Get a brief overview of the study's research questions and timeline.
Learn more about two complementary studies using computer-based assessment.
ICILS 2013
International Computer and Information Literacy Study
The IEA International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) 2013 will examine the outcomes of student computer and information literacy (CIL) across countries. CIL refers to an individual's ability to use computers to investigate, create, and communicate in order to participate effectively at home, at school, in the workplace, and in the community.
ICILS asks how well students are prepared for life in the information age, and aims to answer several key questions about student CIL and its contexts:
- How does student computer and information literacy vary within and between countries?
- What factors influence students' computer and information literacy?
- What can education systems and schools do to improve students' computer and information literacy?
The assessment of CIL will be authentic and computer-based. It will include three types of tasks: (i) multiple-choice or constructed response items based on realistic stimulus material; (ii) software simulations of generic applications so that students are required to complete an action in response to an instruction; and (iii) authentic tasks that require students to modify and create information products using 'live' computer software applications.
The student questionnaire will gather information about computer use in and outside of school, attitudes to technology, self-reported computer proficiency, and background characteristics. Teacher and school questionnaires will ask about computer use, computing resources, and relevant policies and practices in the school context. A national context survey will collect systemic data on educational policies and practices for developing computer and information literacy, expertise of teachers, and digital technology resources in schools.
Target population
The population to be surveyed will include all students of the eighth grade, provided that the mean age at the time of testing is at least 13.5 years.
Participating education systems
Australia, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Korea, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, and Buenos Aires (as a benchmarking participant).
Schedule
ICILS was inaugurated in June 2010 at the first meeting of the national research coordinators in Amsterdam. Framework and instrument development work was carried out in 2010 and continued in 2011, along with the pilot of the survey instruments. The field test was conducted in the first half of 2012, and the main data collection will occur at the beginning and end of 2013 for northern and southern hemisphere countries, respectively. The assessment framework is scheduled for publication in 2013 and the international report will be published in 2014.
Management
The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) serves as the international study center for ICILS. ACER staff, including Project Coordinator Dr John Ainley and Research Director Mr Julian Fraillon, are responsible for the day-to-day management of the project. Instrument development and some data analysis and psychometric work are also centered at the international study center and overseen by Dr Wolfram Schulz.
As with other IEA studies, ICILS is a collaborative effort of project management staff at the international study center, the IEA Secretariat, the IEA Data Processing and Research Center (DPC), and the national centers of participating countries.
Funding
The participation fees for the ICILS project are assessed in two currencies. The fee is USD 15,000 and EUR 15,000 per year, for each of the five years of the project (2010–2014). European countries participating in ICILS receive financial support from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Education and Culture.
For more information, please contact the ICILS International Study Centre.