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National Survey of Information and Communications Technology Literacy The Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) through its Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce (PMRT) has commissioned ACER to conduct a national sample assessment of information and communication technology literacy commencing in October 2005. The assessments will be conducted at Year 6 and Year 10. The study began in May 2004 and is intended to determine how well progress is being made towards meeting one of the National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century that specifies that when students leave school they should: be "confident creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, and understand the impact of those technologies on society." ICT literacy is defined "as the ability of individuals to use ICT appropriately to access, manage, integrate, and evaluate information, develop new understandings, and communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society." ACER has been involved in studies of ICT in schools since its work with the Sunrise Schools began in 1988, continuing through to its involvement in the Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES) and to other projects such as the use of ICT in the teaching of social studies in Year 5 classrooms. Although ICT has been embraced with enthusiasm by Australian schools there is relatively little experience in measuring the development of ICT literacy by students. Assessment instruments have been developed and pilot studies began in late 2004. There will be a field trial in April of 2005 and the national sample survey assessments of students in Year 6 and Year 10 will occur in October 2005. The national samples will consist of approximately 260 schools and up to 4000 students at each year level. Fifteen students from each school will be selected randomly to take part in the study. The assessment will consist of a background questionnaire, a general skills test and six core modules, four of which will be undertaken by both Year 6 and Year 10 students, one that will be undertaken by Year 10 students only and one that will be taken by Year 6 students only. Each student will complete two of the core modules. The study will provide a comprehensive picture of the standards of ICT literacy of Australian students. Reporting of student achievement will be in terms of bands of proficiency and two of these bands will be identified as the performance standard, one for Year 6 and a second for Year 10. ICT literacy will be reported at a national level for all students; males and females; indigenous and non indigenous; LBOTE and non LBOTE; geographic locations of metropolitan, provincial and remote; and socio economic status categories. Within each state ICT literacy will be reported for all students and for males and females. A detailed report on the survey is due to be published in May 2006. « Back to eNews
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The Ministerial Council for Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) through its Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce (PMRT) has commissioned ACER to conduct a national sample assessment of information and communication technology literacy commencing in October 2005. The assessments will be conducted at Year 6 and Year 10.

The study began in May 2004 and is intended to determine how well progress is being made towards meeting one of the National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century that specifies that when students leave school they should: be "confident creative and productive users of new technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, and understand the impact of those technologies on society."

ICT literacy is defined "as the ability of individuals to use ICT appropriately to access, manage, integrate, and evaluate information, develop new understandings, and communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society."

ACER has been involved in studies of ICT in schools since its work with the Sunrise Schools began in 1988, continuing through to its involvement in the Second Information Technology in Education Study (SITES) and to other projects such as the use of ICT in the teaching of social studies in Year 5 classrooms. Although ICT has been embraced with enthusiasm by Australian schools there is relatively little experience in measuring the development of ICT literacy by students.

Assessment instruments have been developed and pilot studies began in late 2004. There will be a field trial in April of 2005 and the national sample survey assessments of students in Year 6 and Year 10 will occur in October 2005. The national samples will consist of approximately 260 schools and up to 4000 students at each year level. Fifteen students from each school will be selected randomly to take part in the study.

The assessment will consist of a background questionnaire, a general skills test and six core modules, four of which will be undertaken by both Year 6 and Year 10 students, one that will be undertaken by Year 10 students only and one that will be taken by Year 6 students only. Each student will complete two of the core modules.

The study will provide a comprehensive picture of the standards of ICT literacy of Australian students. Reporting of student achievement will be in terms of bands of proficiency and two of these bands will be identified as the performance standard, one for Year 6 and a second for Year 10. ICT literacy will be reported at a national level for all students; males and females; indigenous and non indigenous; LBOTE and non LBOTE; geographic locations of metropolitan, provincial and remote; and socio economic status categories. Within each state ICT literacy will be reported for all students and for males and females.

A detailed report on the survey is due to be published in May 2006.

National Survey of Information and Communications Technology Literacy