Assessing Computer Literacy: A Validated Instrument and Empirical Results

AbstractMuch has been written about the concept of computer literacy for today's K-12 students. Plans for school curricula to meet these goals via sets of instructional objectives are being implemented across the country. Methods for assessing student mastery of these objectives is a need following on the heels of curriculum implementation. This article contains the background for development of a comprehensive computer literacy assessment battery for use in a K-12 curriculum. Empirical data from extensive field-testing in two distinct student populations at grades 4, 7 and 11 are presented, along with correlational analysis which assists in the interpreation of the results.Keywords:: Computer LiteracyTesting Additional informationNotes on contributorsRoy M. GabrielRoy M. Gabriel is a research associate in the Division of Evaluation, Research and Assessment at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory in Portland, Oregon. He recently directed a two-year NWREL project to develop and validate a K-12 Computer Literacy and Computer Science test battery for the Department of Defense Dependents Schools System. Prior to coming to NWREL, he was on the psychology faculty at the University of Manitoba for four years. He completed his doctoral training at the Laboratory of Educational Research at the University of Colorado in 1974.