Pretesting of special module on ICT at work, working conditions & learning digital skills (English Version) - Cognitive Online Pretest

Abstract:

The Community survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals is an annual survey conducted since 2002, collecting data on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), the internet, e-government and electronic skills in households and by individuals.
The subject of this pretest is a module on ICT at work, working conditions and learning digital skills that should be featured in the 2018 survey.
The questions were tested in a cognitive online pretest via web probing.

*Note: The items were tested both in English and German.*

Citation:

Meitinger, K., Neuert, C., Beitz, C., & Menold, N. (2016): Pretesting of special module on ICT at work, working conditions & learning digital skills (English Version). Cognitive Online Pretest. GESIS Project Reports. Version: 1.0. GESIS - Pretestlab. Text.

DOI:

http://doi.org/10.17173/pretest47
Question
No.
Pretesting Results Type Construct
1 English version: Have you used any website or app to arrange a transport service (e.g. by car) from another individual in the last 12 months?

German version: Haben Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten eine Website oder App genutzt, um eine Fahrdienstleistung (z. B. mit dem Auto) bei einer anderen Privatperson zu buchen?
Single Question Usage of websites to arrange transport services
2 English version: In the last 12 months, have you used any internet platform/app (e.g. Upwork, TaskRabbit, Amazon Mechanical Turk…) as an intermediary for you to obtain regular or occasional paid work to carry out in a self-employed capacity?

German version: Haben Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten eine Internet-Plattform / App (z.B. Upwork, TaskRabbit, Amazon Mechanical Turk) als Vermittler genutzt, um für Sie selbst in einer selbstständigen Erwerbstätigkeit regelmäßig oder gelegentlich ausgeführte, bezahlte Arbeit zu erhalten?
Single Question Usage of online services to obtain work
3 English version: Think about your main paid job: Do you use computers, laptops, smartphones, or other computerised equipment at work?

German Version: Denken Sie an Ihre Hauptbeschäftigung: Verwenden Sie Computer, Laptops, Smartphones oder andere computergesteuerter Ausstattung bei der Arbeit?
Single Question Usage of ICT for working activities
4 English version: How often do you actively use such equipment at work?

German version: Wie oft nutzen Sie diese Geräte bei der Arbeit?
Single Question Frequency of ICT usage for working activities
5 English version: How often have the following activities been part of your main paid job, in the last 12 months?

German version: Wie oft waren die folgenden Internet-Aktivitäten in den letzten 12 Monaten Teil Ihrer bezahlten Hauptbeschäftigung?
Multi-Item Scale Frequency of performing ICT activities at work
6 English version: In the last 12 months, did you have to learn how to use new software (programmes and applications)?

German version: Mussten Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten lernen, eine neue Software zu nutzen (Programme und Anwendungen)?
Single Question Learning new software at work
7 English version: In the last 12 months, have the main tasks of your job changed as a result of the introduction of new software (programmes and applications)?

German version: Haben sich Ihre Hauptaufgaben am Arbeitsplatz in den letzten 12 Monaten als Folge der Einführung neuer Software (Programme und Anwendungen) verändert?
Single Question Changes in main tasks of job
8 English version: Over the past year, have you been involved in choosing, improving or otherwise modifying the software (programmes and applications) used for work in your department or organisation?

German version: Haben Sie im vergangenen Jahr daran mitgewirkt, in Ihrer Abteilung oder Organisation arbeitsbezogene Software (Programme und Anwendungen) auszuwählen, zu verbessern oder anderweitig zu modifizieren?
Single Question Involvement in software selection
9 English version: Which of the following statements would best describe your digital skills at work?

German version: Welche der folgenden Aussagen beschreibt am besten Ihre digitalen Kompetenzen am Arbeitsplatz?
Single Question Assessment of own digital skills
10 English version: In the last 12 months, did the usage of computers, laptops, smartphones, or other computerised equipment at work increase or reduce any of the following job characteristics, if any?

German version: Haben sich in den letzten 12 Monaten bei der Arbeit durch die Nutzung von Computern, Laptops, Smartphones und anderer computergesteuerter Ausstattung die folgenden Stellenmerkmale erhöht oder verringert, wenn überhaupt?
Multi-Item Scale Impact of ICT on job characteristics
11 English version: In the last 12 months, did the usage of computers, laptops, smartphones, or other computerised equipment have a positive or a negative effect on your work-life balance, if any?

German version: Hatte die Nutzung von Computern, Laptops, Smartphones und anderer computergesteuerter Ausstattung während der letzten 12 Monate einen positiven oder einen negativen Effekt auf Ihre Work-Life-Balance, wenn überhaupt?
Single Question Effect of ICT usage at work on work-life-balance
12 English version: Have you undergone any of the following learning activities to improve your digital skills during the past 12 months?

German version: Haben Sie in den letzten 12 Monaten an einer der folgenden (Weiter-) Bildungs/ Trainingsmaßnahmen zur Verbesserung Ihrer digitalen Kenntnisse teilgenommen?
Single Question Learning activities to improve digital skills
13 English version: In which of the following domains did you undertake the training?

German version: In welchen der folgenden Themengebiete haben Sie an den Bildungsmaßnahmen teilgenommen?
Single Question Domain of training

Number of Participants:

145

Selection of Target Population/Quotas:

Quota sample.
This online-pretest was fielded in Great Britain and Germany. Half of the respondents were British (n=75), the other half were German (n=70). Due to the substantive topic of this pretest (ICT usage at work), the target population was employees and self-employed respondents.
The selection of the target population was based on the quotas age (18 to 65 years in three groups: 18 – 30; 31 – 50; 51 – 65), gender (male; female), and education (lower; higher education). In addition, a minimum of 20 percent of respondents in each country was expected to be self-employed.

Test Date:

10/2016 - 11/2016

Survey mode:

CAWI

Pretest mode:

Web Probing

Procedure:

Usage of an online-questionnaire with additional open and closed probing-questions (Web Probing)

Incentive for respondents:

1.50 Euros

Project Description:

The Community survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals is an annual survey conducted since 2002, collecting data on the use of information and communication technologies (ICT), the internet, e-government and electronic skills in households and by individuals.
The Pretest lab of GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (Germany) was assigned the task to conduct a cognitive online pretest of the special module on ICT at work, working conditions and learning digital skills by the European Commission. The main goals of this pretest were to support DG CONNECT in the context of developing a special module to feature in the 2018 EU survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals, help ensure robustness of the methodological approach and thus validity of potential responses, and to help to improve the formulation of questionnaire items to ensure an unambiguous understanding thereof.

Client:

European Commission
Guillermo Hernández

Pretest Report (English): Link mit Abbildung für pdf Datei Download Citation: Meitinger, K., Neuert, C., Beitz, C., & Menold, N. (2016): Pretesting of special module on ICT at work, working conditions & learning digital skills (English Version). Cognitive Online Pretest. GESIS Project Reports. Version: 1.0. GESIS - Pretestlab. Text.