An Information Technology Literacy Self-Assessment Instrument: Development and Pilot Results

The information technology quotient is on the rise in every field imaginable – computers and the Internet are everywhere. Essential information technology (IT) competencies are often taken for granted, to the detriment of students who lack computing and Internet skills. A standard set of computer skills that clearly define the IT competent individual has yet to be determined. However, an upsurge of interest in online learning has prompted many institutions of higher education to implement an assessment measure that aims to ascertain student readiness for distance education via the Internet. This paper summarizes commonly employed IT assessment instruments and introduces a new selfassessment instrument that focuses on three areas: computer hardware and system software; software applications; and networking, the Internet and information literacy. A preliminary administration of the instrument is described.