposed to a variety of packages in order to become competent users. Beyond that is the mastery of the tools where ICT constitutes the main part of their future professions. The ultimate goal is the utilization of the power of ICTs to conceptualize and realize their creative talents in the form of innovations (and ultimately patents).” (Beyers and Koorbanally, 2009: 3).

The KnowIt Goals

The University of Colorado at Boulder defines ICT skills with a list of goals that describes what students should be able to achieve with IT.

GOAL 1: Students will be able to recognize, articulate, and characterize what they need to know as they approach a problem, project, writing assignment or other research task.
GOAL 2: Students will be able to access needed information effectively and efficiently independent of form or format.
GOAL 3: Students will be able to evaluate information and information sources critically.
GOAL 4: Students will be able to use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose as well as to retain selected information as part of their accumulated knowledge.
GOAL 5: Students will be able to manage and organize information effectively and efficiently using information technologies.
GOAL 6: Students will be able to produce and create structured electronic documents that successfully express their ideas for a specific audience and situation.
GOAL 7: Students will be able to manipulate and use qualitative and quantitative data and aural and visual information using information technologies.
GOAL 8: Students will be able to collaborate appropriately and effectively using information technologies.
GOAL 9: Students will be able to successfully communicate produced content using information technologies.
GOAL 10: Students will be able to participate as informed members of the academy who understand major legal, economic, social, ethical, privacy, and security issues related to information technologies.

Although these goals are then further expanded on the web site, there are not precise definitions of technical skills to be acquired. For example Goal 7 (data analysis skills) are defined as:

  1. Recognize when qualitative and/or quantitative data is needed.
  2. Select the appropriate application to manipulate data (ex. spreadsheets, statistical packages).
  3. Navigate and use applications effectively.
  4. Evaluate derived data using application effectively.
  5. Generate reports as appropriate.
  6. Recognize when visual and aural information is needed.
  7. Obtain, manipulate and insert visual and aural information (download, upload, change format, resize, crop, etc.) into personal documents using selected applications.
  8. Understand use of images and use appropriately in produced information.

In other words, this kind of list rather reflects the kind of technical knowledge that a student should seek out.

Digital literacy of the younger generation

Selwyn (2009:Abstract) “provides a comprehensive review of the recent published literatures on young people and digital technology in information sciences, education studies and media/communication studies. The findings show that young people's engagements with digital technologies are varied and often unspectacular – in stark contrast to popular portrayals of the digital native. As such, the paper highlights a misplaced technological and biological determinism that underpins current portrayals of children, young people and digital technology.”

Digital literacy may be highly influenced by acceptance of technology. Edward (2010) in a study about Student attitudes towards and use of ICT in course study, work and social activity concludes that “Usefulness and Ease of Use are key aspects of students' attitudes towards technology in all areas of their lives, but ICT is perceived most positively in the work context. The work context also appears as an important driver for technology use in the other two areas of use. There are implications for higher education practitioners in terms of decision making about whether and how to require students to use particular technologies for course study. The evidence suggests that of the various factors that influence use of and perceptions about ICT, its perceived functionality plays a dominant role. Practitioners should not assume that students share their view of what is functional or that a technology does deliver its promised functionality in a particular study context.”

Detailed lists of technical ICT skills

Basic skills

Basic hardware
  • Insert external memory devices (CD-Rom, USB, SD cards, etc.) Be able to find conntectors if missing (e.g. on iPad things).
  • Turn on/off WiFi
  • Plugin in Ethernet cable and electricity.
  • Difference between volatile (RAM) and non-volatile (disk) memory
  • Add/remove a card or a harddrive
The System
  • Be able to distinguish special characters like | or / or \ or # and be able to find them on the keyboard (on European keyboards, in particular Macs, this not obvious)
  • Be able to display file extensions (Windows)
  • Create new file associations (Windows/Mac)
  • Organize files in folders
  • Manipulate files: move, delete, change permissions
  • Backups
  • Updating (including setting preferences for automatic/manual updates)
Security
  • Web page contents, web formats like PDF or Flash, and downloads.
  • Executable files
  • Viruses
  • Understand firewalls and how to enable/disable
  • Manage passwords in a reasonable way
Interaction with common GUI's
  • Shortcuts: E.g. CTRL-X, CTRL-C, CTRL-V, CTRL-A, CTRL-S on Windows
  • Arrow keys and DEL vs. Backspace
  • The Mac menu bar
  • Finding the start button on Windows
  • Context menus (and other not the left mouse operations). E.g. control-click on the Mac.
  • Minimization, maximization, etc.
Common applications
  • File and Edit menus, in particular be able to open and save a file to a precise location
  • Finding preferences/options
  • Finding the big "start" button on MS applications
  • Be able to find the help and find information in the help (including web pages if necessary)
Networking and Internet
  • Understand the difference between Internet and the Web
  • Bluetooth (how to connect to devices)
  • Using network drives
  • File transfert with (S)FTP and equivalent Internet / web-based solutions
Web
  • Understand basic browser controls (forward/back, search box, URI box) and be able to set preferences (where to save files, menu bars, ...)
  • Find/use all the tools of a standard portal (configure home page, define settings for receiving messages, post messages, edit contents, use the built-in instant messager, etc.)
  • Use search engines efficiently. Know when to use specialized search engines.
  • Be able to quickly evaluate some information
  • Know specialized search engines, databases and repositories in your field of interest.
Pictures
  • Bitmap vs. vector formats
  • Compressed bitmap formats like JPG, PNG, GIF
Social
  • Email messages (when not to use attachments, quoting)

Intermediate skills

Common applications
  • Be able to learn the basics any within a week
  • Be able to pick up a the basics of a formal language like HTML, CSS, SVG within a week.
Scripting
  • Be able to use code (e.g. JavaScript or Basic) when instructions are provided
  • Be able to install portalware using an installer
  • Be able to create a database with a GUI tool and define a user name and password
  • Understand some very basic programming principles: Instructions v.s. comments, functions and function calls, selectors, conditionals, loops, variables and assigment

Standards

Links

Bibliography

  • Bennett, S., Maton, K., Kervin, L. (2008), "The ‘digital natives’ debate", British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 39 No.5, pp.775-86.
  • Beyers, RN, Koorbanally, NA (2009). Computer literacy: insufficient for digital age literacy learners, eSkills Summit 2010, Cape Town, 26-28 July 2010, pp 10, http://hdl.handle.net/10204/4753
  • Cole, M. (2009). Using Wiki technology to support student engagement: Lessons from the trenches. Computers & Education, 52 (1), 141-146.
  • Duderstadt, J. 2004. Higher learning in the digital age: An update on a National Academies study. Paper presented at the 6th annual meeting of EDUCAUSE, Denver, CO, October.

PDF, retrieved 18:02, 5 December 2011 (CET).

  • Fisher, M., Baird, D. (2009), "Pedagogical mashup: Gen Y, social media, and digital learning styles", in Hin, L., Subramaniam, R. (Eds),Handbook of Research on New Media Literacy at the K-12 Level, IGI Global, Hershey, PA.
  • Edmunds, Rob; Thorpe, Mary and Conole, Grainne (2010). Student attitudes towards and use of ICT in course study, work and social activity: a technology acceptance model approach. British Journal of Educational Technology, Early View 27 Dec 2010. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8535.2010.01142.x
  • Lohnes, S., Kinzer, C. (2007), “Questioning assumptions about students' expectations for technology in college classrooms”, Innovate, Journal of Online Education, Vol. 3 No. 5. PDF, retrieved 18:02, 5 December 2011 (CET).
  • Oblinger, D., and J. Oblinger, eds. 2005. Educating the Net Generation. Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE. PDF, retrieved 18:02, 5 December 2011 (CET).
  • Prensky, Marc, 2001 "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.", On the Horizon 9:1-6. PDF part I reprint,
  • Rainie, L., M. Kalehoff, and D. Hess. 2002. College students and the Web: A Pew Internet data memo. Washington, DC: Pew Internet and American Life Project. Abstract/HTML/PDF, retrieved 18:02, 5 December 2011 (CET).
  • Wecker, C. (2007). Computer literacy and inquiry learning: when geeks learn less, Journal of computer assisted learning, 23, 133-144, 2007.
  • Weller, Martin, The Digital Scholar - How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice, Bloomsbury.
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