Reimagining digital literacy

1IDEA 1ne

What does “digitally literate” mean for you? Developing the capacity of both educational actors and learners to use digital technology with ease ensures a holistic approach to digitally inclusive learning experiences. But this level of capacity varies for all. Explore what digital literacy means for our global team and how (re)educating key players drives change towards a more inclusive future.

SPEAKERS

AL Boris Alvarez — Fellow Group

BE Momo Bertrand — ITCILO

GR Susie Gronseth — University of Houston

HE Ellen Helsper — LSE KA Djamil Tony Kahale Carrillo — UPCT

LI Oliver Liang — ILO

NW Nnenna Nwakanma — WWWF

PA Yuhyun Park — DQ Institute PI Daniel Pimienta — FUNREDES

PO Sylvia Poll — ITU

PU Yves Punie — European Commission

XI Jian Xi Teng — UNESCO

Varying definitions and understandings

PU At the European level, the established definition is “digital competence.” It is about confidence and critical use and engagement for learning and participation in society. It is not just a technical skill, and it is much more than being able to send an email or download a file.

Digital literacy stands for digital intelligence. Digital leadership can mean different things to different people.

“Media” is digital literacy. By definition, digital literacy is the ability to use an ICT tool. Information literacy is different – it is about the culture of the internet, the culture of the tool. Information literacy is the capacity to define information needs, look after information, and evaluate information.

In a study in Israel, they used school children and parents to measure both digital and information literacy. Results showed that children were very good at digital literacy, whereas parents were not. In contrast, in information literacy, parents were very good, whereas children were not. Four years later, when the study was repeated, results showed that both parents and children had similar levels in digital literacy, whereas, in information literacy, children’s levels had drastically decreased.

Information literacy is key in digital inclusion, connecting people is not the end, we have to think of language, localization, see how people understand the challenges of the internet, have to open space for south-south cooperation as we understand each other better.

PA

PI

PI

PI

Digital pedagogy HE

To promote inclusive digital inclusion, we need to create social awareness and digital literacy in the curricula. We need to embed digital literacy in or across curricula. All courses should have a digital component and not as a separate course. This can be done through discussions with schools and also through teacher training, community awareness. This is a long-term plan, which can help amplify participation.

XI Singapore is taking an aggressive route, wherein computer skills, coding, programming, AI, and related skills are taught from the kindergarten level.

PA We have to find out how to educate children and parents from a digital literacy perspective on online safety and digital citizenship.

Digital literacy should not be seen as a commodity but as a public good.

There are many types of digital literacies. For example, not knowing how to use all features on Whatsapp can be considered as social media illiteracy.

LI

BE

GR Making digital learning materials accessible yields broad benefits. Inclusive instructional design frameworks, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL) connect the value of learner diversity proactively to educational design.

AL It is fundamental to understand the context. This is important to understand how people learn.

NW Digital literacy is important, but what’s more important is meaningful digital literacy. When people say “I am able to do this through this.” We need a community to use digital to keep themselves alive, not just high-tech, human-centered digital development powered by technology in a sustainable manner. Digital literacy is part of it.

EXTENDED REALITY SPOTLIGHT

ImpalaXR

ImpalaXR is a virtual/augmented/mixed reality program dedicated to transforming the way training and educational content are delivered and consumed in Africa (with a focus on Benin), by providing teachers and students with the training and tools they need to create their own content.

“ImpalaXR is also being used to educate and support health workers in remote areas where there is a lack of knowledge, practical experience, lack of quality and ‘saving lives’ instructions.” - Martin Mbaga, ImpalaXR

Educating and reeducating key players

PO Policymakers keep changing and we need to update their knowledge. We should remind them that digital inclusion should be a government-wide effort and not just ICTs.

NW It is important to be very clear about policy engagement or political will. It is not enough for the government to say “I agree,” the government has to understand that

digital means that it is for everyone, that it means accountability, that it means

openness, that it means co-creation, and that it means inclusion. When this fundamental base is set, we understand why we have to invest in skills.

KA In determining what technologies are needed, there is a deficit in knowledge or awareness. Continuous and continued training is necessary for entities like trade unions. Cyber security should be part of education.

ICT CAPACITY SPOTLIGHT

Worldwide Web Foundation’s West African School

Nnenna Nwakanma from WWWF visited a West African school to provide them with computers; an event that was attended by politicians and media. Six months later, during Nnenna’s visit, she learned that the computers had not been used and had been locked up. The head of school could not decline an offer made by the government, he is only willing to listen to the ministry of education (his line manager), he doesn’t have the skills to teach ICT, he wasn’t aware of the fact that there had to be someone in charge for ICT, and wasn’t informed on the usage of the computers.

One teacher who helped set up the hardware on the day of the visit said that he has basic knowledge only and that, while hardware was provided, no one talked about connectivity, paying ICT bills, or ICT training. Another problem was that he was not an ICT teacher but a science teacher, he had no team to teach, his schedule was already full, and did not have time for ICT teaching.

5 lessons to learn from this case: • Whole-of-stakeholder approach (go beyond political will) • Whole-of-administration/governance (inform administration/government on happenings) • Ownership of initiative (determine the owner) • Gender and inclusion (consider communities and demographics) • Determine investment area (dialogues, skills, and continuous education/training)