Abstract:

[Purpose/Significance] In the digital age, digital literacy is a core competency that individuals need to cope with challenges and achieve comprehensive development. A digital literacy assessment is the starting point for the improvement of citizens' digital literacy. It enables individuals to understand their level of digital literacy and provides organizations with the information they need to develop digital literacy construction policies and conduct education and training programs. At present, no literature is available on the comparative study of open digital literacy assessment tools. [Method/Process] First, we used keywords to retrieve information related to digital literacy assessment tools, and then we browsed and filtered the search results. Next, we read the information on the official website of the assessment tools and tried the tools, and finally we selected the tools. The article introduces eight online, open digital literacy assessment tools: MyDigiSkills tool, Digital Skills Accelerator tool, Ikanos test for citizens, Test your digital skills tool, The Digital Competence Wheel tool, Pix test, Digital Citizenship test, and Northstar Digital Literacy Assessment test. We carried out comparative research on these assessment tools from the following perspectives: development institution, assessment object, assessment framework, test design and assessment result. [Results/Conclusions] The article makes some suggestions for China regarding the formulation of national digital literacy frameworks, the development of online open digital literacy assessment tools, and the implementation of digital literacy education. The Party and State institutions should formulate the frameworks, along with the universities, industry associations and other institutions, as well as researchers in relevant fields. The framework should include the following aspects: the capability system, capability level, and capability description or examples. Organizations can actively develop digital literacy assessment tools for different groups based on the frameworks, adapting them as needed. One type of question can be used by itself or in combination with other types. The assessment tools should display the user's overall digital literacy level and the results of each ability assessment. This allows the user to understand their own digital literacy level and identify areas for improvement. The assessment results can be differentiated, and users can select their level or score form. Training and educational institutions should consider offering training courses related to various abilities. The courses should vary in difficulty to meet the needs of different groups and individuals.

Key words: digital literacy, digital competence, assessment tool, comparative research