Adults' Uses of Computer Technology: Associations with Literacy Tasks

The present study examined data from a large, nationally representative sample—the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NCES, 2007)—to examine how computer use and Internet-based literacy practices (use of e-mail, searching for information on the Internet, and Internet chatting) were related to prose, document, and quantitative literacy scores. The moderating effects of gender and ethnicity with these practices were also assessed. Results indicated that, when controlling for potential confounding variables, the use of computers and engagement in Internet-based literacy practices was associated with higher scores on each of the three literacy tasks. Additionally, moderating effects were identified for gender and for ethnicity on several literacy tasks.