Lesson 5 Digital Literacy Skills
Lesson 5 Digital Literacy Skills
LEARNING OUTCOMES
LEARNING INPUTS
INTRODUCTION
The 21st century has redefined digital literacy. It has broadened its perspective to include
other aspects of the 21st context. These literacies include:
1. Cyber Literacy
2. Media Literacy
3. Arts and Creativity Literacy
4. Financial Literacy
5. Multicultural Literacy or Global Understanding
This lesson will focus on digital skills and digital literacy as a response to the 21st
Century developments.
This millennial students are generally tech-savvy, digital natives. They practically know
how to go about a tablet, an ipad, smartphones or laptops better than anyone else. This
suggests their digital skills.
Thinking on how to use the digital tools, accessing information, and exhibiting ways of
working in a globally competitive contexts, together with skills in living in the 21 st century refer to
the digital literacies.
The skills you need to be able to perform well in the situation are known as ‘digital
literacy’. In the 21st century, you need to be equipped with these skills to keep abreast (updated)
with the demands in the workplace.
Below is the Digital Literacy Skills Self-Inventory. Find out how confident you are when working
online by putting a tick mark in the corresponding column.
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What have you realized after taking the Digital Literacy Skills Self-Inventory?
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Digital learners are the individual’s capabilities to be able to effectively and responsibly
function and perform in a digital society.
The term digital literacy was coined by Paul Gilster in 1997 and it came from the
discussion of the concepts on
a) Visual literacy
b) Technological literacy requiring one to be able to use technology in addressing a
need
c) Computer literacy, which in the 1980s started to become a household item
manipulated to achieve one’s target
d) Information literacy which refers to the finding, evaluating, using and sharing of
information
In the teaching and learning context, digital literacy is an important competence. In
school, it has become a buzzword which refers to the ability to access, process,
understand, utilize create media content using information technologies and the internet
(Hsieh, 2012)
Media Literacy – is one’s ability to critically read information or content and utilize
multimedia in creatively producing communications
Information Literacy – is locating information from the web and interpreting while
evaluating its validity in order that it can be shared
ICT Literacy – is knowing how to select and use digital devices, applications or services
to accomplish tasks requiring the use of the internet
Identity Management – is being able to understand how to ensure safety and security
in managing online identity and foster a positive digital reputation.
Learning Skills – are ways of knowing how to study and learn in a technology-enriched
environment; this is knowing how to utilize technology in addressing the need to learn
efficiently
Digital Scholarship – is being able to link and participate in professional and research
practices
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2. Creativity requires students to think out and be able to look at a problem from
multiple perspectives including proposing multiple possibilities and alternatives to
address a problem and take the risk. Creativity encourages students to think beyond
what is expected of them. However, creativity may not ensure success all the time but
it may lead to another direction that can actually be a better way of figuring out how to
solve the problem that others may not see.
3. Communication makes students express their ideas in the clearest and organized
manner. Through varied modes – face-to-face, synchronous or asynchronous, they
need to know how to efficiently and clearly convey ideas.
4. Collaboration happens when students know how to work well with others to
accomplish a given task or solve a problem at hand. When students are made to
work with others in a pair or in a team, they are given the chance to practice how to
relate with others.
Citizenship is known as netizenship in the virtual world. This is making the person
consider how one behaves accordingly by observing the norms and rules that are in
accordance with what are sociably and virtually acceptable. As a result, one is
projecting a reputable digital identity which is his or her character.
Digital Literacy Skills are required in the wired world. These skills vary from texts to
images to multimedia. Future teachers who will be handling students considered a tech savvy
should equip themselves with competencies and fluencies needed to handle the fast emerging
tools and applications that should be able to handle even artificial intelligences.
Lynch (2017) identified eight (8) digital literacy skills needed to become digitally literate:
1. Coding – coding is a universal language. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and the
like will create a shared understanding of what can be one with the web pages.
2. Collaboration – the use of Google Docs among others allows student to begin
experimenting with effective online collaboration
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3. Cloud software – this is essential part of document management. The cloud is used to
store everything from photos to research projects, to tem papers and even music
4. Word Processing Software – Google, Microsoft Online Drop Box are available for
storage and management solutions
5. Screen casting – a screencast is a video recording using the computer screen, and
usually includes an audio. On the other hand, when you take a picture on the screen of
your computer, it is called Print screen. Both can be used in explaining topics as well as
providing a visual support to clarify what you are thinking. While the print screen is a
picture, the screen casting is a video screen capture which is a great way to share ideas
and it’s easy to use for novice video creator.
7. Information evaluation – critical thinking to weed out fake news is crucial in the 21st
century skill. The use of tools and skills needed to process information are very much
needed.
8. Use of social media – social media serves different purposes depending on the user,
the technology and the need. For example, students should realize that Twitter can be
useful for staying current on the latest news in the field