How do you test digital literacy in your students?

1 Define the learning outcomes

Before you design any digital literacy assessment, you need to define the learning outcomes you want to measure. What are the specific skills, knowledge, and attitudes you expect your students to demonstrate in relation to digital literacy? How do they align with your course objectives, discipline standards, and institutional frameworks? You can use existing models and frameworks, such as the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education or the JISC Digital Capabilities Framework, to guide your outcome definition and ensure consistency and relevance.

2 Choose the appropriate assessment method

Depending on your learning outcomes, you can choose from different types of assessment methods to test digital literacy in your students. You can use formative assessment, which is ongoing and provides feedback and guidance for improvement, or summative assessment, which is final and evaluates the achievement of the outcomes. You can also use direct assessment, which requires students to demonstrate their digital skills in a specific task or context, or indirect assessment, which relies on self-reporting or reflection on their digital experiences. Some examples of direct assessment methods are digital portfolios, online quizzes, multimedia projects, or simulations. Some examples of indirect assessment methods are surveys, interviews, rubrics, or journals.

3 Use appropriate assessment tools

To implement your assessment method, you need to use appropriate assessment tools that are reliable, valid, and accessible. You can use existing tools that are designed to measure digital literacy, such as the Digital Literacy Assessment (DLA) by Northstar or the Digital Competence Test (DCT) by ECDL. You can also create your own tools using online platforms, such as Google Forms, Kahoot, Padlet, or WordPress. You should consider the usability, functionality, and security of the tools you use, as well as the data protection and privacy of your students.

4 Provide feedback and support

Testing digital literacy in your students is not only a way to measure their performance, but also a way to enhance their learning and development. Therefore, you should provide feedback and support to your students based on their assessment results. You should give them clear and constructive feedback that highlights their strengths and areas for improvement, and provides specific suggestions and resources for further learning. You should also offer them support and guidance to address their digital literacy needs and challenges, such as tutorials, workshops, mentoring, or peer learning.

5 Review and improve your assessment

Finally, you should review and improve your assessment process and practice based on the feedback and data you collect from your students and yourself. You should evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your assessment on your students' digital literacy development and learning outcomes. You should also reflect on your own digital literacy skills and competencies, and identify your professional development needs and opportunities. You should seek feedback from your colleagues, peers, and experts, and share your assessment experiences and insights with your academic community.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?