Page 26 - Šolsko polje, XXVII, 2016, no. 3-4: IEA ICILS in druge sodobne teme, ur. Eva Klemenčič
P. 26
šolsko polje, letnik xxvii, številka 3–4
However, as with many other skills, the possession of skills in the
digital domain differs across students, depending on, among other things,
basic student individual and socio-demographic characteristics. These dif
ferences in the digital domain depending on individual and socio-demo
graphic characteristics are known as the “digital divide”.
van Dijk (2006) points out that digital divide should be explored as
rooted in multifaceted processes of social, mental and technological as
pects, going further away from the simple possession of the technology.
Three levels of digital divide are recognized (Hohlfeld, Ritzhaupt, Bar
ron, & Kemker, 2008):
– Equitable access to hardware (lowest);
– Frequency of use of technology by teachers and students in class (me
dium);
– Student’s ability to use ICT for own empowerment (highest).
This study focuses namely on the third level of the digital divide,
gaps in students’ abilities for an effective participation in different do
mains. The focus is on a specific aspect of the entire spectrum of the broad
ICT abilities, namely the Computer and Information Literacy (CIL), fol
lowing its definition given by Fraillon, Schulz & Ainley (2013): “individ
ual’s ability to use computers to investigate, create, and communicate in
order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace, and
in society” (Fraillon et al., 2013, p. 17). The purpose of this study is to ex
plore the digital divide (CIL gaps) across 14-year-old students based on
their socio-economic status (SES) using data from 20 countries1, partic
ipating in the IEA’s International Computer and Information Literacy
Study (ICILS) 2013. The study also tests how different ICT-related factors
explain the aforementioned gaps across the participating countries. The
research questions related with SES gaps are:
1. Which ICT-related student personal and ICT characteristics ex
plain the student SES CIL gaps?
2. Which school ICT-related characteristics explain the student SES
CIL gaps?
Background
The term “digital divide” originated in mid-1990s, used for the first time
by an unknown American source. In general, it suffers from lack of theo
retical foundation, mainly due to the following reasons (van Dijk, 2006):
1 The term “country” is used provisionally throughout the paper to designate educational
systems or a benchmarking participants, such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Newfound-
land and Labrador (Canada) and Ontario (Canada).
24
However, as with many other skills, the possession of skills in the
digital domain differs across students, depending on, among other things,
basic student individual and socio-demographic characteristics. These dif
ferences in the digital domain depending on individual and socio-demo
graphic characteristics are known as the “digital divide”.
van Dijk (2006) points out that digital divide should be explored as
rooted in multifaceted processes of social, mental and technological as
pects, going further away from the simple possession of the technology.
Three levels of digital divide are recognized (Hohlfeld, Ritzhaupt, Bar
ron, & Kemker, 2008):
– Equitable access to hardware (lowest);
– Frequency of use of technology by teachers and students in class (me
dium);
– Student’s ability to use ICT for own empowerment (highest).
This study focuses namely on the third level of the digital divide,
gaps in students’ abilities for an effective participation in different do
mains. The focus is on a specific aspect of the entire spectrum of the broad
ICT abilities, namely the Computer and Information Literacy (CIL), fol
lowing its definition given by Fraillon, Schulz & Ainley (2013): “individ
ual’s ability to use computers to investigate, create, and communicate in
order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace, and
in society” (Fraillon et al., 2013, p. 17). The purpose of this study is to ex
plore the digital divide (CIL gaps) across 14-year-old students based on
their socio-economic status (SES) using data from 20 countries1, partic
ipating in the IEA’s International Computer and Information Literacy
Study (ICILS) 2013. The study also tests how different ICT-related factors
explain the aforementioned gaps across the participating countries. The
research questions related with SES gaps are:
1. Which ICT-related student personal and ICT characteristics ex
plain the student SES CIL gaps?
2. Which school ICT-related characteristics explain the student SES
CIL gaps?
Background
The term “digital divide” originated in mid-1990s, used for the first time
by an unknown American source. In general, it suffers from lack of theo
retical foundation, mainly due to the following reasons (van Dijk, 2006):
1 The term “country” is used provisionally throughout the paper to designate educational
systems or a benchmarking participants, such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Newfound-
land and Labrador (Canada) and Ontario (Canada).
24
