What is digital literacy?

Response to module 2- Digital literacy

While the term literacy is quite simply explained as being an individual’s ability to read and write (Heitin, 2016). When the word ‘digital’ is added in front of literacy you would assume it would mean an individual’s ability to read and write with the aid of technology, however it is not that simple!

Digital literacy is a difficult and broad term to grapple with and I have found various definitions on the term. Deakin University (n.d.) explains digital literacy as involving the “finding, using and disseminating information in a digital world” (p.2). While in Paul Gilster’s book Digital Literacy (1997) he defines it as being "the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers”. The American Library Association's explains digital literacy as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills” (Heitin, 2016, para. 4).

Due to the sheer complexity and ambiguity of the term Doug Belshaw (2011) wrote his own thesis titled ‘What is digital literacy?’ in his aim to answer this very question. Belshaw (2011) claims that in short it is “…a convenient hypocrisy” (p.223). By this he explains that the “…term is used ambiguously by people with a multitude of different backgrounds and intentions” (Belshaw, 2011, p.223). Belshaw believes that the term should be plural and referred to as digital literacies as one literacy does not rule it (Belshaw, 2011, p.223). He says that the digital world is constantly changing and so we need a variety of literacies which are functional, critical and creative in order to navigate the digital landscape (Anyangwe, 2012).

Sarah Knight (2011) sums up the term digitals literacy quite … as being the “…capabilities that equip an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society” (para. 1). In Anyangwe’s article (2012) Joe Frasner successfully explains digital literacy through an equation, saying that digital tool knowledge plus critical thinking plus social engagement all come together to equal digital literacies. I have attached this slide from Heather Sim’s presentation (n.d.) ‘The power of the digital literacies’ as it accurately explains these three components of digital literacy.  

References:

Anyangwe, E. (2012, May 16). 20 Ways of thinking about digital literacy in higher education. The guardian. Retrieved from

Belshaw, D. (2011). What is digital literacy? A pragmatic investigation (Doctoral thesis, Durham University, Durham, England). Retrieved from http://neverendingthesis.com/doug-belshaw-edd-thesis-final.pdf

Deakin University. (n.d.). Digital Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/38006/digital-literacy.pdf

Gilster, P. (1997). Digital Literacy. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Heitin, L. (2016, November 8). What is Digital Literacy? Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/11/09/what-is-digital-literacy.html

Knight, S. (2011, December 15). Digital literacy can boost employability and improve student experience. The guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2011/dec/15/digital-literacy-employability-student-experience

Sims, H. (n.d.). The power of digital literacy. Presentation on comprehensive user education to successfully navigate the internet [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from http://slideplayer.com/slide/6853667/