The social and discursive construction of computing skills

Abstract

In this article a social constructionist approach to information technology (IT) literacy is introduced. This approach contributes to the literature on IT literacy by introducing the concept of IT self as a description of the momentary, context-dependent, and multilayered nature of interpretations of IT competencies. In the research literature, IT literacy is often defined as sets of basic skills to be learned, and competencies to be demonstrated. In line with this approach, research on IT competencies conventionally develops models for explaining user acceptance, and for measuring computer-related attitudes and skills. The assumption is that computerrelated attitudes and self-efficacy impact IT adoption and success in computer use. Computer self-efficacy measures are, however, often based on self-assessments that measure interpretations of skills rather than performance in practice. An analysis of empirical interview data in which academic researchers discuss their relationships with computers and IT competence shows how a self-assessment such as "computer anxiety" presented in one discussion context can in another discussion context be consigned to the past in favor of a different and more positive version. Here it is argued that descriptions of IT competencies and computer-related attitudes are dialogic social constructs and closely tied with more general implicit understandings of the nature of technical artifacts and technical knowledge. These implicit theories and assumptions are rarely taken under scrutiny in discussions of IT literacy yet they have profound implications for the aims and methods in teaching computer skills.

Internet Skills, Sources of Support, and Benefiting From Internet Use

“…More specifically, the questionnaire was constructed using extensive ecologically valid skill performance field tests as benchmarks. This makes the instrument employed here more favorable when compared to the used self-assessments of skills which have significant problems of validity (e.g., Bunz, 2004;Hargittai, 2005;Merritt, Smith, & Renzo, 2005;Talja, 2005;Van Deursen & Van Dijk, 2010). We extended the instrument by including items that measured Internet communication skills.…”

Conflicting approaches to user information seeking education in Scandinavian Web‐based tutorials

“…Furthermore, David Bawden (2001) has shown how information literacy must be related to other contemporary literacies. An example of such other related literacy is IT literacy, which Sanna Talja (2005) has studied using a social constructionist approach.…”

“…The communication approach relates to a pedagogic theory that has gained increasing recognition in recent years, namely a sociocultural perspective (e.g. Alexandersson & Limberg, 2003;Sundin & Johannisson, 2005;Talja, 2005). The sociocultural perspective is characterized by a view that learning and knowledge are imbedded in the culture and context of which learning is a part.…”

Internet skills

“…People are presented with a list of skills and are asked to evaluate how well they perform those skills. Although selfreport questionnaires have advantages-such as the ability to present a large number of questions on a wide range of skills in a short time, simple scoring, fast processing, and cost effectiveness (Kuhlemeier & Hemker, 2007)-this method has significant problems of validity (Hakkarainen et al, 2000;Hargittai, 2005;McCourt, Larres, Ballantine, & Whittington, 2003;Merritt, Smith, & Renzo, 2005;Talja, 2005). Interpretations of skills are perspective and context dependent (Talja, 2005).…”

“…Although selfreport questionnaires have advantages-such as the ability to present a large number of questions on a wide range of skills in a short time, simple scoring, fast processing, and cost effectiveness (Kuhlemeier & Hemker, 2007)-this method has significant problems of validity (Hakkarainen et al, 2000;Hargittai, 2005;McCourt, Larres, Ballantine, & Whittington, 2003;Merritt, Smith, & Renzo, 2005;Talja, 2005). Interpretations of skills are perspective and context dependent (Talja, 2005). Talja introduced the concept "Information Technology-self" (IT-self), which is a dialogic, context-dependent, momentary, and multilayered entity involving different temporal layers with which people refer to their past experiences but also predict future levels of skills.…”