The ETS iSkillsTM Assessment: a digital age tool
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470810864064 |
| Published date | 11 April 2008 |
| Date | 11 April 2008 |
| Pages | 158-171 |
| Author | Mary M. Somerville,Gordon W. Smith,Alexius Smith Macklin |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The ETS iSkills
TM
Assessment:
a digital age tool
Mary M. Somerville
Dr Martin Luther King, Jr Library, San Jose
´State University,
San Jose
´, California, USA
Gordon W. Smith
Systemwide Library Programs,
California State University Office of the Chancellor, Long Beach,
California, USA, and
Alexius Smith Macklin
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how information and communications technology
(ICT) literacy skills reflect twenty-first century requirements for researching and communicating
information in digital environments. An interactive problem-based, scenario-based, web-based
assessment tool, iSkills
TM
, has been developed through a broad-based effort to establish standards for
performance and certification of ICT literacy proficiencies. This paper aims to discuss the
assessment’s potential in determining the effectiveness of instruction programs.
Design/methodology/approach – Since January 2001, a consortium of experts in ICT literacy
served as advisors to the Educational Testing Service (ETS) test developers as they designed an
internet-delivered assessment that measures students’ abilities to research, organize, and communicate
information using technology. This paper reviews that R&D process, concluding with an example of
its application to information literacy program planning and evaluation. A mixed methods approach
collected and analyzed qualitative sources and iSkills
TM
pre-test/post-test data for first-year Purdue
University students.
Findings – Findings informed curricular decisions for instituting an integrated problem-based
learning (PBL) information literacy program. Secondary goals included developing an understanding
of how information-processing skills are acquired, identifying best practices for integrating
information literacy into the curriculum, and assessing the impact of skill acquisition on overall
academic achievement. ICT literate students are generally better problem-solvers, more self-directed,
and communicate ideas more efficiently.
Practical implications – Universities are beginning to require ICT literacy as competencies for
graduation. This paper presents a new strategy for assessing the effectiveness of instructional
programs which aim to matriculate proficient students.
Originality/value – This paper reports on the efficacy of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach
involving three convergent principles of design: the organization and dissemination of information, the
creation and communication of information, and problem solving within the context of research
projects and assignments. As such, it provides important insights into pairing an innovative
instructional approach and the iSkills
TM
ICT literacy assessment.
Keywords Communicationtechnologies, Literacy, Problem solving,Assessment
Paper type Research paper
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
This paper developed out of a panel presentation by Gordon W. Smith, Alexius Smith Macklin,
and Mary M. Somerville at the Library Assessment Conference held in Charlottesville, Virginia,
USA, in October 2006.
EL
26,2
158
Received 6 June 2007
Revised 26 June 2007
Accepted 27 June 2007
The Electronic Library
Vol. 26 No. 2, 2008
pp. 158-171
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/02640470810864064
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