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This project is a web site dedicated to providing computer literacy resources that assist teachers in designing quality, interesting, and educational curricular units directed toward adolescent learners.

Advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have brought many opportunities to South Africa and also challenges, such as narrowing the gap, known as the digital divide, between those who have (the “haves”) and those who do not have (the “have-nots”) access to ICTs. The majority of South Africans living in developing areas throughout South Africa do not have access to computers and are mostly computer illiterate. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) launched their Digital Doorway project across South Africa to evaluate the feasibility of an alternative computer training method following a minimally invasive educational approach. Within the scope of the CSIR’s project, this research study endeavoured to explore to what extent and how the children had obtained computer skills, without the guidance of a facilitator, during the Digital Doorway project launched in Atteridgeville, Pretoria. A qualitative research methodology was adopted for the study. During the course of this research project, it was not possible to determine whether the children obtained any initial or additional computer skills, since the children were mostly unable to use the computers due to the malfunctioning thereof. The findings of this study coincide with authoritative literature on the topic which points out that real ICT access entails more than merely installing hardware and software. / Dissertation (MEd (Computer Assisted Education))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

This work concentrates on the informational aspects of becoming information literate for the Information Society in secondary education. The importance of this study is linked to the information age - an era in which most people rely on information in their occupations and private lives. This need for information acquires more explicit information related skills to be able to retrieve, evaluate, use, store and disseminate information. To be able to address these issues, the study is subdivided as follows. The first section (chapters 3&4) addresses the concepts of the informatisation of society and information literacy. Models are presented for both the informatisation process and information literacy. In the discussion of the concept information literacy the following issues are emphasized: the individuals realisation of an information gap, the formulation of a query, the knowledge of relevant sources, the knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT), the knowledge, skill and ability to use, store and disseminate information in an effective and efficient way. In the second section (chapters 5 - 10), ensuing from the first, attention is given to position of The Netherlands and South Africa related to being or becoming an Information Society (chapter 5), the relationship between ICT and education (chapter 6) and the introduction of ICT and information related subjects in secondary education in respectively The Netherlands (chapter 7) and South Africa (chapter 8). It is illustrated that the infrastructure in The Netherlands to implement information literacy at school level is much better that in South Africa. Chapters 9 and 10 consist of an empirical study with the aim to determine the way in which information literacy is teached in two schools – one in South Africa and the other in The Netherlands, and which relevant entities are present. The main outcome of the empirical study was that, although pupils were adequate trained in the use of technology, they were not trained to become information literate as the emphasize is on acquiring computer skills in stead of acquiring information. The third and final part comprises firstly an evaluation of the study (chapter 11) and of the summary, conclusions and recommendations (Chapter 12). The main recommendation is the introduction of the subject information literacy as a compulsory school subjects at all levels enabling students to be prepared for their role in the knowledge society. The study is concluded with a proposal for further research. Copyright 2000, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. Please cite as follows: Roux, EM 2000, Informatievaardig worden in het onderwijs, een informatiewetenschappelijk perspectief : een vergelijkende gevallenstudie in Nederland en Zuid-Afrika (Nederlands) PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-11082004-111737 / > / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Information Science / DPhil / Unrestricted

In the period 2005-2010 the Czech Republic has exhibited a growth in computer and Internet usage across society. As is to be expected from the literature, younger generations, especially what has been termed Generation Z, show significantly higher levels of computer literacy than older generations. Computer literacy is also at the highest level among the most highly educated and among households with children. Government policies to increase computer literacy have had positive effects, however they have only been a partial success. All schoolchildren have access to computers and the Internet, however there have been no effective policies for increasing computer literacy among the adult population. The result of this lack of policy is that the Czech Republic, in a position common to much of Europe, failed to meet the challenges of the Lisbon Strategy and will likely fail to meet the targets of Europe 2020.

Technological standards appear to be needed in undergraduate nursing education, as existing research has yet to establish technological standards for undergraduate nursing students. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of senior nursing students with respect to their perceptions regarding exposure to and abilities gained in the areas of information management, information literacy, and computer literacy. The framework of the study was based on Bandura's theory of self-efficacy and the Dreyfus model of skills acquisition. Using a phenomenological approach, in-depth face-to-face interviews were used with a purposive sample to collect data about the technological competencies taught to 12 participants during their nursing education. The key research questions pertained to senior-level nursing students' perceptions regarding their educational exposure to technological skills, the level of competencies achieved, and technology's impact on patient care. A thematic analysis was done. The findings from this research study are that students' technological exposure appears to vary and that there is a need for uniform exposure during their nursing education. The results of this research revealed that most students were confident about computer literacy but needed to strengthen their knowledge related to information management and information literacy. Implications for social change is a better understanding of technological competencies offered, or still needing to be included, in undergraduate nursing syllabi. Further positive social change implications of the study for health services include the promotion of clear technological graduation standards for nursing graduates entering the health care workforce.

Some students do not possess the learning management system (LMS) and basic computer skills needed for success in first-year experience (FYE) courses. The purpose of this quantitative study, based on the Integrative Learning Design Framework and theory of transactional distance, was to identify what basic computer skills and LMS skills are needed for first-year students to be successful in FYE courses. A survey was offered to 368 first-year students and 47 first-year instructors at a large Midwestern community college to compare instructors' perceptions of the computer literacy skill levels necessary for FYE student success with FYE students' self-reported current computer skill levels. An independent-samples t test was used to compare the means of the 2 groups (FYE instructors and FYE students) to evaluate whether the groups were significantly different from each other regarding needed basic computer skills. Analyses revealed significant differences between the groups in adding borders and highlighting in word processing software, posting initial threads and replies in discussion boards, submitting assignments, locating the online course calendar and syllabus, and forwarding e-mails. The findings of this study prompted a recommendation to change the student entrance policy to include student computer literacy workshops and placement exams. This study impacted positive social change by providing information to educators at the study site as to the computer literacy and LMS skills that are needed in a FYE course, therefore aiding FYE students in the future.

A new hospital in United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to adopt health information technology (HIT) and become fully digitalized once operational. The hospital has identified a need to assess basic computer literacy of new employees prior to offering them training on various HIT applications. Lack of research in identifying an accurate assessment method for basic computer literacy among health care professionals led to this explanatory correlational research study, which compared self-assessment scores and a simulated actual computer skills test to find an appropriate tool for assessing computer literacy. The theoretical framework of the study was based on constructivist learning theory and self-efficacy theory. Two sets of data from 182 hospital employees were collected and analyzed. A t test revealed that scores of self-assessment were significantly higher than they were on the actual test, which indicated that hospital employees tend to score higher on self-assessment when compared to actual skills test. A Pearson product moment correlation revealed a statistically weak correlation between the scores, which implied that self-assessment scores were not a reliable indicator of how an individual would perform on the actual test. An actual skill test was found to be the more reliable tool to assess basic computer skills when compared to self-assessment test. The findings of the study also identified areas where employees at the local hospital lacked basic computer skills, which led to the development of the project to fill these gaps by providing training on basic computer skills prior to them getting trained on various HIT applications. The findings of the study will be useful for hospitals in UAE who are in the process of adopting HIT and for health information educators to design appropriate training curricula based on assessment of basic computer literacy.

Many older adults (aged 55 and older) need training to acquire computer knowledge and skills. Using computers and the Internet could provide access to vital resources for improving older adults' health and maintaining their connections with family and society. This study examined 2 psychological constructs--computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy--that have been shown to impact a person's successful use of computers and related technology. Guided by Bandura's self-efficacy theory, which emphasizes the importance of adult learners being motivated and taking charge of their learning, this study examined the impact of a computer knowledge and skills workshop on older adults' computer anxiety and computer self-efficacy. A concurrent, mixed-methods design was used to collect and analyze survey data and interview transcripts from a convenience sample of African American older adults (N = 11). Mobile technology (i.e., tablet PCs and portable hotspots) was used to access the Internet and e-mail. Data analyses included thematic coding of the interview notes and descriptive statistics to present the survey results. The themes that emerged from the interview data were learning opportunities, positive attitudes, and user-friendly tools and equipment for reducing computer anxiety and constructive attitude changes and learning environments for improving computer self-efficacy. The descriptive statistics indicated favorable changes for computer anxiety with scores averaging a decrease of -26.5% and computer self-efficacy with scores averaging an increase of 62.1%. This study illustrated the feasibility of a low-cost approach for establishing a mobile computer laboratory to help older persons become proficient in their use of computers, the Internet, and related technology.