21
IMPACT OF COMPUTER DONATION ON DIGITAL SKILLS
Specific skills students feel their new computer has helped them develop by % of sample
•
97% of Survey 2 respondents felt that their new computer allowed them to practice
and subsequently improve in at least one of the six skills which contribute to the
ADII’s measure of Digital Ability. Most notable developments were in the areas of basic
operational, for 77% of Survey 2 respondents, followed by information navigation and
digital communication skills.
•
Increased access, awareness and exposure to the digital world over the 9 month
period encouraged students to re-assess their confidence level in using
computers. In Survey 1, students rated their digital confidence as 4.4 out of 5 in
comparison to Survey 2 where students’ rating dropped to 4.14 out of 5. As highlighted in
the section on troubleshooting, this may be due to students encountering technical
issue(s) with their computers which they often required support in resolving in addition to
an enhanced appreciation of the scale of the digital world.
The ADII measures Digital Ability across six components which include: basic operational, advanced operational, information navigation, social, creative and
automation1. As part of Survey 2, students were asked to determine which of these skills having their own computer has helped them improve.
1.
Australian Digital Inclusion Index, 2023, Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide, https://www.digitalinclusionindex.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ADII-2023-Summary_FINAL-Remediated.pdf
77%
54%
55%
46%
54%
31%
18%
Basic
operational
55%
49%
3%
Advanced
operational
Information
navigation
Digital
comms.
Social media
& social
connection
Digital
creative
Productivity
tools
Basic coding
Other
No additional
“I can put more effort into
essays and be more
creative with my work in
ways that I couldn’t on
my phone. My grades
have really improved. It’s
been great to have a
laptop, and it’s made
everything so much
easier”
LAPTOP RECIPIENT:
SWAN VIEW SENIOR
HIGH SCHOOL
“The most significant
change that I have found
using my own laptop is
that I can get
assessments and
homework done on time.
And I can use it any time
when I need to.”
LAPTOP RECIPIENT: ST
LOGANLEA STATE HIGH
SCHOOL
“Now I can save the work
that I do in class and be
confident that I'll find it
again when I'm at home,
when I need to study”
LAPTOP RECIPIENT:
LOGANLEA STATE
HIGH SCHOOL
Increased access to computers have had a tangible impact on student’s
overall digital skills and ability