Measuring Internet Skills

Abstract

Research that considers Internet skills often lacks theoretical justifications and does not go beyond basic button knowledge. There is a strong need for a measurement framework that can guide future research. In this article, operational definitions for measuring Internet skills are proposed, applied in two large-scale performance tests, and tested for reliability and validity. The framework consists of four Internet skills: operational, formal, information, and strategic Internet skills. The framework proves to be a powerful means for understanding the complexity of the Internet skills that people employ when they use the Internet. The reliability of the framework is supported by obtaining similar results from two studies focusing on different contexts. The validity of the framework is investigated by comparing the results with external standards that also provide an indication of Internet skill levels.

Notes

¹Inspired by Van Deursen and Gui (2008).