3.3 Literacy Spectrum – Concepts related to Information Literacy
3.3.3 Digital/Information Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy
It is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss information literacy and not mention technology. Digital technology has permeated most spheres of life. Learning is not an exception as pressurized by the students, governments, non-governmental organizations and institutional desires. Considering its impact, Swan (2011) states that digital technology not only changes the way we communicate but also the way we think. According to Gilster (2007), digital literacy refers to the ability to understand and use information in its multiple formats, from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers. Prensky (2001) refers to today’s students as digital natives, because their whole life is immersed in digital technologies and they process information and study in different ways from the preceding generation. Digital literacy needs to be seen and understood as a plural phenomenon comprising many digital literacies such as computer literacy, media literacy and media competency (Fourie, 2008).
Shapiro and Hughes (1996) explained that information and computer literacy, in the conventional sense, are functionally valuable technical skills. They further observed that information literacy needed to be broadened to include being considered as a new liberal art concept, moving it further than mere concern with the basics of computer use to critical reflection on the nature of information itself, its technical infrastructure and its social, cultural and even philosophical context and impact.
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According to the International ICT Literacy Panel (2002:2), ICT literacy is using digital technology, communications tools and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information in order to function in a knowledge society. This definition reflects a broad understanding of the concept, incorporating critical thinking and problem-solving skills alongside the application of technical skills and knowledge covering simple to complex tasks.
This definition also enumerates five critical components of ICT literacy as Access - Knowing about and how to retrieve information, Manage - applying an existing organizational or classification scheme, Integrate - interpreting and representing information, Evaluate - judging the quality, relevance usefulness or efficiency of information, and Create - generating information by adapting, applying, designing, inventing or authoring information (ICT Literacy Panel, 2002:3). Whereas the access component of this definition emphasizes the need for skills to get to the information needed, the ICT literacy definition provides the tool that would enhance getting to the information needed. Furthermore, both IL definition and ICT literacy definition include the important aspect of evaluation, ability to ensure the information accessed addresses the information need in question. Emphasis of ICT literacy is on the integration of technical skills with cognitive skills. This is summarized by Martin (2005:135-6), who defines digital literacy as:
the awareness, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, analyze and synthesize digital resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others, in context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process.
Martin’s definition highlights three important aspects of understanding digital literacy: social awareness, critical thinking and knowledge of digital tools. Social awareness includes understanding of one’s social context and access to its cultural, economic and political structures. It includes an understanding that technology is society’s tool, medium and reflection of changes therein and therefore, the need to know the relationship between the tool and the users. Critical thinking focuses on the individual’s engagement with, and articulation of, the symbols and meanings of daily life (Martin & Grudziecki, 2006: 250), using digital technology.
This transforms the individual’s thinking capacity as technology develops. The knowledge of digital tools involves the ability to utilize the various tools to realize various information goals.
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After analysing the various definitions of digital literacy and new literacies in literature, Belshaw (2012) describes what he calls eight essential elements that he believes best define digital literacy. They are: Cultural-the need to understand the various digital contexts an individual could be in, Cognitive-understanding that literacy is about expanding the mind;
Constructive-ability to create something new; Communicative-an understanding of how communications media work; Confident-understanding that the digital environment can be more forgiving with regard to experimentation than physical environments; Creative- understanding that there is a need to create new knowledge by doing new things in new ways;
Critical-involves a reflection upon literacy practices in various domains and Civic-involves use of literacy practices for betterment of civil society. Belshaw concludes that digital literacies are transient: they change over time, may involve using different tools or developing different habits of mind, and almost always depend upon the context in which an individual finds him/herself (Belshaw, 2005:204).
Martin (2008:156-7) refers to digital literacies as an over-arching matrix that encompasses computer/IT/ICT literacy, technological literacy, information literacy, media literacy, visual literacy, communication literacy and digital literacy. Europe’s Information Society Thematic Portal (2007) emphasizes Martin’s position by observing that people need to be digitally literate and equipped with the skills to benefit from, and participate, in the Information Society.
This includes the ability to use new ICT tools and the media literacy skills to handle the flood of images, text and audio-visual content that constantly pour across the global networks.
Cordell (2013:179) describes specific competencies for a digitally literate person as one who:
· has skills required to find, understand, evaluate, create and communicate digital information in a variety of formats;
· is competent in using various technologies appropriately to search, interpret search results and evaluate information retrieved for quality;
· understands the relationship between technology, lifelong learning, personal privacy and information stewardship;
· applies digital skills to appropriately communicate with family, peers and the public;
· uses digital skills to actively engage in society, contributing to an informed community.
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According to Cordell (2013), digital literacy is complementary to information literacy and the two aim to prepare a student in higher education to engage effectively in academics and in the society.