What is Digital Literacy?

       

What is Digital Literacy?

Literacy underpins human communication. The definition of literacy is complex, the OECD (2019 p. 5) defines literacy as the ability to read, write, speak and listen that allows individuals to communicate effectively and make sense of the world. More specifically, it can be understood to be the ability to comprehend, interpret, use and create textual and visual information in various formats, contexts and for diverse purposes (OECD, 2019, p. 5). Digital and data literacy is a core literacy foundation. Being literate in this context requires the ability to read, interpret, make meaning of and communicate through digital texts and sources from a variety of online media. It also requires the ability to evaluate critically and filter information that is so easily produced, accessed and made public (OECD, 2019, p. 5).

The following slideshow provides a synopsis of various definitions of Digital Literacy. What is critical in the definitions, is that digital literacy extends beyond the technical to include cognitive skills.   

Digital Literacy by BELINDA PAPAS