Assessing the ICT competency among Postgraduate students in the Higher Learning Institutions (HLI) is crucial. Therefore this paper presents in detail the process of developing an instrument to assess the competency in ICT which is called ICTC-Test (Information Communication Technology Competency Test). The details are on the utilization of the seven domains in the 21st Century ICT Competency Model to determine the competency level among students. The development of the items in ICTC-Test is based on the application of the performance-based assessment and the task-based assessment. The assessment of ICT competency using ICTC-Test is different compared to existing instruments where ICTC-Test changes the focus in assessing the competency in ICT from the ability to use and maintain the hardware, software and network to competency in ICT that includes technical ability and cognitive skills. Moreover, ICTC-Test also integrates the five generic skills highlighted in MQF which are critical thinking skill, problem solving skill, information technology and communication skill, communication and management skill.

This study aims to examine reflective capacity among students when learning about computers in education. The study involved 35 e-portfolios written by first-year students who enrolled on the Computers in Education course in the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All the students taking this course were required to publish "reflections" based on their weekly learning activities via individual e-portfolios. Thematic analysis was done using Nvivo 10 software to categorize the content of the students' reflections. The analysis reveals that a large percentage of the "reflections" were non-reflective rather than reflective actions. This finding has implications for the way the course is designed, requiring a supportive environment, mentoring and group discussions, as reflective thinking is not spontaneous, but should be deliberately stimulated by the educational context.

This study explored the psychometric properties of a locally developed information skills test for youth students in Malaysia using Rasch analysis. The test was a combination of 24 structured and multiple choice items with a 4-point grading scale. The test was administered to 72 technical college students and 139 secondary school students. The data from the test were fitted to the Rasch partial credit model using the Winsteps program in which the unidimensionality, reliability and person-item distribution map of the test were examined. The analysis showed all 24 items meet the Rasch model expectation and thus have a potential in assessing information skills of youth students in Malaysia. The findings showed that Rasch analysis could help researchers to refine the developed test in a systematic and informed manner.

This study discovers talent development among the individuals who are gifted and talented in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). Using qualitative research methods, data was gathered via interview sessions with three groups of respondents who have excelled in the field of ICT, namely the academicians in ICT, the practitioners, and the students who have exhibited their intelligence in ICT. The data was analyzed and structured based on Gagne Differentiated Model of Gifted and Talent (DMGT). Based on DMGT, the data was categorized to natural abilities, interpersonal catalyst, and environmental catalyst. The findings of the study discussed the pattern of talent development among the gifted and talented individuals in ICT from the aspects of life background, educational background, education and experience in ICT, and the support factors towards talent development. The findings of the study indicated that gifted and talented individuals in ICT should be recognized as a unique talent at par with the other fields regarding the context of gifted and talented. Schools should provide the assessment methods as well as the sources to identify and develop the potential of another group of extraordinary individuals in the 21 st century.

Information and communication technologies (ICT), primarily computers and telecommunication networks, can be utilised as a means to cultivate thinking skills among students. Computer applications have been adapted or developed not only to facilitate critical thinking but also to help students to become reflective thinkers. In the Computer in Education (CIE) course, undergraduate students from the Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, were exposed to collaborative learning through sharing activities in an e-forum via the Weebly application. This study was conducted to investigate the factors that contributed to their participation in the e-forum, as well as the hindrances. This study involved 113 first year students who took the course. Data were generated using open-ended questions posed in one of the forum topics. The data were then analysed descriptively using thematic analysis. The overall findings indicate a numbers of contributing factors leading to students' participation in the e-forum. Among these factors incentives are given, such as bonus marks for those who showed the highest level of engagement in the e-forum discussions. In addition, students were driven by their own individual needs, i.e. to access new ideas, expand their knowledge and share experiences. This paper also discusses factors that hindered students' level of participation in the e-forum.