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A Digital Literacy
Are you digitally literate?
Are you digitally literate?
Introduction
Introduction
People think about digital literacy in many ways, and it can encompass a broad range of skills, from basic computing to evaluating information and creating media. One of the most holistic frameworks comes from Virginia Tech.
Digital Literacy Competencies
Digital Literacy Competencies
This Digital Literacy Framework has seven competencies.
1. Identity and Wellbeing
1. Identity and Wellbeing
Being digitally literate involves creating your online identity to personal and professional values and goals. Do you manage your personal data, privacy, and security in a digital environment? Do you know how?
Why it matters:
How you present yourself online affects your opportunities. Strong digital identity management protects privacy, supports professional credibility, and helps maintain mental and emotional health.
Example:
Using professional usernames and privacy settings on social media, and maintaining separate academic vs personal accounts.
2. Discovery
2. Discovery
Can you adapt search strategies and evaluate the results? Do you locate and explore ideas from multiple viewpoints and perspectives? Can you identify information needs and gaps in your knowledge?
Why it matters:
Being able to find accurate, relevant, and timely information is essential for school, work, and everyday life. Strong discovery skills reduce wasted time and prevent reliance on unreliable sources.
Example:
Using advanced search techniques in Google or library databases to locate peer-reviewed articles instead of blindly trusting the first website result or what AI has generated for you.
3. Evaluation
3. Evaluation
Evaluating information is crucial. Can you critically analyze information/media/data to determine its relevance, accuracy, and purpose? Can you recognize how algorithms and personalization influence online information exposure (digital bubbles)?
Why it matters:
Not everything online is accurate, safe, or unbiased. Evaluating sources critically helps avoid misinformation, make informed decisions, and build credible work.
Example:
Checking publication date, author credentials, and site reliability before citing information in an assignment.
4. Ethics
4. Ethics
We will cover more on digital ethics in a future module. Still, for now, you should consider the differences in technology and information access, rights, and vulnerabilities of individuals and groups. Is there a difference between ethics, laws, and morals? What are your rights and responsibilities when using, creating, and sharing digital data/information/media?
Why it matters:
Ethical behavior online ensures respect for intellectual property, privacy, and digital rights. Understand digital ethics, to avoid plagiarism, respect copyright, and participate responsibly in digital communities.
Example:
Correctly citing images, code, and articles, or knowing how to behave in discussion forums.
5. Creativity and Scholarship
5. Creativity and Scholarship
The ability to create original work and repurpose or remix existing works is part of digital literacy! Do you engage in troubleshooting while using tools? How do format, genre, discipline, and audience affect creative choices?
Why it matters:
Digital tools enable us to create content, solve problems, and share ideas effectively. Creativity drives learning, innovation, and personal expression.
Example:
Designing a multimedia presentation, creating a personal website (you will do that in this class!!), or building a data visualization that clearly communicates research findings.
6. Communication and Collaboration
6. Communication and Collaboration
We mentioned netiquette in a previous module, which would fall under the communication and collaboration competency. Can you apply communication conventions and norms in online communities? Can you effectively use relevant tools and strategies for digitally mediated collaboration?
Why it matters:
Most academic and workplace projects require collaboration across digital platforms. Strong communication and collaboration skills ensure ideas are shared clearly, teamwork is effective, and conflicts are minimized.
Example:
Using Google Docs or Office to co-edit a project.
7. Curation
7. Curation
Curation could be defined as the selection, organization, and presentation of content and information. Can you apply organizational principles to data/information/media? Can you select the correct tools and formats for media? Do you have a plan to preserve and maintain your data/information/media?
Why it matters:
Organizing, managing, and preserving digital content helps us access information efficiently, avoid data loss, and maintain an organized digital workflow.
Example:
Creating well-structured folders, using cloud storage for backups, and tagging or bookmarking resources for easy retrieval.
Notebook ACTIVITY
Notebook ACTIVITY
Look back at the seven competencies. List each one in your notebook and then rank yourself!
✅ I've got this 😁
🟡 I kind of get it, but I could be better 😐
❌ I honestly don't know this ☹️
Why Does Any of This Matter?
Why Does Any of This Matter?
Digital literacy is not just knowing how to use apps on your phone. It's knowing how to think, create, communicate, and protect yourself in a world where almost everything happens online. Every competency on this page is a skill employers look for, professors expect, and life will eventually demand.
The students who struggle aren't usually the ones who lack intelligence. They're the ones who never learned how to find reliable information, evaluate what they're reading, protect their data, or communicate professionally.
Digital Literacy > Just Using Technology
Sources
Sources
Virginia Tech University Libraries. (n.d.). Digital literacy. Virginia Tech University Libraries. Retrieved December 9, 2025, from
https://lib.vt.edu/research-teaching/digital-literacy.html
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