Learning and Work hybrid seminars, Autumn 2025

When: Tuesday September 16, 2025 
Time: 12.00 - 13.00
Where: TS53 - C-1.05

Speaker: Steffen Hillmert/ Silvia Kopeczny - University of Tübingen

Title: Digital literacy and social inequality in education from an international perspective: a matter of equalisation or exacerbation?

Abstract: In contemporary societies, digital literacy has become central to various aspects of life such as education, the labour market and social participation. Especially for younger cohorts, the ability to effectively use information and communication technologies (ICT) is a crucial competency for successful life transitions. As a fundamental concept, “digital literacy” should not be misinterpreted as primarily “programming skills” but rather as information competency in today’s increasingly digitised world. Consequently, there are conceptual (and empirical) links to classical literacy and other basic skills at the individual level. Differences in digital access, use and skills – also known as “digital divides” – are increasingly recognised as a relevant aspect of social inequality. Research has already shown that sociodemographic characteristics play a role in such digital divides. In theory, there are similarities with traditional educational inequalities. However, digital competencies may also be unique in the following ways. Digital literacy may be less determined by cognitive ability and by other basic competencies. It is not necessarily acquired in schools which tend to compensate for inequalities created at home. Social background and family conditions, as well as the practical use of ICT, may therefore play an even more crucial role for digital literacy. Given the rapid changes in technology and the special situation during the COVID-19 pandemic, differences in digital literacy between adjacent cohorts can be expected. There are also marked international differences and (partly) explicit national strategies regarding digitalisation in general and digitalisation in education in particular.

In this paper we aim to systematically describe social inequalities in digital literacy among school students and to examine recent historical trends from an international perspective. By comparing these patterns with those of traditional inequalities in education we aim to show whether there is a tendency to equalise or exacerbate established social inequalities in education. We use data from three waves of the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS 2013, 2018 and 2023) to assess digital literacy of students in grade 8 (or equivalent) in several countries using multi-level regression analyses. We compare patterns and international trends in social inequalities in digital literacy with those in other fundamental competencies over (approximately) the same time period. To do this, we use data on students’ reading and mathematics skills from the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) of 2015, 2018 and 2022. First results confirm that digital literacy is unevenly distributed within and across countries. The patterns of social inequality we find are broadly consistent with those for traditional competencies, although the degree of social inequality appears to be somewhat lower for digital literacy. Average levels of both digital literacy and other basic competencies have declined between study cycles while inequality has remained stable or even increased. Conventional policies to increase digital literacy seem.

Scheduled seminars

30.09.2025 Jan Stuhler - Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
14.10.2025 Juan Pablo Rud - Royal Hollaway
20.10.2025 Mark Boyes / Elizabeth Hill - Curtin University (Extraordinary seminar )
21.10.2025 Wieteke Conen - UvA
11.11.2025 Jan-Paul Heisig - WZB / FU Berlin
25.11.2025 Paula Protsch - BIBB / Univ. Cologne
09.12.2025 Mantej Pardesi - ROA / Maastricht University