Many experts tell us that modern workers must acquire these 21st-century skills: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, information, media, and technology. (see the p21.org famous chart ) However, today we know that skills are not enough to survive in the digital era. What is also needed is digital literacy.
Digital literacy is the set of competencies required for full participation in a knowledge society. It includes knowledge, skills, and behaviors involving the effective use of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs for purposes of communication, expression, collaboration, and advocacy.
Although the P21.org states that “Information, Media, and Technology Skills” are necessary for the 21st worker, these skills are not equivalent to digital literacy in its deeper sense.
One of leading researchers in Digital Literacy, Professor Yoram Eshet, published a key paper Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era. In this paper, Eshet says:
“Digital literacy involves more than the mere ability to use software or operate a digital device; it includes a large variety of complex cognitive, motor, sociological, and emotional skills, which users need in order to function effectively in digital environments. The tasks required in this context include, for example, “reading” instructions from graphical displays in user interfaces; using digital reproduction to create new, meaningful materials from existing ones; constructing knowledge from a non-linear, hyper-textual navigation; evaluating the quality and validity of information; and have a mature and realistic understanding of the “rules” that prevail in the cyberspace.”
Digital literacy is only fully achieved by working on a digital platform. As swimming expertise can only be fully achieved by swimming in a pool and not just by reading a manual. This means that training and learning managers in organizations should lead a shift transition towards the usage of learning platforms.
This means that training and learning managers in organizations should be moving towards the usage of digital learning platforms that give employees the tools to improve their digital literacy.
In order for a learning platform to effectively promote digital literacy, it is recommended that it will have:
Anyone that wants to survive in the new digital universe should find ways to improve their digital literacy, which plays a major role in work/life abilities. Our brain is not yet wired to function naturally in the digital era—that is why we need to train it. Try using solutions in your training like T2K Echo, to enhance your employees’ skills.
Download the digital literacy infographic here:
The Essential Elements of Digital Literacy for the 21st Century Workforce from Time To Know