Share your thoughts and experiences about digital literacy, for example:
Source resource: https://learn.saylor.org/mod/page/view.php?id=19541
I’m blessed to have been able to grow up with a generation who acquired digital literacies as we had computers in the classroom. #lida101
Agreed -having grown up with computers in the classroom makes a huge difference in having a frame of reference and foundation to build digital literacies for the future. At the same time, technology changes at an incredible pace. In your experience, are there new technologies that have evolved since leaving the classroom that required the acquisition of “new” digital literacies?
Yes cell phones but it’s more like how much rechy they are… Just the decisions you make like allowing things access to contacts because you just never know…
Digital literacy matters to me because in a world as technologically advanced as we are people need to be able to operate these devices properly. If used right we save our selves time and money.
From what I’ve gathered thus far:
Digital Skills are the How
Digital Literacy is the Who, What and Why
Digital Fluency is the When and Where
Digital Skill seems to be the foundation for Digital Literacy, like Reading is the foundation for Literacy.
While DIgital Fluency is the extention of the use of Digital Skill&Literacy, showing wisdom and confidence in using digital technology, for example by correctly understanding and using copyrighted material or citing sources while using diverse application and media.
I found the terms digital skills, literacy and fluency are ill-defined and overlapping. Different writers use the terms in ways that are subtly different or even entirely contradictory.
My broad brush definitions would be that digital skills are the ‘technical’ proficiencies that allow a user to access digital media, tools and resources. For example, being familiar with the operation of a web browser, recognising standard user interface conventions or the basics of search engines.
By contrast, digital literacy implies the thoughtful application of digital skills to acquire, create and distribute information. In this I would include some ability to make judgements about the relative merits of sources, the ability to create content appropriate to the audience and purpose, and the selection of tools to achieve an end.
Digital fluency is perhaps the most difficult term to define. By analogy with language, we might consider it to be demonstrated by ease of use in a wide variety of contexts. Translating this to digital fluency one might look for the use of a wide range of tools and resources, the critical assessment of sources and the ability to synthesise information with ease. This does not, however, capture the essence of the term which seems to carry an implication of ‘naturalness’ in the navigation and exploitation of the digital sphere.
I was somewhat surprised in researching these terms to discover how difficult it was to find or produce clear definitions. Although the terms are in common use not only in academic and educational circles but by the general public there is little agreement on the nuances of each. Although I was able to reach some broad conclusion my interpretations are not universally applicable. When reading any literature on the subject, therefore, it is important to consider how the author is using the terms.