Introduction to digital literacy

• Digital literacy


  A term referring to the ability to navigate and communicate through different digital environments
• We increasingly communicate and access information through a variety of digital environments
• Our workplaces, social lives and educational settings all require some form of competence in digital literacy
• Digital literacy


  Not just about knowing how to use technology, but about navigating and communicating through different digital environments
• Digital literacy skills


  • Turning a computer on
  • Locating and completing an online job application
• The extent in which you participate in different aspects of the digital world is often shaped by your personal need for the information and opportunities that it provides
• 90% of new graduate jobs require high level Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills
• The jobs market is very competitive and changeable and having the right digital literacy skills is essential to employability
• Students need to have digital literacy skills alongside their qualifications, to help them become employable when they graduate
• New ways to learn

  1. Searching through physical texts

  2. Accessing information and research instantly via the web

  3. Using video, audio and images for teaching and student assignments

  4. Submitting assessed work electronically and receiving feedback online

  5. Communicating and collaborating on content through online platforms
• With new opportunities come new requirements and responsibilities for everybody
• Digital literacy skills will get more necessary as technology develops, particularly as cultures, languages and different modes of communication overlap and intersect
• We all need to be prepared to understand and embrace this new digital landscape and be confident and competent in guiding our future generations through it
• In today's, students cannot operate without digital devices and hence digital literacy is a necessity
• Digital literacy enables students to

  • Access information for learning
  • Use technology to complete school tasks
  • Evaluate the information they come across online
  • Communicate effectively
  • Use technology ethically
• This video provides a simple overview on what digital literacy is and why it is relevant to students
• Before you watch this video, think of 3 reasons why you think digital literacy is important to you as a student which have not been mentioned above