The European Commission defined digital literacy as one of eight key competences for lifelong learning. Especially skills in the field of information and communication technologies are described as essential.

In recent educational research towards digital literacy it is commonly occurring as being differentiated into computer and information literacy. Common to the information literacy constructs are the processes of identifying information; searching for, locating and evaluating information. The computer literacy constructs have focused on rather declarative and procedural knowledge about computer use, familiarity with computers and attitudes towards computers.  

This symposium presents current research towards computer and information literacy in Europe. The first part of the symposium focuses on approaches to define and measure computer and information literacy in different populations. It discusses the appropriateness of the application of paper-pencil-based tests as well as new approached towards online and offline computer-based testing to measure the constructs. The second part of the symposium brings together theory and research concerning the outcomes in terms of computer and information proficiency from different e-learning settings, such as regular laptop use in schools. Additionally, the role which non-formal learning and even non-educational computer as well as learners’ variables are examined.

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