Dr Pan Qianqian co-authors study on measuring digital literacy growth over time

Dr Pan Qianqian, Education Research Scientist at the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice (CRPP), has co-authored a research article titled “Measuring Digital Literacy Across Ages and Over Time: Development and Validation of a Performance-Based Assessment”, published in the Education and Information Technologies journal.

The study introduces a performance-based Digital Literacy Assessment (DLA) developed using the European Commission’s DigComp 2.1 framework. Administered to Hong Kong students from lower primary to upper secondary levels over two years (2019 and 2021), the DLA tracks digital literacy growth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings show that students’ digital literacy improved with grade level, though gaps in progress widened over time—highlighting growing digital divides. The study offers strong evidence of the DLA’s validity and reliability in assessing digital literacy development across age groups and time, and raises important implications for teaching and assessing digital skills in an increasingly digital world.