International Study Finds Major Inequities in Computer Literacy
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| NtiAcademy International computer literacy |
Having access to a computer or tablet
doesn't necessarily make students computer literate, according to a
study released Tuesday that looked at computer literacy rates across a
dozen countries.
The study also found greater
variation in achievement levels within each nation than it found between
countries, said Dirk Hastedt, the executive director of the by the
International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, which
released the analysis. That points to a major equity issue, he explained.
For instance, students in the 95th
percentile when it comes to computer literacy skills in one of the
highest-scoring countries who participated in the study, South
Korea scored an average of 682 on the assessment. (The scale was 1 to
700.)
That's only 118 points higher than
those in one of the lowest scoring countries, Kazakshstan. But it's a whopping
312 points higher than the lowest 5 percent of students in South Korea.
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| NtiAcademy world computer literacy |
On average, students of higher
socio-economic status, as measured by family conditions such as parental
occupation and education, and the number of books in the home, had
significantly higher computer literacy scores.
For instance, students who reported
that their parents had a bachelor's degree or higher scored an average of 518.
Those whose parents did not hold a bachelor's degree scored an average of 487.
And those who reported having a parent with high occupational status scored an
average of 522, compared to 485 for those with parents of low-to-medium
occupational status.
The countries and states that
participated in the study include Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Italy, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Portugal, Uruguay, and the
United States. Other parts of those countries—including Moscow in the Russia
Federation and North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, joined so they could
benchmark their results against other nations. The U.S did not meet the
participation threshold for the study, so its results aren't as considered as
comparable.
Middling Performance From U.S. Students
Denmark and South Korea were the
top performaers on the assessment. The United States scored in the middle of
the pack. Researchers conducted a 40-minute assessment for a sample group of
students, and a background questionnaire for teachers, principals, and
technical coordinators. The IEA assessed more than 46,000 students, 26,000
teachers, and 2,200 schools in 14 countries and territories for the
study.
In evaluating students' computer
literacy, the study considered students' ability to do things like edit digital
photographs, create a database using Microsoft or Access, write or edit text
for a school assignment, search for relevant information for a school project
on the internet, creating a multimedia presentation, or judge whether you can
trust information you find on the internet.
The study found that if a student
doesn't learn such skills at home, it's unlikely that their teacher will be
able to fill in the gaps, Hastedt said.
"Certain things you need to know
in today's world are not taught in school," Hastedt said. "Teachers
think students already know it, and this is not true."
What's more, teachers themselves may
not be proficient at some computer-literacy skills. While 95 percent of
teachers said they were comfortable using the internet to find resources, just
57 percent said they were confident in using digital tools for online
collaboration.
"Teachers don't feel
self-confident in using computers," Hastedt said. "We make sure that
there are devices in schools but we don't necessarily make sure that the
teachers" understand how to help students learn to use them effectively.
In part it's a generational issue, he added. The study saw a huge difference
between younger teachers—defined as those younger than 40 and older teachers
when it comes to how comfortable educators were in helping students learn to
use devices.
"There's a clear need to get all
of our teachers up-to-speed," Hastedt said.
Strong Showing for Girls
And overall, girls outperformed boys
on computer literacy skills. They scored an average of 505, compared with 498
for boys. That tracks with the results of the National Assessment for
Educational Progress in Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL), which also
found girls significantly outpacing boys. It's also consistent with the last
time the study was conducted, in 2013.
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| computer literacy |
"Most people think boys are
better in computers and tech, but this is not what we found," Hastedt
said. "It's actually the girls who do better."
The biggest surprise of the report?
Not much has changed since the last survey in 2013.
"Computers are used in very old
fashioned ways," Hastedt said. "Basic computer literacy skills are
not taught to all students."
Image: Getty
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U.S. Eighth-Graders Outscore International Peers in Computer and Information Literacy
Most U.S. eighth-graders struggle with determining credibility of online information
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. eighth-graders scored above the international average for computer and information literacy, according to the results of an international study released today of how well prepared students are for today's digital learning and working environments. However, this study also shows that most eighth-graders struggled with some key skills, such as determining the credibility of online news and information.
The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) measures eighth-graders' ability to use computers to investigate, create, participate, and communicate at home, at school, in their future workplace, and in their communities. The 2018 study's results were released today in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This is the first time that U.S. ICILS data are available.
"The study shows that the idea of the 'digital native' is more myth than reality," said Peggy G. Carr, associate commissioner for assessment at NCES. "Today's eighth-graders were raised in a world in which computers and smartphones are commonplace, but the majority of them were unable to execute basic tasks independently. Clearly, we have work to do to ensure that our students are prepared to use digital devices to successfully navigate all aspects of life."
Ninety percent of U.S. students demonstrated a functional working knowledge of computers as tools and were able to complete simple tasks, such as opening a link in a new browser tab. Just 25 percent of U.S. eighth-graders were able to independently use computers as tools (e.g., for gathering information or managing work) and successfully distinguish the reliability of web-based information. The assessment found that girls in the U.S. and internationally scored higher than boys in computer information literacy.
"This finding on gender differences aligns with the National Assessment of Educational Progress results in 2014 and 2018 in the technology and engineering literacy assessment, in which girls outperformed boys," Dr. Carr said. "It's encouraging to see that this finding has been corroborated globally, and it is another signal that girls can succeed in STEM courses and careers."
In addition to computer and information literacy, ICILS also measured a new, optional domain for the first time in 2018: computational thinking. Nine education systems, including the United States, tested computational thinking, which is the type of thinking used when programming a computer. It involves conceptualizing problems (through algorithmic or systems thinking) and operationalizing solutions (creating, implementing, and evaluating computer-based solutions to problems). The overall U.S. score for computational thinking was not measurably different from the ICILS average.
For computational thinking, the United States had larger percentages of students at both the highest and lowest performance levels (20 percent and 35 percent, respectively) compared to other participating education systems. Students at the highest level demonstrated an understanding of computation as a problem-solving network—meaning they could evaluate and implement efficient solutions to complex coding problems using non-linear and conditional logic. Students at the lowest level, on the other hand, demonstrated a functional working knowledge of basic conventions of digital systems, such as simple coding and the relationship between input and output, but struggled to successfully demonstrate higher level skills and understanding.
ICILS also asked students and teachers about their experiences using information and communications technologies (ICT).
Eighty-six percent of teachers "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that ICT was considered a priority for use in teaching at their schools, which was comparable with the ICILS average. Higher percentages of U.S. teachers than the ICILS average reported participating in professional learning ICT activities, such as training on subject-specific digital teaching and learning resources (70 percent compared with 50 percent).
However, just half of U.S. teachers reported using ICT when teaching, which was on par with the ICILS average. Students in education systems where a higher proportion of teachers reported using ICT in their teaching tended to outperform U.S. students overall in both computer and information literacy and computational thinking.
Story continues
"The results of this study not only tell us that we can and must improve, they also help us better understand how to help students strengthen their digital capabilities," said NCES Commissioner James L. Woodworth. "While the majority of American students are learning some key digital skills from their teachers, other critical skills are self-taught. Only 1 in 4 students can evaluate the reliability of information they find on a webpage and evaluate information that might be biased."
ICILS is sponsored by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) and is conducted in the United States by NCES. This was the first time the United States participated in ICILS. Eleven other countries participated in ICILS in 2018:
In addition, Moscow and Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia region participated as "benchmark" participants.
Other key findings for the U.S. include:
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION LITERACY
COMPUTATIONAL THINKING
Visit https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/icils/ to view the report.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, is the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education and the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. A part of the Institute of Education Sciences, NCES fulfills a congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally.
The International Computer and Informational Literacy Study (ICILS) is a computer-based assessment of eighth-grade students that measures international differences in students' computer and information literacy: their ability to use computers to investigate, create, participate, and communicate at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the community. Starting in 2018, participating countries also had an option for their students to complete an assessment of computational thinking.
ICILS is sponsored by the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) and is conducted in the United States by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). This study allows the U.S. to begin monitoring U.S. student skills and experience using technology compared to that of other nations, and to provide data on factors that may influence student computer and information literacy and computational thinking skills. The data collected through ICILS provide valuable information with which to understand the nature and extent of the "digital divide" and have the potential to inform our understanding of the relationship between technology skills and experience and student performance in other core subject areas.
CONTACT: Linda Hamilton, NCES, linda.hamilton@ed.gov, (202) 245-6360 ORSamantha Prior, Hager Sharp, sprior@hagersharp.com, (202) 706-7456
View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-eighth-graders-outscore-international-peers-in-computer-and-information-literacy-300951234.html
SOURCE National Center for Education Statistics
Computer use falls in primary schools
Despite almost universal access to computers and the internet in Ireland, there have been no major improvements to pupils’ access within primary schools.
Primary school students’ use of computers in school also dropped considerably within five years, from 46% saying they used computers in school regularly in 2011 to only 23% in 2016.
This brings Ireland well below the international average, according to a new report examining information and communication technology (ICT) the trends in .
Carried out by Eemer Eivers, on behalf of the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN), the report revealed a “sharp contrast” between pupils’ digital access at home and in school.
“In the period studied, Irish home access to ICT gradually increased, and currently exceeds international averages,” said Ms Eivers.
In 2016, 10% of Irish pupils had 11 or more digital devices in their homes, she said. However, almost half of Irish pupils said that they rarely or never used computers at home for schoolwork, which compares to an international average of 23%.
“This is baffling, given our high levels of home resources,” said Ms Eivers.
To put it in context, the only country in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study with a larger percentage of children not using computers for homework was Morocco, and the only other county that came close to Ireland’s low levels of use was Iran.
New teachers — those working less than two years — were more likely to have pupils regularly use ICT in lessons, the report also found.
While this could indicate changes to teacher education or more engagement with digital technology, it could also be that younger teachers are more likely to work in urban settings, which have better connectivity, the report suggests.
Irish pupils are asked by their teachers reasonably frequently to use the internet for information retrieval such as looking up information, the report also found. However, activities such as learning how to critically appraise internet content, was less common. This is an area of concern for school leaders, according to Páiric Clerkin, IPPN chief executive.
“The rise of ‘fake news’ and the proliferation of unreliable online material means that understanding how to evaluate information sources is an essential part of digital literacy,” said Mr Clerkin.
Specific CPD modules for teachers and school leaders would help to address this.
Other issues flagged by the report include broadband connectivity, wifi coverage, as well as a lack of technical support skills.
A recent IPPN survey found that almost 45% of respondents indicated that ICT grants were spent on new computers for teachers and pupils. However, this does not address ongoing difficulties in providing technical support and maintenance.
The study, published today(FRIDAY), pre-dates increased funding from the Digital Strategy.
“While recent funding is very welcome, significant issues remain over inadequate broadband connectivity and lack of technical support,” Mr Clerkin said.
“These require a different approach and an acknowledgement of the unique challenges faced by primary schools.”
