MODULE 3:

DIGITAL SKILLS AND

TOOLS IN DELIVERING
TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED LESSONS

Lesson 4: Digital Literacy Skills in the 21st Century

Lesson Outcomes:

1. Identified and describe the elements of digital literacies

2. Conducted a self-evaluation on level of digital literacy skill

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 or Digital 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.

The millennial students are generally tech-savvy, digital natives. They practically know how to go

about the tablet, an ipad, smartphones or laptops better than anyone else. This suggests their digital skills.

However, are all students’ digital literates?

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 21st Century refer to the digital literacies.
WHAT ARE DIGITAL LITERACIES?

Digital literacies 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 when images and non-verbal symbols try to capture

the knowledge; (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; and (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, and create media content using

information technologies and the internet (Hsieh, 2012). Study the varied digital literacies discussed below.

THE DIGITAL LITERACIES

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 – knows how to select and use digital devices, applications or services to accomplish tasks

requiring the use of the internet.

Communications and Collaboration – are one’s capabilities in being able to participate in the digital networks

in the teaching and learning context.

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

knows 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.
 One important component of digital literacy is having an in-depth understanding of concepts

requiring essential core skills. These core skills are known as the Cs of the 21st Century Skills.

The Four Cs of the 21st Century Skills

The four C’s of the 21st Century Skills refer to critical thinking,

creativity, communication, and collaboration. To perform well in this

century, you need to develop and enhance these skills namely creativity,

critical thinking, communication and collaboration. All of these 21st

century skills are essentials for students to do well in school and succeed

in the workplace.

1. Critical thinking is learning how to solve problems. It teaches students

not to accept immediately claims without seeking the truth. It is

the ability to differentiate facts from opinions and not only just

learn a set of facts or figures but also discover these for the sake

of knowing what ought to be.

2. Creativity requires students to think out of the box and to take pride in

what is uniquely theirs. It means that they will be able to look at a

problem from multiple perspectives-including can propose

multiple possibilities and alternatives to address a problem and

they need to take calculated risks. Creativity encourages student to think beyond the expectations

of conventions. However, creativity may not ensure success all the time but isst may lead to another

direction that can actually be a better way of figuring out how to solve the problem those that others

may not see.

3. Communication makes students express their ideas in the clearest and organized manner. Through

varied modes - face-to-face, technologically mediated or a blended medium, 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. This is a 21st essential. 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. They may be

working with classmates they do not really prefer to work with but with guidance, you can teach

them to tap on the capabilities of each member of the team and collaboratively achieve the goal.

Eventually when they leave school, they will definitely see the need to know how to collaborate with

others in order for them to accomplish a job, and you have prepared them for it. In other words,

collaboration teaches students that groups can create something bigger and better than you can on

your own.

In addition to the 4C’s, there are Citizenship and Character. 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 vs. Digital Literacy

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 as 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 digital literacy skills needed to become digitally literate. These are:

1. Coding – coding is a universal language. Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and like will create a shared

understanding of what can be done with the web pages.

2. Collaboration – the use of Google Docs among others allows student to begin experimenting with effective

online collaboration.

3. Cloud software – this is essential part of document management. The cloud is used to store everything

from photos to research projects, to term papers and even music.

4. Word Processing Software – Google, Microsoft Online Drop Box are available for storage and

management solutions.

5. Screencasting – 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 a

Printscreen. Both can use in explaining topics as well as providing a visual support to clarify what

you are thinking. While the printscreen is a picture, the screencasting is a video screen capture

which is a great way to share ideas and is easy to use for novice video creator.

6. Personal Archiving – students should be taught the concepts of the metadata, tagging, keywords and

categories to make them aware how they are represented online.

7. Information Evaluation – critical thinking to weed out fake news is a crucial 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.

Digital literacy has been defined in many ways that is understandable by both digital natives and

digital immigrants. Teachers and students should not only be proficient in how to use (digital skills) but they

need to see the information and media technology to find, evaluate, create and communicate information

requiring both cognitive and technical skills.

Here are examples of how Digital Skills or Proficiency supports Digital Literacy.

Digital skills Digital Literacy

1. Sending an email or text 1. Evaluate the appropriate digital channel for online
communication with peers, teachers and parents.
2. Using Microsoft office/ Google 1. Identify the benefits and drawbacks of each digital
tool.
2. Evaluate critically which tool is most effective for the
project at hand.
3. Tweeting, Posting to Facebook, Uploading a 1. Navigate the social media safely to protect oneself.
Video to Youtube, or posting a photo to 2. Identify hate propaganda and fake news.
Instagram
3. Researching from the worldwide web. 1. Evaluate the information online.
a. Is the site legitimate?
b. Is the author an expert?
c. Id the information current or dated?
d. Is the idea neutral or biased?