Evaluation of ICT COMPETENCIES

Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competencies comprise a subset of digital literacy, one of the various areas of technological competencies and skills necessary for real-life functioning in all kind of professional activities and levels of education from preschool to graduate levels. Assessment of ICT competencies involves the definition of specific target activities appropriate to the environment in which they are required. These environments range from the home to the workplace and involve such disparate activities as information-retrieval in healthcare settings or libraries; use of clerical, business, or investment applications; and interactions with government or other public services. The range of ICT competencies also includes the specific abilities needed by professionals responsible for the development of software or communication products and services. This chapter discusses several ICT assessment projects, addresses the primary technical specifications required for evaluation, and explores solutions to problems of test administration. These solutions range from electronic quizzes (similar to paper-and-pencil tests) to more "authentic" forms of assessment using e-portfolios or simulations of real software applications. A detailed analysis of the primary approaches for assessment of social, academic, commercial, or economic environments reveals that these approaches primarily focus on a basic core of skills consisting of Web navigation and the use of e-mail and of fice tools (text processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and database management). In the future, ICT evaluation will involve automatic scoring of natural language responses in documents, solutions of mathematical problems, and graphical or health applications, among many other real-life endeavors.