Digital Literacy Skills

In Module three we are exploring digital literacy skills and were asked to choose a digital literacy self-assessment, take it and reflect on it. The first one I complete was a Micrsoft digital literacy assessment. I received an 18 out of 21, which is not a pass, and recommended to complete a online workshop on 'Mousing Around' and 'Keyboarding'. I could probably benefit from refreshing my keyboarding and mouse skills. I can touch type (at a medium pace) but I don't use certain keys, such as the 'home' key or the 'end' key.

The second self-assessment was a fun interactive assessment by Northstar Digital Literacy self-assessment:
1. Basic computer skills. I passed this time, with only one area of improvement: 'demonstrate knowledge of keys on a keyboard'. This result is similar to the results in the first test.

2. World Wide Web skills: I scored 33 out of 33, 100%!

3. Windows 7 skills: I scored 26/29. The areas of improvement are: Identify drives on a computer, identify task bar, and open files using appropriate programs. The latter I realised I had clicked on the wrong programme a second after I clicked on it.

4. Mac OS X: I scored 23/25, which was surprising because this is not an operating system I have used very often, but seems to be quite user friendly. The areas of improvement include: demonstrate knowledge of the dashboard and use "spot light" to locate a document. I have no idea what spot light is.

5. Email: I scored 100% Yipee!

6. Microsoft Work: I scored 25/29. Areas of improvement were: Identify the ribbon (I use the ribbon but I never knew what it was called); set single or double spacing; use undo button; copy/cut/paste. The latter three I got wrong because I have always used methods alternative to the ribbon. For example when I cut, copy, paste and I use the ctrl button.

7. Social media: I scored 16/18. Areas of improvement were: Recognise information online or on social media that might a pose a risk to you (I clicked that something was unsafe when it was actually safe) and post, share, like or comment on content. I thought I was pretty good at the latter. I got confused when they asked me to share a website, the usual way I do it was not an option, so perhaps there is a more efficient way of doing this? The self-assessment was very facebook-centric!

8. Microsoft Excel: this was my lowest score, 29/39. Many areas of improvement: identify parts of excel screen (ribbon, formula bar, active cell, name box, column letter, row number); format cells (bold, underline, sixe, merge and centre, wrap text etc); insert and delete rows and columns; enter data in a cell; write a formula in the formula bar; copy and move cell entries, choose page orientation; save and name a workbook; save and close workbook by using the quick access toolbar. I swear I know how to do a lot of this stuff, I don't know what I was doing during the assessment. Although, I'm not surprised by this result as I am not very confident using Excel. I remember doing my undergrad study and it didn't seem to matter how many times my brother helped with excel for assignments I couldn't get the hang of it. This probably indicates that I would benefit from doing a course of using Excel.