Digital literacy 

refers to an individual's ability to find, evaluate, and clearly communicate information through typing and other media on
various digital platforms. It is evaluated by an individual's grammar, composition, typing skills and ability to produce text, images, audio
and designs using technology. The American Library Association (ALA) defines digital literacy as "the ability to use information and
communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills."[1] While
digital literacy initially focused on digital skills and stand-alone computers, the advent of the internet and use of social media, has resulted in
the shift in some of its focus to mobile devices. Similar to other expanding definitions of literacy that recognize cultural and historical ways of
making meaning,[2] digital literacy does not replace traditional forms of literacy, but instead builds upon and expands the skills that form the
foundation of traditional forms of literacy.[3] Digital literacy should be considered to be a part of the path to knowledge.[4]
Digital literacy is built on the expanding role of social science research in the field of literacy[5] as well as on concepts of visual literacy,
[6]
 computer literacy,[7] and information literacy.[8]
Overall, digital literacy shares many defining principles with other fields that use modifiers in front of literacy to define ways of being and
domain-specific knowledge or competence. The term has grown in popularity in education and higher education settings and is used in both
international and national standards.[9]

Digital literacy involves any number of digital reading and writing techniques across multiple media forms. These
media include words, texts, visual displays, motion graphics, audio, video, and multimodal forms

21st-century skills
Digital literacy requires certain skill sets that are interdisciplinary in nature. Warschauer and Matuchniak (2010) list three skill sets, or 21st
century skills,[15] that individuals need to master in order to be digitally literate: information, media, and technology; learning and innovation
skills; and life and career skills.[vague]. Aviram et al. assert that order to be competent in Life and Career Skills, it is also necessary to be able to
exercise flexibility and adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social and cross-cultural skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and
responsibility. Digital literacy is composed of different literacies, because of this fact there is no need to search for similarities and
differences.[17] Some of these literacies are media literacy and information literacy.

1. Photo-visual literacy: the ability to read and deduce information from visuals.
2. Reproduction literacy: the ability to use digital technology to create a new piece of work or combine existing pieces of work
together to make it your own.
3. Branching literacy: the ability to successfully navigate in the non-linear medium of digital space.
4. Information literacy: the ability to search, locate, assess and critically evaluate information found on the web and on-shelf in
libraries.
5. Socio-emotional literacy: the social and emotional aspects of being present online, whether it may be through socializing, and
collaborating, or simply consuming content

In Society
Digital literacy is necessary for the correct use of various digital platforms. Literacy in social network services and Web 2.0 sites helps people
stay in contact with others, pass timely information, and even buy and sell goods and services. Digital literacy can also prevent people from
being taken advantage of online, as photo manipulation, E-mail frauds and phishing often can fool the digitally illiterate, costing victims
money and making them vulnerable to identity theft.[18] However, those using technology and the internet to commit these manipulations and
fraudulent acts possess the digital literacy abilities to fool victims by understanding the technical trends and consistencies; it becomes
important to be digitally literate to always think one step ahead when utilizing the digital world.
The emergence of Social media has paved the way for people to communicate and connect with one another in new and different ways.
[19]
 Websites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as personal websites and blogs, have enabled a new type of journalism that is subjective,
personal, and "represents a global conversation that is connected through its community of readers."[20] These online communities foster
group interactivity among the digitally literate. Social media also help users establish a digital identity or a "symbolic digital representation of
identity attributes."[21] Without digital literacy or the assistance of someone who is digitally literate, one cannot possess a personal digital
identity (this is closely allied to web literacy).

Chapter 1: Introduction to Digital Literacy

 Overview
In this chapter, you will be introduced to the concept of digital literacy and what new skills are needed in order to engage
with the digital world responsibly and effectively. Drawing on your own digital experiences you will think about your
digital literacy and digital footprint, developing positive strategies to proactively take control of your own digital identity.
Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter you should be able to:

 Describe the ways you use technology in your personal life and for learning
 Compare the different ways digital literacy has been referred to by scholars
 Examine how digital literacy differs between people based on the context in which they live and learn and the way they
use technology
 Use a basic framework to assess your own digital literacy
 Reflect on your digital footprint
 Develop strategies to control your own digital identity

Introduction
As digital technology has become more common, affordable, and portable, more and more people from all parts of society
are starting to increase their online and digital participation. Understanding the new opportunities, rules, and potential
pitfalls of the digital world doesn’t necessarily come automatically with long-term use. Not everyone using digital
technology knows how to handle the range of available tools to their best extent, and even experienced digital technology
users can fall prey to hackers, lose control of how they are represented online, or otherwise fail to maintain their digital
identity in an optimal manner.

Digital literacy is a relatively new concept that emerged in the 1990s during the era of the Internet revolution. Before
that, people talked more about “computer literacy.” But in 1997, Paul Gilster, a historian and educator first coined the
term “digital literacy,” arguing that digital literacy went beyond just skills in using technology. He said it is about
“mastering ideas, not [computer] keystrokes”

digital literacy as “the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when
it is presented via computers” (p. 1). For him, digital literacy involves the ability to critically evaluate information
(presented in different formats) and make decisions about how to use this information in different real-life contexts.

To be digitally literate you need to be able to navigate, evaluate and create using all forms of digital technologies, for
example, smartphones, laptops and computers.
In this series, we will look at the 7 key components of digital literacy and give you 7 short guides on how to teach your
students these important skills.
Digital literacy is always evolving as newer technologies become mainstream, therefore it includes, but is not limited to:
 practical technical skills
 collaboration skills
 social and cultural skills
 critical thinking
 Guides

This new series will provide you with a guide to each competency: 

1. Critical Thinking
2. Online Safety Skills
3. Digital Culture
4. Collaboration and Creativity
5. Finding Information
6. Communication and Netiquette
7. Functional Skills 

What is Critical Thinking?

There are many definitions of critical thinking, in its most basic form, it is about being able to think for yourself. To be able to
think critically, students need to be able to

1. Analyse and evaluate information and arguments

2. See patterns and connections,

3. Identify and build meaningful information

They then need to apply it to a real-world context and be able to put it in their own words.
 

Why is it Important?
Children and teens need to develop critical thinking skills in order to get the best use out of digital technologies. Teaching
them to ask questions and to remain sceptical will help them to navigate the wealth of information that is available to them
online. By asking questions they will be able to figure out the meaning of the messages they are receiving. They will be able
to recognise what is fake news, whether information they read is valid or not, whether sources are reliable, and if bias is
present. Also, see https://www.webwise.ie/teachers/what-is-fake-news/.
Students who practice critical thinking and evaluation skills are less passive in their consumption of content. It will also help
them become more compassionate and empathetic when participating in an online world. Use our easy infographic to get
started.

What is Critical Thinking?

There are many definitions of critical thinking, in its most basic form, it is about being able to think for yourself. To be able to
think critically, students need to be able to

1. Analyse and evaluate information and arguments

2. See patterns and connections,

3. Identify and build meaningful information

They then need to apply it to a real-world context and be able to put it in their own words.
 

Why is it Important?
Children and teens need to develop critical thinking skills in order to get the best use out of digital technologies. Teaching
them to ask questions and to remain sceptical will help them to navigate the wealth of information that is available to them
online. By asking questions they will be able to figure out the meaning of the messages they are receiving. They will be able
to recognise what is fake news, whether information they read is valid or not, whether sources are reliable, and if bias is
present. Also, see https://www.webwise.ie/teachers/what-is-fake-news/.
Students who practice critical thinking and evaluation skills are less passive in their consumption of content. It will also help
them become more compassionate and empathetic when participating in an online world. Use our easy infographic to get
started.
 Digital Literacy Skills: Online Safety

What is Online Safety?
Being safe online means that you have the knowledge to identify the potential risks and are conscious of your personal
security while browsing, sharing or surfing the internet. By teaching internet safety, you are not only helping your students
become more vigilant about their own safety, but also helping them become better users of the internet.
 

Why is it Important?
Our guide to online safety is a good place to start when teaching your students digital literacy skills. Most students
nowadays have unlimited access to the internet on their phones and at home, and it is important that they are able to
navigate these online environments safely. Opening up a dialogue about safe practices and coping strategies with your
students is a positive step towards developing digital literacy skills. 

There are a number of great resources and videos around internet safety from a huge
range of sources, like the video above, created by Wellcast. Webwise has created a
number of lessons on the topic of online safety, for both primary and post-primary level,
you can find these in the resource section of our website. These are great to use in the
classroom to raise awareness and to develop good online practices with your students.
Some of the topics that you can cover with students are:
 Cyber-bullying
 Sexting
 Age-appropriate content
 Photo sharing and permission
 Online extortion
 Online exploitation
 Plagiarism and copyright
 Virus protection
What else do I need to know?
Children and teens can also keep themselves safe by limiting the amount of personal
information they share online. In addition to this, students need to be mindful of their
digital footprint and their online reputation. Everything we post online contributes to our
digital footprint and what is put online, often stays online indefinitely. You can use
 our critical thinking guide to help your students question their own actions online and
become more aware of how to use the internet responsibly.
Webwise has created a number of campaigns on these topics, there are also a number
of easy checklists that can be downloaded and given to students:

 Managing your Online Reputation Guide  Managing your Online Reputation

 Checklist on Sharing Information Online SHARE  Share Checklist
 Social Media in Class  Download Checklist
 Share or Delete Guide Share or delete checklist
 Guide to Social Networking Download Guide to Social Networking
 Cyber-bullying Guide Download Guide to Cyberbullying
 students.


Digital Literacy Skills: Cultural and Social Understanding
It is clearly evident that technology has infiltrated our lives, you can now shop, bank, communicate, socialise, browse and
collaborate with people on your smartphone or device.

While most people in Ireland have access to the internet, young people and teenagers are the heaviest users, with 96%
of the 16-29 age bracket using smartphones to access the internet on a daily basis (CSO, 2017).
Children are learning how to navigate technology at a much younger age as they grow up with it in their homes and in their
lives.

In the following video, Abha Dawesar talks about our dependence on technology and the importance of the flow of time.

She states that whilst we live in a digital world, we must remember to live in the present.

Generation Z is now responsible for shaping what is now known as our digital culture and are big consumers of digital
media.
Like everyone else, teenagers use the internet for a variety of reasons; online gaming, social communities, news, and
entertainment.
However, this age group uses technology more immersively to create online communities and to shape their
identities. It is essential that they develop skills to explore these areas safely and competently. 
Increasingly, the main draw of technology for young people is the participation in a global digital culture.
The internet enables people to connect with any part of the world and to create shared experiences, online content and a
sense of belonging.
Young people are able to make friends with a much larger, culturally diverse set of people.
They are using apps to sing, perform, make friends, share interests and socialise with people from across the world.
They keep up-to-date with each other, share their own youth-led language or slang, participate in a global community of
memes and social commentary. 
For younger children, they might be part of a kids club or watch programmes on kids TV online that are available worldwide.
It has become an integral part of their lives and, increasingly, the most popular way to communicate with each other.
Children and teens may have more in common with those from other countries due to the interconnectedness of the internet
that allows them to share similar experiences.

Digital Literacy Skills: Collaboration

Want to start a task-based project with your students using technology? Use our handy infographic to get things going:
Digital Literacy Skills: Finding Information
The internet has provided us with a wealth of information at our fingertips. The problem with this is, we almost have too
much information to choose from. It is sometimes difficult to sort between real information, misinformation, opinions, and
bias. Most of us rely on search engines to do the sorting for us but this also isn’t enough. Students need to know how to
search accurately and then to evaluate the information they find, our critical thinking guide will help you develop these skills.
When researching online independently students may rely on a quick Google or Wikipedia search, followed by copy and
paste! There are issues here with plagiarism but mainly, there is a lack of knowledge on how to conduct proper research
online. It is important for students to learn how to search for accurate and reliable information as this will become a valuable
tool for them should they go on to further education or indeed for their future jobs. Developing this area of digital literacy
means showing students the tools they can use to help them research better. These skills will also improve overall study
skills.
 

From starting your search to verifying the

information you find, here are 15 tips for better
online research.
1. Think before you begin.
Rewrite every assignment in your own words before you begin your research. This will force you to understand it, and make
it much more likely that you’ll be able to identify what is helpful when you see it. If you need help, ask your teacher, librarian,
parent or classmate for help.

Then, brainstorm and make a list of key search terms, using mostly nouns, rather than verbs. Create a series of terms that
you can search in combinations of two, three or more. When you find a good search result, look at the most important words
in it, and add them to your keyword list. Try a series of keyword combinations.
2. Where to start your search?

Don’t rely on search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc. to do all the research for you.
The internet is not always the best place to start; databases may help you find credible information you need more quickly
than any search engine will.
You must select and always be able to defend the sources you use before you start writing. You could also try several
search engines to research information. There is more than one, we promise. If you want to stay with Google, you could try
using Google Scholar to find academic resources.
3. When looking at search results, dig deep – don’t stop at the first page!
Many websites rank high in search engines for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of their content.
Professionals and academics don’t optimise their content for search engines, so it usually does not appear at the top.
4. Use special search functions to make the search engines work for you
Useful search functions can help to empower students to search more effectively for information related to their topic.

o Search using combinations of several keywords.
o The use of quotation marks around the search keywords will ensure that search results for these terms are returned in the
order they were entered. For example, using quotation marks to search for “online safety” will return results for that exact
term, otherwise the search results will include all references to both words.
o Learn the AROUND function.
o Search “Kennedy” AROUND(10) “moon” and the top results will be ones in which Kennedy appears within ten words of
moon.
o NOTE: both search terms must be in quotes, AROUND must be capitalised, and the number must be in parenthesis.
o You can find a particular type of file by adding in the file type into the search engine, for example, if you want to find a
PowerPoint presentation you can add ‘PPT’ to the search engine, or if you would like to find worksheets/essays/articles add
in ‘PDF’ after the search word in your search engine.
 

5. Find Primary Sources

Think of primary sources such as newspaper and magazine accounts, letters, diaries, films, photographs and other
documents written or recorded at the time of the event as “eye-witness accounts” which are generally more reliable than
second-hand information.

Evaluating the content you find.

With so much content available it is important to be able to judge what information is accurate and reliable, and what is
not. Here are useful tips to evaluate content.
6. Check the URL/website address.
Does the website have a strange website address or url?
False information articles may use domain names that look like a trusted news or media site, but with minor spelling
changes.
7. Take a closer look.
Check the source of the information – is it a credible/reliable source?
If you are unfamiliar with the site, look in the about section or find out more information about the author. If the site doesn’t
list this information, then leave and visit another site. Also, look for information about the publisher or author by searching
their names in a search engine. Any credible publisher or author should be mentioned on other reputable websites. When
you find content on Wikipedia, do you know who wrote it? No, you don’t. Wikipedia contributors are anonymous; you do not
know anything about them or their credentials. It may be a place to do your “pre-research” to find keywords to search on.
8. Look beyond the headline

Check the entire article.  False and unreliable information can often use sensationalist or shocking headlines to grab
attention, but a headline or social media post does not give the full story.
Often the headlines used for false information are in all caps and use exclamation points.
 9. Remember, the camera can lie.
Don’t assume that a picture is reliable. Images that have been altered, or even used out of context, can make it easy to draw
the wrong conclusions.
10. Just because information goes viral does not mean that it is accurate.
False or misleading information can be designed to provoke a strong reaction and therefore increase the likelihood that
people will be prompted to ‘share’ it.  Social media and messaging platforms make it extremely easy for information to be
shared quickly to many people.
11. Check other sources
Can you find the same information on other reputable website? Are there any sources in the information?
If so, check they are reliable or if they even exist. If you find a few unrelated, credible websites in agreement on an issue,
your research may be done. This is not the case if you read something just once. Watch the following video:
This video was an Aprils Fools joke by the BBC. As it is a website that we usually associate with accurate information, it can
take a few moments to realise it is false information. It is important that information is verified by a number of sources before
it is believed. Read more about False Information.
12. Check the facts

False information often contains incorrect dates or altered timelines. It is also a good idea to check when the article was
published, is it current or old? Check when an article was written or last updated. If you can’t tell when a source was written,
then keep looking until you find a good source about the topic that does have a recent date, so you can see if anything has
changed. 
13. Check your biases.
Are your own views or beliefs affecting your judgement of how accurate or reliable a piece of information is? In general, we
are all drawn to information that confirms our own beliefs or biases. Online algorithms that are designed to give us news and
information based on our personalised searches and interests make it harder to see beyond our own world view.
14. Is it a joke?
Satirical sites are popular online and sometimes it is not always clear whether a story is just a joke or parody. Check the
website – is it known for satire or creating funny stories?
15. Ask the experts.
There are many organisations offering guidance and resources to help recognise false information, to empower people to
make informed choices.
Be Media Smart – www.bemediasmart.ie #StopThinkCheck
 Developed by Media Literacy Ireland, Be Media Smart offers useful tips and guidance on how to tell the difference between
reliable and accurate information and or deliberately false or misleading information. 
Media Literacy Ireland – www.medialiteracyireland.ie 
Facilitated by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, MLI is a network of volunteer members coming from a large number of
sectors, organisations and interests, working together to empower people to make informed media choices about the media
content and services that they consume, create, and disseminate across all platforms. The MLI offers useful media literacy
resources, research, and news.

Digital Literacy: Communication Skills

Educating your students about their digital footprint and respectful online communication will help them curate a safe social
media presence.
Communication has come a long way, there are now more ways of communicating than ever before.
Often children know how to use newer forms of communication intuitively but we can still provide guidance on how they can
communicate, both effectively and safely online.  
In your class, come up with a list of ways we communicate online. Here are a few examples:
 Social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)
 Instant Messaging Services (Messenger/Whatsapp/Viber/Snapchat)
 Video/Audio Conferencing Services (Skype/FaceTime)
 Live streaming (Facebook, YouTube, Netflix)
 Blogs
 Vlogs (YouTube)
 Email (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, Live)
 Chatrooms
 Online Gaming (text and audio communication)
 Forums
 Dating Sites (Tinder, PoF)

Digital Literacy Skills: Practical and Functional Skills

Practical and Functional skills are paramount when it comes to being digitally literate. It could be argued that most
young people have an inherent knowledge when it comes to using technology. This may be true, however, this should mean
that practical and functional technology skills to be skipped over in the classroom. Many students feel comfortable using
technology but they also need to learn the basics and can use technology  independently. By integrating ICT skills into the
classroom, students can practice their practical and functional skills and become more competent using technology which
may lead to more autonomous users.
 

Technology must not stay in the hands of the teacher, but allow the students to use and interact with different
technologies. Many teachers do not feel competent when it comes to their own digital skills but it is no harm if students
know more, use their knowledge to your advantage, maintain control of the classroom and ask assistance when needed.
The lesson is your creation, the method of output is the only thing that has changed. Engage in training where possible to
maintain a good level of IT skills, there are a range of instructional videos, courses and guides online that can also help you
feel more confident when it comes to technology.