Measuring digital literacy across three age cohorts: Exploring test dimensionality and performance differences

Digital literacy (DL) is an important capacity for students’ learning in a rapidly changing world. However, tension exists between the theoretical conceptualizations of DL as a multidimensional construct and empirical studies reporting unidimensional DL scores. Also, little is known about how DL may...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computers and education 2020-11, Vol.157, p.103968, Article 103968
Main Authors: Jin, Kuan-Yu, Reichert, Frank, Cagasan, Louie P., de la Torre, Jimmy, Law, Nancy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assessment
DigComp
Digital literacy
Gender differences
Item response theory
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Summary:Digital literacy (DL) is an important capacity for students’ learning in a rapidly changing world. However, tension exists between the theoretical conceptualizations of DL as a multidimensional construct and empirical studies reporting unidimensional DL scores. Also, little is known about how DL may vary among different age cohorts, and whether and at which age do performance gaps emerge with respect to gender. The focus of this research is to develop a test appropriate for measuring DL performance at different ages and a comprehensive DL assessment framework has been adopted for this purpose. Using data from three age cohorts of students (one from primary schools and two from secondary schools), the dimensionality of DL and performance differences are examined. Comparisons of unidimensional and multidimensional item response models suggest the measured DL to be a unidimensional construct. The results also show that secondary school students obtained higher levels of DL compared to primary school students. A gender gap in DL is found among secondary school students. There is also a need for further research to understand through longitudinal studies the emergence of the gender gap in DL performance. •Digital literacy (DL) has been conceptualized as a multidimensional construct.•A comprehensive DL assessment using the DigComp framework was developed.•Empirically, DL can be conceived of as a general, unidimensional literacy.•Secondary students show better DL performance than primary students.•Gender differences in DL performance exist only among secondary students.
ISSN:0360-1315
1873-782X
DOI:10.1016/j.compedu.2020.103968