Defining digital literacy (original) (raw)
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What is 'digital literacy'? A Pragmatic investigation
Digital literacy has been an increasingly-debated and discussed topic since the publication of Paul Gilster’s seminal Digital Literacy in 1997. It is, however, a complex term predicated on previous work in new literacies such as information literacy and computer literacy. To make sense of this complexity and uncertainty I come up with a ‘continuum of ambiguity’ and employ a Pragmatic methodology. This thesis makes three main contri butions to the research area. First, I argue that considering a plurality of digital literacies helps avoid some of the problems of endlessly-redefining ‘digital literacy’. Second, I abstract eight essential elements of digital literacies from the research literature which can lead to positive action. Finally, I argue that co-constructing a definition of digital literacies (using the eight essential elements as a guide) is at least as important as the outcome.
Digital Literacy Concepts and Definitions: Implications for Educational Assessment and Practice
This article presents a scan of the concept of "digital literacy" and discusses issues encountered in the literature, including: a) challenges in the research base for conceptualizing digital literacy, b) the multiplicity of frameworks which attempt to situate digital literacy but lack sound theoretical origins, and c) wide disagreement among stakeholder disciplines, including education, media studies, library information studies and computing/ICT studies as to what specific skills or knowledge should fall under the umbrella term of digital literacy. The review focuses on the field of education and briefly examines the inconsistent local, national, and international curriculum standards used to both instruct and assess students. It concludes with a presentation of a brief assessment tool, the Software Recognition Test, which preliminary research suggests has predictive validity for educational use and could, with further development, be used for low stakes assessment of digital literacy for K-12 or post-secondary settings.
Digital Literacy: Definition, Theoretical Framework, and Competencies
COERC 2012, 2012
This paper offers an overview of existing definitions and theoretical frameworks for digital literacy. The researcher makes recommendations for an agreed upon definition and theoretical framework and discusses implications for a relationship between digital and visual literacy skills. For some time now, new perspectives on literacy, and the learning processes through which literacy is acquired, has been emerging (Herbert, 1991). While there is agreement that a new set of 21st-century skills involving technologies are needed for literacy, there is little consensus about precisely what knowledge and abilities are necessary for people to be digitally literate (Ba, Tally, & Tsikalas, 2002). To obtain a consensus, there must be an agreed upon definition for digital literacy and an identification of its particular competencies. For this to happen, two initial steps must be taken: (a) Begin the development of an instrument designed to identify the major dimensions of digital literacy, and (b) conduct an initial validation study of this instrument. This paper offers an overview of existing digital literacy definitions, frameworks, and competencies; makes recommendations for the refinement of a digital literacy model that includes visual literacy as a core skill; and discusses implications for a relationship between digital and visual literacy skills. Purpose As technology pervades every aspect of our lives, the ability to navigate and successfully accomplish tasks through technology grows. Whether you are in primary, secondary, or postsecondary school, and whether you are employed or entering retirement, it is now necessary to have some technology skills both to communicate with the outside world and to perform administrative, creative, and educative tasks. The continued increase and use of online media content for information gathering also challenges the learner to organize and compose information in a nonlinear fashion while often integrating visual media to synthesize that information. This skill set is commonly called digital literacy. Digital literacy refers to the assortment of cognitive-thinking strategies that consumers of digital information utilize (Eshet, 2004). Other terms used alongside or sometimes synonymously with digital literacy include: 21 st-century literacies, Internet literacies, multiliteracies, information literacy, information communication technologies (ICT) literacies, computer literacy, and online reading comprehension (ORC). Each term has particular definitions, but common assumptions bring them together under the same theoretical umbrella of new literacies. Leu, Zawilinski, Castek, Banerjee, Housand, Liu, and O'Neil (2007) conclude that most new literacies, including digital literacy, share four assumptions: (a) new literacies include the new skills, strategies, dispositions, and social practices that are required by new technologies for information and communication; (b) new literacies are central to full participation in a global community; (c) new literacies regularly change as their defining technologies change; and (d) new literacies are multifaceted and our understanding of them benefits from multiple points of view. Leu, O'Byrne, Zawilinski, McVerry, and Everett-Cacopardo (2009) describe how new
Digital literacy: The quest of an inclusive definition
Reading & Writing
Forces of globalisation and economic competition enhanced by, among others, the digital technologies, are radically transforming the social context. Digital technologies are characterised by a powerful and pervasive Internet as well as the related information and communication technologies. Globalisation is facilitated by the universally accessible, reliable and inexpensive communication assisted by these digital technologies. However, there is growing and valid scepticism regarding the digitally influenced socio-economic emancipation. This scepticism is mainly driven by a lack of understanding of digital literacy as a holistic process of creating the necessary social, economic and political changes within a given context. The understanding of digital literacy therefore needs to join a number of seemingly divergent views of digital technology when dealing with these technologies’ benefits in socio-economic emancipation. This understanding of digital literacy should therefore be shap...
Thinking in the Digital Era: A Revised Model for Digital Literacy
Issues in Informing Science & Information Technology, Volume 9 (2012), 2012
Having digital literacy requires more than just the ability to use software or to operate a digital device; it includes a large variety of complex skills such as cognitive, motoric, sociological and emotional skills that users need to master in order to use digital environments effectively. Unfortunately, the research on digital literacy lacks a well-established theoretical framework. This paper presents an updated version of the skills-based theoretical framework, published by Eshet-Alkalai in 2004–adding to it a sixth skill ( ...
Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 2006
Digital literacy is increasingly being identified as a formal educational goal. While mainstream definitions vary in detail, the scope and meaning of digital literacy are rarely seen as problematic. This paper argues that typical mainstream accounts of digital literacy are seriously flawed. Rather than conceiving digital literacy as some unitary phenomenon it is better to think in terms of diverse digital literacies. The paper concludes by identifying some implications of this argument for educational policy, pedagogy and research.
Digital literacy for children: exploring definitions and frameworks
UNICEF, 2019
This paper presents the results of a scoping exercise on children's digital literacy that has been undertaken with the following objectives: • to understand the current digital literacy policy and practice landscape; • to highlight existing competence frameworks and how they can be adapted to UNICEF’s needs; • to analyse the needs and efforts of UNICEF country offices; and • to reflect on policy and programme recommendations, including a definition of digital literacy for UNICEF.
International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing, 2008
There is no doubt that digital literacy represents one of the most significant challenges of our times. Many of the commonly accepted realisations of "Digital Literacy" are concerned with the indisputable part-and-parcel relation of digital literacy to the phenomenon of 'digital divide'. Yet, one needs to ask: "Which may be the components and the characteristics of such a unique 'curriculum' that could be responsive to such a major socio-economical and political goal?". This paper attempts to consider in theoretical and practical terms the process of developing an educational framework for digital literacy through the embracement of participatory, bottom-up approaches. In particular, it is argued that the multifaceted task of developing a pan-European digital literacy framework may rest upon the construction of a functional and multifaceted network of education key-stakeholders, which will enable researchers, educationalists and policy makers to pursue the vision of a realistically inclusive pedagogy and a substantially progressive school.
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Nutrition & Dietetics, 2012
To describe the acceptance of DietAdvice, an automated dietary assessment website, by its stakeholders. Methods: One-month evaluation study using audio-recorded telephone interviews with 10 patients who had used DietAdvice, 10 dietitians, 10 general practitioners who recruited many patients and 10 general practitioners who recruited few or no patients to the website to obtain their beliefs and opinions about DietAdvice, health, nutrition and technology. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed for categorical themes using NVivo software. Results: Patients were concerned about Internet difficulties and had a preference for face-to-face interviews and dietitians felt that DietAdvice could save time prior to dietary education and counselling. Recruiting general practitioners believed that patient computer literacy was a limitation, although increased availability of dietary services created by DietAdvice. Non-recruiting general practitioners felt that they had a lack of time available to recruit patients, patient computer literacy was limited and there was a need for face-to-face contact. Conclusion: The perspectives of patients and health-care providers show variation based on their experience with DietAdvice, their focus on nutrition and their role in the health-care system. Automated technologies are likely to play a significant part in the future of dietetics.
Technology Integration in Teacher Education
Advances in Educational Marketing, Administration, and Leadership
This study examined the availability of computers and internet in the classroom or elsewhere at teacher colleges, teacher preparation and training in technology integration, as well as trainers' use of technology in classroom instruction. A survey questionnaire was distributed randomly to 63 teacher trainers from three public and one private teacher training college in Kenya. The data was analyzed descriptively using SPSS software. The results indicated that technology integration at the classroom level was too low due to lack of computers and internet access in the classrooms. Teacher trainers were inadequately trained in information and communication technology integration and therefore poorly equipped to integrate technology in the classroom. The study concludes that teacher colleges were not adequately prepared for ICT integration in teaching and learning. It is recommended that teacher colleges' ICT infrastructure be improved and teacher trainers' capacity on ICT in...
The civic potential of memes and hashtags in the lives of young people
Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
Young people today are immersed in digital culture: often considered savvy navigators of online ecosystems and adept at using everyday technologies to share, create and express. These technologies are often seen as social and personal tools instead of spaces for meaningful participation. This paper shares the results of an investigation in young people's attitudes towards popular social communication modalitiesmemes and hashtagsfor civic purposes. The study employs Emerging Citizens: a suite of digital literacy tools and accompanying learning content that teach people of all ages how to critique and create hashtags and memes. This inquiry explores how young people perceive memes and hashtags as relevant avenues for civic expression, and the impact that a digital literacy intervention can have on youth attitudes. An analysis of the student experience using the Emerging Citizens tools and reflection of their creations finds that digital literacy interventions impact young people's perceptions of popular social modalities for civic impact.
Penerapan Literasi pada Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun Sebagai Upaya Persiapan Masuk Ke Jenjang SD/MI
Jurnal Obsesi : Jurnal Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini, 2022
Strategi guru merupakan unsur penting dalam proses pembelajaran. Mengenalkan konsep dasar literasi kepada anak usia dini sebagai bekal memasuki jenjang pendidikan selanjutnya, selain itu, anak juga dituntut paham tentang konsep literasi. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui strategi guru untuk mengenalkan konsep dasar literasi pada anak kelompok B usia 5-6 tahun di TK Pertiwi Cawas IV sebagai persiapan memasuki SD/MI. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan observasi, wawancara dan dokumentasi. Analisis data menggunakan trianggulasi teknik dan trianggulasi sumber. Hasil Penelitian menunjukan bahwa guru menggunakan beberapa strategi untuk mengenalkan konsep dasar literasi diantaranya strategi belajar langsung atau melalui bermain, melibatkan orang tua dalam kegiatan pembelajaran, bercerita, pemanfaatan media digital. Adapun faktor yang mempengaruhi guru untuk menggunakan strategi dalam mengenalkan konsep dasar l...
Importance of Digital Literacy and Hindrance Brought About by Digital Divide
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fifth Edition, 2021
This century has seen one of the most rapid advancements in technology, and more innovative devices spawn every year. In particular, technology in the form of digital media is being used as a medium, such as for buying and selling, education, information exchange, and communication. It is vital to understand the importance of digital literacy. Digital literacy is steadily rising across the globe, giving a good indication of progress. However, one of the major hindrances to digital literacy is the digital divide. Across the globe, the former is able to reap the full benefits of media platforms while the latter would still succumb to the old ways, halting progress. The digital divide is a phenomenon that must be overcome to prevent the uneven rate of digital literacy. This paper argues that having a certain degree of digital literacy is important in both developing and developed countries. With the digital divide significantly hurdling the progress of digital literacy, the paper would...
Strategic illiteracies: the long game of technology refusal and disconnection
Communication Theory
Disconnection and avoidance have been theorized various ways, e.g., by analyzing communicative and non-communicative affordances of devices and platforms; categorizing tactics and patterns of non-use; and through analogy with historical ways of seeking solitude and resisting technologies. This article, however, treats history not only as a source of analogies for momentary disconnections, but also as a timescale on which to understand slower undercurrents of resistance. I define “strategic illiteracies” as: purposeful, committed refusals to learn expected communication and technology skills, not only as individual people in specific moments, but also in communities over time. This concept connects technology refusal to historical lineages of resistance to linguistic and orthographic imperialism, analyzing examples including the Greek alphabet in antiquity, Chinese characters in Asia, and the Latin alphabet through European colonization. This new framework and genealogy of avoidance ...
Digital Competences of Pre-service Teachers in Italy and Poland
Technology, Knowledge and Learning
The aim of this research was to compare the level of digital competence of future pedagogical staff (students of pedagogical faculties) in Italy and Poland. The research was conducted using original measurement tools and knowledge tests. The triangulation of techniques and research tools made possible the determination of the level of knowledge of the positive and negative features of the development of the information society, as well as the proficiency and frequency of use of the most popular websites and software. The research was conducted in the first half of 2022 using stratified sampling in both countries (N = 1209, IT = 604, PL = 605). Based on the data collected, it was noted that: (1) Pre-service teachers most often use software such as word processors and presentation creation tools; (2) This group very rarely uses software to create web pages, create visual material, or edit video; (3) The least problematic software that students use are word processors and multimedia pr...
Advanced Education
The purpose of this study was to measure the ICT competency levels and academic self-efficacy perception levels of preservice teachers and to determine if those levels were a significant predictor of their academic self-efficacy. For this purpose, the data were obtained from 411 volunteer students studying in the second, third, and fourth grades of the Teacher Training Undergraduate Programs at Erzincan Binali Yıldırım University Education Faculty. In total, 133 male and 278 female students participated in the study. As data collection tools, the Personal Information Form, the Information and Communication Technology Competencies Scale for Pre-service Teachers (ICTC-PT) developed by Tondeur et al. (2017) and adapted to Turkish language and culture by Alkan and Sarıkaya (2018) as well as the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES) developed by Kandemir (2010) were used. The Personal Information Form included information regarding department, grade, gender, and GPA. The reliability analys...
Digital Citizenship as New Culture Policy Through Public Affairs Perspective
Handbook of Research on Examining Cultural Policies Through Digital Communication, 2019
Relation can be defined as the expectations of parties from each other with regard to their actions, depending on the type of interaction between them. Awareness, effect, benefit, and reciprocity of actions are the components of successful relations. Relationship management in public relations encompasses the development, sustainability, promotion, and maintenance of mutual benefit relations between institutions and their target groups. The purpose of relationship management is to build relations and form communities. The change in our life culture has also transformed the modes of corporate communication and obliged the realization of sustainable relationship management with publics. Hence, in this chapter, all dimensions of digital citizenship as a new culture policy and different ways that publics meet their needs will be discussed. In this sense, the activities of Turkish Telecom Corporation related to digital citizenship will be analyzed.
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Digital Literacy in Theory and Practice
Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition, 2018
The concept of digital literacy must be understood in the context of “literacies” writ broadly. Contemporary understandings of literacy have expanded the traditional definition that includes reading and writing (possibly also including numeracy and oralcy), to include interpretive and creative abilities or competencies across a range of texts, in written and other forms. Digital literacy, from a pragmatic point of view, is the set of skills, knowledge and attitudes required to access digital information effectively, efficiently, and ethically. It includes knowing how to evaluate digital information, and how to use it in decision-making. Digital literacy certainly has the potential to contribute to far-reaching and important personal and societal consequences. Thus, increasing focus on development of digital literacy, however defined, should be a policy priority for all sectors.
Shifting landscapes of digital literacy
The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy
This paper explores how changing digital literacy practices in educational contexts require that we continually revisit conceptualisations of digital literacy education. We begin by analysing the positions taken by stakeholders who contribute to digital literacy discourses in Australia, exploring how competing interests produce effects which manifest in ways that differently consecrate social and cultural practice in the digital age. We advocate the need for pedagogic frameworks that support digital literacy education. Existing approaches tend to privilege the operationalisation of digital technology. By contrast, teaching is needed which focusses on meaning-making and creating. However, the ‘datafication of everyday life’ (Barassi, 2018, p.170) has included extraordinary interventions into schooling that have significant implications for teachers and students. We argue that preparing young people for digital citizenship must include a focus on critical digital literacies that are r...
Digital literacy – towards a re description of literacy for the digital learning environments
The concepts of ‘digital literacy’ and ‘digital competence’ are the focus in this paper. The paper will argue that the traditional concepts regarding literacy need to be re described and augmented when faced with the challenges and affordances of the digital learning environments. The paper will suggest a theoretical framework for how to understand the ways in which young people include digital technologies into their social and cultural practices. Some examples from the empirical material will be shown. The traditional concepts of literacy will be juxtaposed to the development of the digital practices that are being developed in parallel by the learners themselves outside the control and influence of the classroom.
Developing Digital Literacy for Teaching and Learning
Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education, 2022
Digital literacy is a critical competence for empowering citizenship in a digital world. It has become a key element in teaching and learning across the different educational stages that has been addressed since the last decade of the twentieth century within the field of open, distance, and digital education. The literature so far has not agreed on a common definition, but multiple international, national, and even local, frameworks exist to foster digital literacy and to evaluate and certificate it, especially with a focus on educators and students in different educational levels, but also with the citizen perspective. These frameworks are
Digital literacy: An analysis of the contemporary paradigms
… . org/IJSTER (c). Int. …, 2010
Digital (computer) literacy is the new title for 'educated'. Both teachers and students have no option but to acquire a level of computer-literacy to catch up with the growing digital societies. Governments and higher education institutions (mHEIs) are making all out ...
The Push-Pull of Digital Literacy
2019
Digital literacy within higher education was originally grounded in Gilster's (1997) definition that essentially framed it as information literacy using technologies. This has necessarily evolved over the past two decades in conjunction with rapid technological advances. Digital literacy concepts have attempted to match the changing landscape engendered by ubiquitous and ever more available technologies, where cybersecurity and accessibility, multimodal communication channels, and push-pull models of information delivery impact the way we learn, work and play. A dizzying plethora of digital literacy definitions has emerged, with no common understanding of what it means or what skills and capabilities it reflects. Concomitantly, there is no one digital literacy framework that is unilaterally accepted. Recognising that digital literacy underpins teaching and research, regardless of discipline, Deakin University has positioned digital literacy as a core graduate learning outcome. A 2012 definition and a 2015 framework, developed collaboratively by the Library and Faculty over a three year period, currently guides Deakin's digital literacy teaching. However, awareness of the changing nature of digital literacy has prompted a reconsideration of definitions and frameworks. A cross-divisional team of librarians and academics have reviewed the framework and are in the process of extending it to capture the broader understanding of digital literacy, moving away from an information literacy focussed version. The ultimate goal of the project is to find good practice within the Deakin context for building digital literacy capabilities in students by creating nuanced and modifiable frameworks at AQF7-10 levels that can guide curriculum (re)development.
Digitally Literate: Framework for the Development of Digital Literacy
The development of information and communication technology is placing the need for the acquisition of digital skills at the same level of the acquisition of conventional reading and calculus competences. The importance of being digitally literate increases as society becomes progressively more digital. This paper explores the concept of digital literacy and it intends to develop a framework for the development and dissemination of digital literacy as well as to propose a survey that will throughout time provide an assessment of individuals' digital skills. It begins by examining the various definitions of digital literacies and proceeds then to a discussion of what is being done to promote them and what can be done to improve their dissemination. The framework this paper proposes is composed of three core elements: access to technology, education and culture. The survey it recommends is an European Union-wide instrument of digital literacy measurement.
TripleC, 2019
The present contribution conducts an intervention in the study and practice of digital and media literacy. After reviewing key tenets of recent debates, I advance a specific understanding of the concept-critical digital literacy-that, as I argue, comprehensively addresses issues of knowledge, competencies, and skills in relation to digital technologies. In particular, I posit that critical thinking about educational and other values of 'the digital' needs to take structural aspects of the technology into account that are often eschewed in instrumental or commercially-driven approaches. To prepare pupils for their future lives requires a widest possible contextualisation of technology, including issues of exploitation, commodification, and degradation in digital capitalism. Finally, I make concrete suggestions for constructive uses of technology in teaching and learning. Acknowledgement: I would like to thank Hilde Brox (UiT Tromsø) and Michael Meyen, Mandy Tröger, Kerem Schamberger, Natalie Berner, Daria Gordeieva, and Sevda Can Arslan (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) for their comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. Many thanks also to Robert W. Gehl and a second anonymous reviewer for their excellent suggestions and constructive criticism.
International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing, 2015
There is no doubt that digital literacy represents one of the most significant challenges of our times. Many of the commonly accepted realisations of "Digital Literacy" are concerned with the indisputable part-and-parcel relation of digital literacy to the phenomenon of 'digital divide'. Yet, one needs to ask: "Which may be the components and the characteristics of such a unique 'curriculum' that could be responsive to such a major socio-economical and political goal?". This paper attempts to consider in theoretical and practical terms the process of developing an educational framework for digital literacy through the embracement of participatory, bottom-up approaches. In particular, it is argued that the multifaceted task of developing a pan-European digital literacy framework may rest upon the construction of a functional and multifaceted network of education key-stakeholders, which will enable researchers, educationalists and policy makers to pursue the vision of a realistically inclusive pedagogy and a substantially progressive school.
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