This document discusses digital literacy skills needed to prepare students for reading 21st century texts. It notes that digital natives are adept at multitasking, expect quick access to information, value graphics over text, and prefer networking and interactivity. It identifies four characteristics of digital texts: volume of information, hypermedia and random access, interactivity and networking, and digital features like images and video. It outlines four digital literacy skill sets: language-based involving online text genres and features; information-based involving searching, filtering, and tagging; connection-based involving online persona and networks; and re-design-based involving recreating and repurposing content while considering copyright and plagiarism.

1. Digital Literacy
Preparing students for reading 21st century texts
Prepared by:
Brett Williams
ETEC 540 Summer 2014

5. Digital Natives
• effective at multi-tasking
• expect quick access to information
• value graphics before text
• network (primarily through social
media)
• expect instant gratification and
rewards
• crave interactivity

8. 1) The volume of information available and the
speed at which it can be accessed.
2) The affordances of hypermedia and the appeal
of random access.
3) The importance of interactivity and networking.
4) The function and impact of digital textual
features such as images, video, hypertext, font
and colour.

10. Digital Literacy Skill
Sets
Language
Information
Connections
Re-design
Pegrum, M. (2011). Modified, multiplied and (re-)mixed: social media and digital
literacies. In M. Thomas (ed.). Digital education: opportunities for social
collaboration. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

11. Language-based
literacies
Online text genres:
-Blogs
-Wikis
-Forum discussions
Textual features:
-Hypertext
-Graphics
-Multimedia
-Abbreviations
-Gaming
-Code

12. Information-based
literacies
-Facilitate effective searches
-Filter information
-Tagging and hyperlinking

13. Connection-based
literacies
-Managing online persona and networks.
-Creating digital content for others to view and share.

14. Re-design-based
literacies
-Re-create/re-purpose existing
digital content.
-Copyright.
-Plagiarism.

18. References

19. References

20. References

21. References

22. References