The Computer-Email-Web (CEW) Fluency Scale-Development and Validation

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to develop an instrument to assess people's fluency with the computer, e-mail, and the Web (CEW fluency). Such an instrument, tapping into digital divides, could fill the existing void that exists between previously developed computer literacy or experience scales and the ever faster development of Internet technology. The research was conducted in 2 stages. The first study (N = 284) tested 52 Internet fluency items. A principle component factor analysis with varimax rotation resulted in 21 remaining items in 4 constructs: computer fluency (α = .85), e-mail fluency (α = .89), Web navigation (α = .84), and Web editing (α = .82). The 4-factor solution accounted for more than 67% of the total variance. Correlation analysis showed that there was no multicolinearity of items. The second study (N = 143) aimed at testing the CEW Fluency Scale for reliability and validity. Participants completed a 77-item questionnaire containing the CEW Fluency Scale, the Computer Use Scale (Panero, Lane, & Napier, 1997), items from the Georgia Tech WWW survey (GVU, 1998), and demographic items. The 4 constructs of the CEW Fluency Scale held up in the reliability analysis, as Cronbach's alphas were as follows: computer fluency (α = .72), e-mail fluency (α = .75), Web navigation (α = .64), and Web editing (α = .79). Correlation analysis showed that comfort with the computer or the Internet, or satisfaction with one's skills, correlated highly with the CEW fluency items. Regression analysis revealed that duration of Internet usage and level of expertise as defined by the Georgia Tech WWW survey were the strongest predictors of CEW fluency, R = .614, adjusted R² = .368, F(2, 131) = 39.643, p < .001. Overall, preliminary support for the scale's reliability and validity was found.