Measuring Digital Skills. From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes project report

Citation:

Van Deursen, A., Helsper, E.J. & Eynon, R. (2014). Measuring Digital Skills. From Digital Skills to Tangible Outcomes project report. Oxford: London School of Economics, University of Twente, Oxford Internet Institute. Retrieved October 07, 2014 from http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/projects/?id=112

Work data:

Type of work: Report

Categories:

Digital Literacy

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to propose a more elaborate conceptualization of Internet skills that aims to overcome these challenges, while taking into account the role skills play in a broader model of digital inclusion, and test the proposed scales for reliability and validity. In order to construct such an instrument, we took several steps. First, we conducted a systematic literature review of skills related studies, and developed our Internet skills framework and associated instrument based on this work (summarised in section 2). Then, we tested this instrument in three stages: cognitive interviews held in the UK and the Netherlands to refine the scales (section 3); online survey pilot tests of the instrument in the UK and in the Netherlands, to test the internal validity of the scales through both exploratory and confirmative factor analysis (section 4); and conducting a full survey in the Netherlands to test the skills framework for both internal and external validity (section 5). The concluding section (section 6) proposes two types of instruments for Internet skills: a short version and a more extensive version that could be used in future surveys. The focus on two countries, the UK and the Netherlands enabled the research team to begin to explore the cross-cultural validity of our proposed scale.