what is digital literacy?

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Running Head: What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications Written by Prof. Jonathan Acuña What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications Developing an Effective Online Teaching Strategy By Prof. Jonathan Acuña Solano Saturday, July 10, 2015 Twitter: @jonacuso Post 184 What is digital literacy? Unanimously, this kind of literacy is defined as “the ability to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information” (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008). In the very same line of thought, the University of New South Wales (n.d.) delineates digital literacy as “the technical and critical analysis abilities required to find, evaluate, create and disseminate information using different digital technologies.” And Visser (2012) encircles digital literacy as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” In conclusion, digital literacy, -based on what the experts believe-, implies digital technology, communication tools, the finding, evaluation, creation, usage, and dissemination of information, along with cognitive and technical skills. At first glance, this looks like a good definition of what digital literacy is, but what about this, “The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers?” (University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, 2008). Isn’t this a very important angle to consider when talking about digital literacy? And what if we included the individual’s ability to work on a digital environment?

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Digital Literacy

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  • Running Head: What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications

    Written by Prof. Jonathan Acua

    What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications

    Developing an Effective Online Teaching Strategy

    By Prof. Jonathan Acua Solano Saturday, July 10, 2015

    Twitter: @jonacuso Post 184

    What is digital literacy? Unanimously, this kind of literacy is defined as the ability

    to use digital technology, communication tools or networks to locate, evaluate, use and

    create information (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008). In the very same

    line of thought, the University of New South Wales (n.d.) delineates digital literacy as

    the technical and critical analysis abilities required to find, evaluate, create and

    disseminate information using different digital technologies. And Visser (2012) encircles

    digital literacy as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find,

    evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical

    skills. In conclusion, digital literacy, -based on what the experts believe-, implies digital

    technology, communication tools, the finding, evaluation, creation, usage, and

    dissemination of information, along with cognitive and technical skills.

    At first glance, this looks like a good definition of what digital literacy is, but what

    about this, The ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide

    range of sources when it is presented via computers? (University of Illinois at Urbana-

    Champaign, 2008). Isnt this a very important angle to consider when talking about digital

    literacy? And what if we included the individuals ability to work on a digital environment?

  • What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications

    Written by Prof. Jonathan Acua

    Digital literacy also implies a persons ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital

    environment... Literacy includes the ability to read and interpret media, to reproduce data

    and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge

    gained from digital environments (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008).

    Now this sound like a more round-up definition for digital literacy that is inclusive of the

    individual who is ready to learn from digital ambiences.

    But what is being lost from perspective in any of the definitions cited above is what

    all this means for a digitally literate individual. Is this the same for an instructor as well

    for a learner? Visser (2012) goes beyond this now elaborated definition and outlines what

    a digitally literate person is by stating that this very individual:

    1. Possesses the variety of skills technical and cognitive required to find,

    understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information in a wide

    variety of formats;

    2. Is able to use diverse technologies appropriately and effectively to retrieve

    information, interpret results, and judge the quality of that information;

    3. Understands the relationship between technology, life-long learning, personal

    privacy, and stewardship of information;

    4. Uses these skills and the appropriate technology to communicate and

    collaborate with peers, colleagues, family, and on occasion, the general public;

    and

    5. Uses these skills to actively participate in civic society and contribute to a

    vibrant, informed, and engaged community.

    (Visser, 2012)

    How does all this relate to teachers and students as digitally literate individuals?

    Well, digitally literate instructors and learners need to somehow embody what Visser

    (2012) states, but how? Here you have my proposal:

  • What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications

    Written by Prof. Jonathan Acua

    The digitally literate instructor The digitally literate learner

    1. Possesses the variety of skills technical

    and cognitive required to find,

    understand, evaluate, create, and

    communicate digital information in a wide

    variety of formats to facilitate student

    learning;

    2. Is able to use diverse technologies

    appropriately and effectively to retrieve

    information, interpret results, and judge

    the quality of that information to foster

    deep learning among learners;

    3. Understands the relationship between

    technology, life-long learning, personal

    privacy, and stewardship of information

    to provide flex time for learners to study,

    research, and process information at their

    own pace;

    4. Uses these skills and the appropriate

    technology to communicate and

    collaborate with pupils, colleagues,

    members of their community of practice,

    and the general public by means of blogs,

    forum posts, etc.; and

    5. Uses these skills to actively participate in

    civic society and contribute to a vibrant,

    informed, and engaged community of

    practice and learning.

    1. Possesses the variety of skills technical

    and cognitive required to find,

    understand, evaluate, create, and

    communicate digital information in a wide

    variety of formats to peers, community of

    learning, and instructors;

    2. Is able to use diverse technologies

    appropriately and effectively to retrieve

    information, interpret results, and judge

    the quality of that information to

    accomplish learning objectives and

    goals;

    3. Understands the relationship between

    technology, life-long learning, personal

    privacy, and stewardship of information

    to make good use of their flex time to

    study, do research, and process data at

    their own pace;

    4. Uses these skills and the appropriate

    technology to communicate and

    collaborate with classmates, other

    students, member of their community of

    learning, and on occasion general public;

    and

    5. Uses these skills to actively participate in

    civic society and contribute to a vibrant,

    informed, and engaged community of

    learning.

    Adapted from (Visser, 2012) by Prof. Jonathan Acua

  • What is Digital Literacy?: Its Real Meaning and Implications

    Written by Prof. Jonathan Acua

    To sum up, digital literacy is not just digital technology, communication tools, the

    finding, evaluation, creation, usage, and dissemination of information, along with

    cognitive and technical skills. It is much more when learners and instructors are involved.

    Each of one of them has very specific roles and abilities to develop to make good use of

    virtual learning environments to teach or to acquire skills and work-related competencies.

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2008, October 15). What is Digital Literacy?

    Retrieved from University Library:

    http://www.library.illinois.edu/diglit/definition.html

    University of New South Wales. (n.d.). Learning to Teach Online MOOC. Retrieved from

    Coursera.Org: https://class.coursera.org/ltto-002

    Visser, M. (2012, September 14). What is Digital Literacy? Retrieved from ALA Connect:

    http://connect.ala.org/files/94226/what%20is%20digilit%20%282%29.pdf