Most researchers and educators have used a construct approach to evaluate computer ability or literacy. A prototypical measure assesses programming ability, application software skill, and computer awareness. This kind of measure is often viewed as a final product, rather than a pedagogical tool. It is argued that the fundamental basis of computer ability measures has to be altered in order to (a) address a rapidly evolving computer software market and (b) take advantage of significant advances made in instruction and cognitive science. A more fundamentally useful metric of computer ability can be developed using process-oriented methodology. This new metric, comprised of actual learning activities, helps provide a comprehensive and coherent understanding of how a person interacts with a computer. Metaphors and constraints based on an extensive core of intelligence assessment research are used (a) to illustrate how theorists have looked at computer ability and (b) to provide guidelines for developing more useful ability measures. A microgenetic approach is offered as one promising example of a process-oriented method that could produce a richer metric of computer ability for researchers and educators. (Keywords: learning, methodology, computer ability)
