Development of an Integrated Model and Self-assessment Tool for Digital Citizenship Literacy

Development of an Integrated Model and Self-assessment Tool for Digital Citizenship Literacy

The pilot study is dedicated to the systematic recording and testing of a questionnaire for the self-assessment of young people’s digital skills in the context of digital citizenship – i.e. the skills that young people need to behave and contribute confidently, participatively and responsibly in digital and democratic societies.

Based on current systematizations, nine competence dimensions were defined in the period from 2022 to 2023, covering various facets and ideals of digital citizenship. The aim was to be able to address different civic education concepts in the digital space. A comprehensive questionnaire with 81 statements was developed and tested at two schools in North Rhine-Westphalia with almost 130 young people aged between 14 and 20. The aim was to create a psychometrically sound basis for systematically recording young people’s self-assessments of their digital skills and thus to further develop future evaluation approaches in civic education.

The study produced valuable recommendations that can help to further develop the evaluation of political education programs in the digital age and strengthen the field for future challenges.