MEASURING ICT SKILLS: RELATIONSHIP OF THE ITEM DIFFICULTY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TEST ITEMS

Abstract

<div>In this paper the test item characteristics and validity of a performance-based test called the ICT skill test were examined. The test is developed to measure the information and communication technology skills of upper comprehensive and upper secondary school students in Finland. The paper offers a brief overview of ICT skills among upper comprehensive school students and examines what kind of effect the item characteristics have on item difficulty. Based on the results, students performed relatively well in items related to social networking and communication, content creation and using productivity software. Instead, the items requiring more technical skills were found to be challenging</div><div>for majority of the students. By means of item analysis, the ICT skill test was found to be reliable as a whole and its items being appropriately formed and having acceptable discrimination power. The examination of item characteristics exposed that question text length had no impact on item difficulty. The presence of images and formulas was found to increase item difficulty, whereas UI elements, use of simple text-based multiple-</div><div>choice questions and on the other hand the possibility to interact with the system were found to decrease item difficulty.</div>