Assessing proficiencies in higher education: Benchmarking knowledge and ICT skills of students at an urban community college

Abstract

Colleges and universities seeking to assess proficiencies in information and communications technology may wish to learn more about new assessment tools developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), in collaboration with higher education partners. This article describes the administration of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Assessment at the Bronx Community College (BCC) of the City University of New York (CUNY) in spring 2005, and interprets the data in the context of profiles of the test populations. Data collected in the 2005 Large Scale ICT Literacy Assessment at 31 campuses is viewed as contributing in meaningful ways to the emerging portrait of BCC students' proficiencies. Viewed in conjunction with data from surveys, portfolios, course requirements, and reports from faculty and staff based on day-to-day interactions with students, BCC students show evidence of impressive momentum in developing ICT skills. The snapshot of proficiencies of students has developed a picture with an increasingly sharp focus, detailing distinctive characteristics of students at an urban community college, and the skills and knowledge they bring as they enter BCC. A multifaceted approach to assessing proficiencies, fluency, and competencies in use of information technologies is recommended based on the BCC experience. The resolution of the image that emerged using the ICT Literacy Assessment was enhanced by the comparative data it provided, and the picture is becoming increasingly recognizable as matching the profile of the students with whom we interact with every day at BCC. © 2005 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.