Below is the Computer Familiarity Survey used in Phase 1 of our project. Some questions were from taken existing survey projects, and others were developed in-house. Surveys from which questions were sourced are listed at the bottom of our survey, along with a list of items that come from that survey. Click each question to view information about its source (if applicable) and any modifications made by CSAL.
Instructions to examiner: Before beginning, please remind the participant that all information is confidential and will not be shared with anyone. Also, remind the participant that they can skip any item they are not comfortable answering.
Read each question and choice slowly and clearly. If the person takes more than 5 seconds to answer, ask if he/she would like you to repeat the question and the choices.
1. How often do you use each of the following?
| Every Day | A few times a week |
A few times a month |
Never | Don’t know | No Response | |
| A calculator | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| A fax machine | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| A cell phone | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| An automated banking machine (e.g., ATM) |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
2. Do you have a cell phone that gives you access to the Internet or the Web (such as a smart phone)?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t know
o No Response
If Participant answers yes, proceed to question 3.
If Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response, proceed to question 5.
3. How often do you use it?
o Every day
o A few times a week
o Between once a week and once a month
o Less than once a month
o Never
o Don’t Know
o No Response
4. Do you use it for (bubble all that are Yes):
o Email
o Internet/Web
o Texting
o Making a phone call
o Other __________________________________________________________________
o No Response
5. Do you have an e-reader (e.g. Nook, Kindle, Kindle Fire, etc.)?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If Participant answers yes, proceed to question 6.
If Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response, proceed to question 8.
6. Do you use it for reading books?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
7. Do you use it for reading something else?
o Yes What?___________________________________________
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
8. Do you have an electronic tablet (e.g., iPad or Android tablet)?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If Participant answers yes, proceed to question 9.
If Participant answers no, don’t know, and no response, proceed to question 10.
9. Do you use it for (bubble all that are Yes):
o Email
o Chat groups or other on-line discussion
o Getting to the Internet/Web
o Video Chatting/Skype-ing
o Shopping
o Banking
o Education
o Music
o Videos
o Games
o News and current events
o Searching for job opportunities
o Searching for health-related information
o Searching for weather-related information
o Searching for government information
o Searching for other information (ask what type of other information)___________________________________________________________
o Social Networking, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
o Other purposes, please specify: ____________________________________
o Don’t Know
o No Response
10. How much do you AGREE or DISAGREE with this statement?
It is important to me to use a computer.
o Strongly agree
o Agree
o Disagree
o Strongly disagree
o Don’t know
o No Response
When I asked you the last question, what kind of computer were you thinking about? If necessary probe further: the kind of computer on a desk, a laptop computer, and iPad, etc.
11. Have you ever used a computer?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t know
o No Response
If Participant answers yes, proceed to question 13.
If Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response, proceed to question 12, and note that THIS WILL BE THE PERSON’S LAST QUESTION.
12. Are you interested in starting to use a computer?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t know
o No Response
ONLY PROCEED IF PERSON ANSWERED YES TO QUESTION 11
13. How long have you been using computers?
o Less than one year
o One to three years
o Three to five years
o More than five years
o Don’t Know
o No Response
14. How often do you use a computer?
o Every day
o A few times a week
o Once a week
o Less than once a week
o Never
o Don’t Know
o No Response
15. Do you have a computer at home?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If the Participant answers yes, proceed to question16.
If the Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response, proceed to question 17.
16. Do you yourself use that computer?
o No
o Yes
o Don’t Know
o No Response
17. Do you use a computer anywhere else (bubble all that are Yes)?
o Work
o Friend or family’s home
o Library
o Adult literacy program
o Child’s school
o Other: ________________________________________________________
o No
o Don’t Know
o No Response
18. In a typical day, about how many hours do you usually use a computer?
0 to 24_________________________hrs.
o Don’t Know
o No Response
19. How often do you typically use a computer for the following purposes?
| Every Day | A few times a week |
A few times a month |
Never | Don’t know | No Response | |
| Writing | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Spreadsheets | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Creating graphics, designs, or pictures |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Keeping a schedule or calendar | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Educational software | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Playing games | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Other purposes (specify): | o | o | o | o | o | o |
20. How often do you use a computer at your adult literacy program?
o Every day
o A few times a week
o Between once a week and once a month
o Less than once a month
o Never
o Don’t Know
o No Response
21. If you have a job, do you use a computer at work?
o Yes
o No
o Do not have a job
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If the Participant answers yes, proceed to question 22, otherwise proceed to question 23.
22. How often do you use a computer at your job?
o Every day
o A few times a week
o Between once a week and once a month
o Less than once a month
o Never
o Don’t Know
o No Response
23. Have you ever used the Internet or the Web?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t know
o Refused
If Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response END survey
24. Can you connect to the Internet or the Web?
o No
o Yes – home
o Yes – elsewhere
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If Participant answers yes, proceed to question 25.
If Participant answers no, don’t know, or no response, proceed to question 26.
25. What kind of connection to the Internet do you most often use?
o Cable modem, DSL, or other high-speed connection (e.g., my internet connection is always on)
o Dial-up modem (e.g., my computer needs to use the phone line to dial in to access the Internet)
o Don’t know
o No Response
26. How often do you use the Internet or the Web?
o Every day
o A few times a week
o Between once a week and once a month
o Less than once a month
o Never
o Don’t Know
o No Response
If Participant answers NEVER, END survey
27. On a typical day, how many hours do you spend on the Internet, or the Web?
0 to 24_________________________________
o Don’t Know
o No Response
The following questions are about the use of computers or the Internet in everyday life. This could be at home or in other places that offer Internet services, like Internet cafes or libraries.
In your everyday life, how often do you usually…
28. use email?
o Never
o Less than once a month
o Less than once a week but at least once a month
o At least once a week but not every day
o Every day
o Don’t Know
o No Response
29. use the Internet in order to better understand issues related to, for example, your health or illnesses, financial matters, or environmental issues?
o Never
o Less than once a month
o Less than once a week but at least once a month
o At least once a week but not every day
o Every day
o Don’t Know
o No Response
30. use spreadsheet software, for example Excel?
o Never
o Less than once a month
o Less than once a week but at least once a month
o At least once a week but not every day
o Every day
o Don’t Know
o No Response
31. use a word processor, for example Word?
o Never
o Less than once a month
o Less than once a week but at least once a month
o At least once a week but not every day
o Every day
o Don’t Know
o No Response
32. participate in real-time discussions on the Internet, for example, online conferences or chat groups?
o Never
o Less than once a month
o Less than once a week but at least once a month
o At least once a week but not every day
o Every day
o Don’t Know
o No Response
33. How often do you use the Internet or Web for the following purposes?
| Every day | A few times a week |
A few times a month |
Never | Don’t know | No Response | |
| Shopping (including looking but not necessarily buying) |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Banking | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Education | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Videos | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Music | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| News and current events | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Search for job opportunities | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Search for health-related information |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Search for weather-related information |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Search for government information |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Search for other information (ask what type of information) |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Games | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Social Networking, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Video Chatting/Skype-ing | o | o | o | o | o | o |
| Other purposes, specify: ______________________ |
o | o | o | o | o | o |
Sources
ALL – Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey
Items 1, 11, 12, 19, 23, 33
Statistics Canada and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALL), 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2016 from
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/all/pdf/ALL-Main_Survey_BQ.pdf
PISA – Programme for International Student Assessment
Items 10, 13
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Information Communication Technology Questionnaire, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2016 from
https://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisaproducts/ICQ_Questionnaire2003.pdf
LSAL Wave 6 – The Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning Wave 6 Questionnaire
Items 15, 16, 17, 24
The Longitudinal Study of Adult Learning Wave 6 Questionnaire (2007). Developed under the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy at Portland State University. Retrieved May 20, 2016 from
http://www.lsal.pdx.edu/docs/pdf/wave6.pdf
PIAAC – Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies
Items 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
The 2012 Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). Developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and adapted for the United States by the U.S Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 20, 2016 from
https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/piaac/final_en_bq.htm