Clueless On Tech Literacy Of U.S. Citizens

New tests and surveys are needed to measure U.S. citizens' knowledge and understanding of technology, because no one really knows the level of technological literacy among the U.S. population, concludes a report from two arms of the National Academies.

Although concerns have been raised that U.S. citizens are not as technologically literate as they should be, these statements are based on general impressions with little hard data to back them up, according to the study by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council.

Data on technological literacy could allow policymakers to better respond to people's concerns about technology and help educators improve technology-related curricula and teachers' education, the report says.

"Given the increasing importance of technology in our society, it is vital that Americans be technologically literate," says Dartmouth College engineering professor Elsa Garmire, who chaired the committee that wrote the report.

"The general feeling is that people are poorly prepared to think critically about many important technological issues, but no one really knows the level of technological literacy among Americans," she notes.

After reviewing nearly 30 surveys and tests that include questions about technology, the committee found that most, especially those aimed at adults, determined participants' opinions or attitudes about technologies rather than their understanding of them.

The report recommends that new surveys and tests be developed or existing ones modified to better measure the technological literacy of three distinct U.S. populations: K-12 students, K-12 teachers, and out-of-school adults.

To assess K-12 students, the report says the National Science Foundation should conduct new studies in which students would be asked what they have learned about technology both in and out of school and how they would troubleshoot everyday problems. Questions about technology should also be added to existing tests that measure students' knowledge in mathematics, science, and history.

The report says the technological literacy of teachers could be assessed by following the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind Act, which require teachers to demonstrate their level of knowledge in the subjects they teach through several means, including competency tests.

Existing surveys such as the Adult Literacy & Lifeskills Survey and the National Household Education Survey could be used to assess adults who have finished school, but additional questions about technology should be added, the report recommends.

It also suggests that computer-based technologies could be used to assess technological literacy. For example, instead of conducting phone surveys or using written questionnaires, the study says participants could be asked to solve problems through video games or other computer software.

The report says the National Institute of Standards & Technology should convene a national meeting to discuss how computer-based surveys could be used to assess technological literacy.