Digital literacy

Digital literacy is the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, and analyze information using digital technology. It involves a working knowledge of current high-technology, and an understanding of how it can be used. Digitally literate people can communicate and work more efficiently, especially with those who possess the same knowledge and skills.

Research around digital literacy is concerned with wider aspects associated with learning how to effectively find, use, summarize, evaluate, create, and communicate information while using digital technologies, not just being literate at using a computer.

Digital literacy encompasses computer hardware, software (particularly those used most frequently by businesses), the Internet, cell phones, PDAs, and other digital devices. A person using these skills to interact with society may be called a digital citizen.

Certifications

Official certification in digital literacy allows employees to validate their knowledge of digital media. Certification curricula often change as technology advances, making it necessary for many to re-certify to remain competitive.

ECDL Foundation, established by the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS), is the worldwide governing body and licensing authority for ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence) and ICDL (International Computer Driving Licence), a global standard in end-user computer skills, offering a high-quality certification designed and approved by international Subject Matter Experts and supported by governments, informatics societies, international organisations and corporations globally.

According to the ECDL Foundation website, ECDL Foundation works at local, national and international levels throughout the world to encourage policy makers, INGOs (International Non Governmental Organisations) and organisations to incorporate digital literacy training and certification into their policies, programmes and activities to promote the proficient use of ICT for the benefit of society and the economy as a whole.

The Global Digital Literacy Council (GDLC) establishes the curriculum for Certiport Internet and Core Computing Certification. The latest standard, Global Standard 3, was signed by the council on August 1, 2008. According to the GDLC Web site, "The development of the Global Standard 3 took over 9 months of research, data collection from 400+ subject matter experts from over 30 countries and final ratification from the members of the Global Digital Literacy Council."

Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³) is often considered a digital literacy standard among professionals and educators. It verifies a person's fundamental knowledge and skills of computers and using the Internet.

Use in the workforce

Those who are digitally literate are more likely to be economically secure. Many jobs require a working knowledge of computers and the Internet to perform basic functions. As wireless technology improves, more jobs require proficiency with cell phones and PDAs (sometimes combined into smart phones).

White collar jobs are increasingly performed primarily on computers and portable devices. Many of these jobs require proof of digital literacy to be hired or promoted. Sometimes companies will administer their own tests to employees, or official certification will be required.

As technology has become cheaper and more readily available, more blue-collar jobs have required digital literacy as well. Manufacturers and retailers, for example, are expected to collect and analyze data about productivity and market trends to stay competitive. Construction workers often use computers to increase employee safety.

Job recruiters often use employment Web sites to find potential employees, thus magnifying the importance of digital literacy in securing a job.

Use in education

Schools are continually updating their curriculum for digital literacy to keep up with accelerating technological developments. This often includes computers in the classroom, the use of educational software to teach curriculum, and course materials being available to students, online. Some classrooms are designed to use smartboards and audience response systems. These techniques are most effective when the teacher is digitally literate, as well.

Teachers often teach digital literacy skills to students who use computers for research. Such skills include verifying credible sources Online and how to cite Web sites. Google and Wikipedia are used by students "for everyday life research."

Educators are often required to be certified in digital literacy to teach certain software and, more prevalently, to prevent plagiarism amongst students.

Libraries are using games increasingly such as the Digital Literacy Contest to raise awareness about digital literacy.

Use in society

Digital literacy helps people communicate and keep up with societal trends. Literacy in social network services and Web 2.0 sites helps people stay in contact with others, pass timely information and even sell goods and services. This is mostly popular among younger generations, though sites like LinkedIn have made it valuable to older professionals.

Digital literacy also prevents from believing hoaxes that are spread Online or are the result of photo manipulation. E-mail frauds and phishing often take advantage of the digitally illiterate, costing victims money and making them vulnerable to identity theft.^{[citation needed]}

Research has demonstrated that the differences in the level of digital literacy depend mainly on age and education level, while the influence of gender is reducing (Hargittai, 2002; van Dijk, 2005; van Dijk and van Deursen, 2009). Among young people, in particular, digital literacy is high in its operational dimension (e.g. rapidly move through hypertext, familiarity with different kinds of online resources) while the skills to critically evaluate content found online show a deficit (Gui and Argentin, 2011).

Global impact

Government officials around the world have emphasized the importance of digital literacy for their economy. According to HotChalk, an Online resource for educators: "Nations with centralized education systems, such as China, are leading the charge and implementing digital literacy training programs faster than anyone else. For those countries, the news is good."

Many developing nations are also focusing on digital literacy education to compete globally.

Economically, socially and regionally marginalised people have benefited from the ECDL Foundation’s ECDL / ICDL programme through funding and support from Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, international development agency funding and non-governmental organisations(NGO’s).

The Philippines' Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has emphasized the importance of digital literacy in Filipino education. He claims a resistance to change is the main obstacle to improving the nation's education in the globalized world. In 2008, Lapus was inducted into Certiport's "Champions of Digital Literacy" Hall of Fame for his work to emphasize digital literacy.

The digital divide

Digital literacy and digital access have become increasingly important competitive differentiators. Bridging the economic and developmental divides is in large measure a matter of increasing digital literacy and access for peoples who have been left out of the information and communications technology (ICT) revolutions.

The United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID) seeks to address this set of issues at an international and global level. Many organizations (e.g. Per scholas for underserved communities in the United States and InterConnection for underserved communities around the world as well as the U.S.) focus on addressing this concern at national, local and community levels.

See also

• Multimedia literacy
• Computer literacy
• Information literacy
• New literacies
• Electracy
• Transliteracy
• Grammatology
• Constructivism

References

• Gui, M. & Argentin, G. (2011). Digital skills of internet natives: Different forms of digital literacy in a random sample of northern Italian high school students, New Media & Society. Volume 13 Issue 6 http://nms.sagepub.com/content/13/6/963

• Hargittai, E. (2002). Second-level digital divide: Differences in people’s online skills. First Monday 7(4).

• van Dijk, J (2005). The Deepening Divide. Inequality in The Information Society. London: Sage Publications.

• van Deursen, A. & van Dijk, J. (2009). Improving digital skills for the use of online public information and services. Government Information Quarterly (26): 333–340.

External links

• digitalliteracy.gov An initiative of the Obama Administration to serve as a valuable resource to practitioners who are delivering digital literacy training and services in their communities.
• ECDL Foundation ECDL Foundation is the global standards and certification body for the ECDL and ICDL end-user computer skills certification programmes.
• Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum Free digital literacy courses with examples from Microsoft software
• CEPIS A non-profit organisation seeking to improve and promote a high standard among Informatics Professionals in recognition of the impact that Informatics has on employment, business and society.
• Certiport Provider of digital literacy courses and certifications.
• Certiblog Official blog of Certiport.
• Council Overview Background and information about the Global Digital Literacy Council.
• Global Literacy HotChalk articles about digital literacy around the world.
• Champions of Digital Literacy Champions of Digital Literacy award recipients.
• Digital Literacy Contest A competition of digital literacy skills which libraries host for their patrons.