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Home›EdTech & Innovation›What is Digital Literacy?

What is Digital Literacy?

By Matthew Lynch
June 4, 2017
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Every educator is familiar with the concept of literacy—the ability to read and write. A person who is illiterate, who cannot read or write, will inevitably struggle to get along in society. It’s impossible to go on to higher education or get a high-paying job without the ability to read and write. Even daily tasks, like reading a newspaper or filling out job applications, are difficult for an illiterate person.

In today’s world, literacy goes beyond just the basic ability to comprehend text. Today’s students will also need to master a new skill—digital literacy. Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.”

Digital literacy, by this definition, encompasses a wide range of skills, all of which are necessary to succeed in an increasingly digital world. As print mediums begin to die out, the ability to comprehend information found online becomes more and more important. Students who lack digital literacy skills may soon find themselves at just as much of a disadvantage as those who cannot read or write.

Because digital literacy is so important, educators are increasingly required to teach students digital literacy in the classroom. In many ways, this is similar to what educators have always done in teaching students to read and write. In other ways, however, digital literacy is a brand new skill.

Most students already use digital technology, such as tablets, smartphones, and computers, at home. Many students already know how to navigate the web, share images on social media, and do a Google search to find information. However, true digital literacy goes beyond these basic skills.

One of the most important components of digital literacy is the ability to not just find, but also to evaluate, information. This means finding the answer to a question or a bit of needed information and then judging whether the source is reliable. Educators can, and should, teach students how to tell whether information on the internet is true. The ability to weed out false information and find reliable sources is a key part of digital literacy and a crucial life skill in the 21st century.

Educators can start by teaching students how to find author information, dates of publication, and other information that can reveal whether an online source is reliable. Students should also learn to tell the difference between different types of websites. For example, a .com site may be less reliable than a .edu site. Understanding these differences is one example of digital literacy.

Learning how to locate information is just one part of digital literacy. Knowing how to share information is another. Students today are constantly warned about the dangers of posting inappropriate images or text online, but it’s still important for teachers to discuss. The ability to create and share online is considered a part of digital literacy and should be taught in schools.

Students should know how digital writing differs from traditional writing—for example, how to include images and links in writing. They should also have an understanding of what kind of audience they’re sharing with online. Just like a personal narrative essay differs from a research paper, a post on Facebook is different from an article for a website or blog.

As technology becomes a part of daily life, it’s more important than ever for educators to teach digital literacy. Whether they plan on going to college or not, students will need digital literacy to be successful in their personal and professional lives.

How can educators help their students navigate the digital world? Let us know what you think about digital literacy and education!

 


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5 comments

  1. Linda Aragoni 6 June, 2017 at 18:06 Reply

    In addition to the skills you identify as part of digital literacy, I’d add a subset of skills that make a text document accessible to the widest range of readers:

    ~Selecting fonts that are readable and legible in the intended output medium.
    ~Selecting type color and background color that provide adequate contrast.
    ~Selecting line lengths that don’t fatigue readers.

  2. Are you Digitally Literate? – Site Title 24 August, 2017 at 11:47 Reply

    […] reliable and learn how to look into an author’s credentials.  An article I found about Digital Literacy actually discusses in more detail how an educator can begin the process of teaching students about […]

  3. Eduardo Seganti 6 November, 2017 at 16:27 Reply

    I heard about this test on my Pos Graduation at IFSC, Brazil.
    They are amazing information !!!

    This theme has been discussed in Brazil a couple years and as you wrote: ” information found online becomes more and more important.”

    I think that we can help students navigate the digital world showing them the ways that they propably don´t know, I mean, the topics which were explained on this awesome link above.

    We have do warm up with them to know how much they know ‘how to use the internet and how to find some information’ then we have talk to them and teach them the ways they have to know to reach a real and true information as this test has explained so well.

    It is one of the best test I have read about TECNOLOGY AND EDUCATION !!!

  4. Digital Literacy in a Digital Age – The Next Teacher 11 January, 2018 at 22:54 Reply

    […] Technology is forever changing, just like the education field is. Sometimes it truly mind bogles me that these very young kids already know how to use cell phones and Ipads so well that they can practically do it in their sleep. As a future educator, I’m trying to learn how to use technology to benefit my students in the classroom as well as outside of the classroom for when I give them homework. As far as I can see, technology and the digital age are going to grow more and more, thus, as a teacher, I need to grow with it. Being a student in my 20’s, that’s not very hard for me. I’m lucky to have grown up with technology for most of my life, granted that I didn’t get my first cell phone until I was in the 8th grade. Trying technology in the classroom to see what works and what doesn’t work will be something that I will have to work on personally. As for digital literature, it will be even more important to learn now as it will be to learn in the future. As I type this entry, I realize that digital literacy will forever be needed in schools as a subject to learn. For example, if it weren’t for my Information Technology class in Jr. High, I wouldn’t have been able to type very well or know how to google search in a timely manner. Students do need to know this skill as much as some teachers disagree. Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.” The internet opens so many doors for students to learn and discover what is happening across the world right at their fingertips. They will have the information they need to know by a simple click of a button and will be able to share it with other peers. My fellow education students are able to share useful information with me thanks to a digital literature class we are taking together. Learning a new skill can be scary, but it is the future of education and so far, it has proven beneficial. While I could argue all day about how digital literature is important for students, you can also read the article attached to get more of an insight. I found it very interesting and full of great points throughout the writing. https://www.theedadvocate.org/what-is-digital-literacy/ […]

  5. Digital Literacy – Miss Staman's Class 14 January, 2018 at 21:14 Reply

    […] The link that I found the most interesting through my research is an article that is simple but effective. It covers the topic of digital literacy and gave me new useful knowledge. What is digital literacy? […]

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