Are you digitally literate?

The term digital literacy is not something new. Information is provided on "computer literacy" which dates back from the 1980s, what nowadays came to be known as "digital literacy". Digital literacy includes, but goes beyond, simple technology skills. It includes a deeper understanding of, and ultimately the ability to create a wide range of content with various digital tools.

Established and internationally accepted definitions of digital literacy are generally built on three principles: (1)

• the skills and knowledge to use a variety of digital media software applications and hardware devices, such as a computer, a mobile phone, and Internet technology; 

• the ability to critically understand digital media content and applications; 

• the knowledge and capacity to create with digital technology.

So, why is it important to be digitally literate? We need to be able to comprehend, contextualize, and critically evaluate digital media, since it is digital media content and its applications that reflect, shape, enhance or manipulate our perceptions, beliefs, and feelings about the world around us. We should be able to effectively communicate using a variety of digital media tools. Knowing how to use different tools will allow us to adapt communication to various contexts and audiences; to create and communicate using rich media such as images, video, and sound, blogs and discussion forums, video and photo sharing, social gaming, and other forms of social media.

In the case of teaching English, Corbel and Gruba (2004, p.1) state that “for English teachers, there is a great urgency to look beyond traditional forms of print media in order to consider how we prepare students for careers that require active participation in the new literacies of the digital age". Therefore ICTs are the learning and teaching tool of the 21st century.

Sources:

Digital Literacies

Digital Literacy in Canada. From Inclusion to Transformation

Towards Information Literacy Indicators, Page 18.
(1)National Broadband Plan Connecting America Section 9.3, Digital Britain Media Literacy Working Group Section 3.16, Australia’s Digital Economy: Future Directions, p. 44.