1. Digital Literacy: an
Introduction
while waiting – please complete the self- assessment
(for your eyes only)
Broad Valleys Federation Meeting
March 1, 2013 – Butte, MT
presenter: Jo Flick, Montana State Library
2. Outcomes
• Define digital literacy
• Identify the role of libraries in promoting a
digitally literate community
• Find useful resources
3. What is literacy?
• “…ability to identify, understand, interpret,
create, communicate and compute, using
printed and written materials associated with
varying contexts.”- UNESCO, 1998
• “…to be able to gather and to construct
meaning using written language” - Steelman,
Pierce, & Koppenhaver, 1994
5. Digital Literacy
• “ … people's ability to demonstrate the skills,
utilize the tools, and understand the standards
and practices required to successfully find, use,
manage, evaluate, create, and present digital
information affects their lives.” - Syracuse
University’s Center for Digital Literacy, 2013
• “Digital literacy is the ability to find, evaluate,
utilize, share, and create content using
information technologies and the Internet.” -
Cornell University, 2013
11. Internet use by income
Digital Nation: Expanding Internet Usage; NTIA research report (2011)
12. A Concept Map of the Library’s Role in
Digital Literacy
• Discuss the 3 Factors and the roles of libraries
to address them
• Identify the skills and knowledge librarians
must have to fulfill those roles:
– SKILL – yellow post-it
– KNOWLEDGE: blue post-it
• Place post-its on the chart; group similar
responses together
13. Resources for Libraries
• Connect2Compete
http://www.connect2compete.org/: free digital
literacy training, discounted high-speed Internet, and
low-cost computers – partners with IMLS and ALA
along with lots of commercial entities such as
BestBuy, Microsoft, Cox Cable, and TimeWarner.
14. Resources for Libraries
• DigitalLiteracy.gov
http://www.digitalliteracy.gov/ – online learning –
links to resources (including local library look-up
under “learn the basics” an IMLS service – I couldn’t
get it to work).
15. Resources for Libraries
• EDGE Initiative
http://www.libraryedge.org/ Benchmarks to help
libraries evaluate and continually improve their
public technology services for their communities.
16. Resources for Libraries
• Digitallearn.org
A PLA initiative to create self-guided resources for
libraries to learn digital literacy skills.
Under development with launch set for later this
Spring…here’s a sampling:
http://digitallearn.org/mw/
17. Literacy vs. Fluency
• Digital Literacy is:
– Computer literacy – ability to utlize computer
technology
– Information literacy – ability to find and use
information
– Online literacy – ability to search for and find
useful resourcfes
– Media literacy – ability to recognize message
manipulation and to make informed choices about
the consumption and use of media
Editor's Notes
Here are two definitions of literacy. We need to choose a definition for our next activity. Which one do you prefer or would you prefer a different definition of literacy?
Okay…here’s our definition of literacy. NOW, in pairs or small groups, consider the term DIGITAL LITERACY and create a definition for it. Keep in mind this definition and notice what changes, and what stays the same. Take 5 minutes. - On chart paper, capture key words and concepts from the group discussions.
Here are two definitions I found from reputable sources. Do either of these add anything to our discussion? Did we capture most of what the term means? Great…that’s the first outcome for our work today – good job! Let’s discuss it further, though…in context. Let’s look at some of the barriers to digital literacy.
The level of digital literacy in a community is impacted by three MAIN factors: by the broadband technology available in that community, whether or not an individual or household, or community can manage access to the available Internet AND the rate at which an individual, household, or community adopts use of the technology. Think about the roles that your library may play in each of these factors. I’ve provided a handout for you to make notes about ways that your library can assist along each of these factors. Jot down your ideas. We’ll come back to this in a moment.
So, based upon an extensive survey in October of 2010, 2/3 rd ’s of American households are Internet users. Of these, how many do you think had access to broadband 2 years ago?
Most – a whopping 68%! Only 3.1% are dial-up users. But, that third of non-users – let’s look at them a bit more closely.
This graph shows how use of Broadband (green triangles) rose sharply in the last decade that most households that have Internet, have broadband. But, a stubborn 30% still DO NOT have Internet. BTW…telephone use grew over the past 15 years too…from 93.8 % to 96%.
By age group, broadband users are skewed a bit toward the younger crowd. About ½ of adults over 55 use broadband. So, a good number of those non-users are clearly elderly. They may have never adopted computer use, much less broadband. But, when it comes to adoption, there is one demographics that seems to correlate exactly…
Income, not surprisingly. Households with lesser income are lesser users of the Internet. Is this data supporting your ideas about what libraries can do to assist with those three factors: Availability, Accessibility, and Adoption?
Take 10 minutes to discuss the three factors and the role your library may have in addressing them. Note what skills and knowledge librarians need to be able to fulfill those roles. Come up with at least one skill and one area of knowledge or expertise. Use the post-it notes to write skills on yellow, knowledge on blue. When your group is done, have someone from your group place your post-its on the chart. Group similar ideas together. Let’s keep this activity to 10 minutes (if we can). Reflect on what is represented on the concept map. I’ll take this concept map and recreate it to share with you all on the MSL Learning portal.
For the next 15 or 20 minutes, I’m going to share with you some resources you can use. If you already have experience with any of these, please share what you know. We’ll start with Connect2Compete. Let’s take a look.
NTIA manages this site. One of the criticisms I’ve heard is that the resources here are not well vetted and that it isn’t clear if there is a long-term commitment to maintaining this resource.
What about fluency? Beyond literacy, fluency implies a mastery of language…is the Internet and related information technologies, in effect, a new cultural language? What will the role of library be as this new language evolves? How has it changed what we already do, how are you hiring different people? What will you need 2, 5, 10 years from now? And…with those questions…we’ll end the session today with the discussion far from over…and very few certainties, except that we’re all in this together!
