The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) recommendations on assessment tools for monitoring digital literacy within UNESCO’s digital literacy global framework

Summary

This report advises the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) on creating an instrument to assess digital literacy skills for SDG Indicator 4.4.2, which aims to increase youth and adult proficiency in relevant skills by 2030. Despite data collection efforts, a common definition of “minimum proficiency” in digital literacy is lacking, leading to gaps in global data. Existing supra-national frameworks, like the International Computer and Information Literacy Study and the International Computer Driving Licence, inform this effort but aren’t designed for Indicator 4.4.2. The European DigComp framework, used to develop the Digital Skills Indicator (DSI), is a close match but lacks a standardized knowledge-based assessment tool. A commissioned report reviewed digital literacy frameworks in 47 countries and highlighted the need for mapping existing assessments to the Digital Literacy Global Framework (DLGF), cost-effective cross-national R&D programs, and reconciling proficiency levels between SDG Indicator 4.4.2 and DigComp. This research aims to map current assessments to the DLGF, evaluate their cost-effectiveness, and recommend next steps for developing an Indicator 4.4.2 suitable tool.