Digital literacy
From Digipedia
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Contents |
OVERVIEW
Digital literacy is the ability both to create or seek, evaluate and properly use content in a digital environment (with due regard to intellectual property and other rights) and to deploy the relevant devices effectively in that process. It has some overlap with Information literacy. When creating online content or digital devices consideration must be given to the level of digital literacy of the intended users.
Creative and knowledge economy
As economies develop from an industrial and manufacturing base to one requiring creative and knowledge based skills, governments recognise the need for their populations to become and remain digitally literate. The EU and member state have identified and prioritised digital literacy through the I2010 strategy. In place since 2006, i2010 has tracked progress of member states and amongst its findings for the first two years to 2008 are the ongoing needs to:
- invest further in ICT infrastructure
- focus on avoiding a digital divide
- capitalise on the scale of the single European consumer market
- address public opinion towards ICT
Digital literacy as a lifeskill
As a life and work skill digital literacy is increasingly a requirement. Not only for the use of systems such as word processing, email and spreadsheets in an office environment but also ancillary devices such as mobile phones PDAs and smart measuring devices in other settings where people increasing have to read and interpret data. In the home, digital switchover due to be completed in 2012 requires householders to be sufficiently competent if they are to continue to enjoy TV and radio.
Digital literacy and online learning
The roll-out of UK Online learning policy increasingly provides children in schools and young people in colleges and universities with access to software packages and some of the devices and software that they are likely to encounter later in life by embedding their use in the curriculum. The deployment of online learning platforms accessible in and outside school hours with personalised learning menus, means that learning can take place anytime and anywhere. For adults UK Online Centres provide an introduction to new technology with beginners' courses on the use of computers and related software and learndirect's online learning offer also supports the policy of lifelong learning, of which digital literacy, by the nature of its rapid evolution, is a part.
