Digital Literacies

Conceptual Definitions (as opposed to standardized operational differences; Lankshear and Knobel 2).

According to Richard Lanham, literacy is more than the ability to to read and write; it is "the ability to understand information however presented" (qtd. in Lankshear and Knobel 3). Being digitially literate means that people can understand images, sounds, and "syntactial subtleties of words" and can understand which forum to use when trying to persuade someone (3). Thus, a person who is digitally literate can match the message to the medium.

Standardized Operational Definitions

This involves being specific about the skills needed in order to be digitally literate. They include "tasks, performances, demonstrations of skills, etc" and say this is the standard for adoption. It involves skills like using a computer; understanding the components; understanding input, output, and software; and navigating the internet (Lankshear and Knobel 3).

Sociocultural View of Literacy

Gilster defines digital literacy as the "the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers" (qtd. in Lankshear and Knobel 4). Bawden said it is "literacy in the digital age...the ability to read, write, and otherwise deal with information using the technologies in formats of the time" (qtd. in Lankshear and Knobel 4). This viewpoint encouragesa broader understanding of literacy; it is literacies because we have to understand multiple formats. We are also not just learning to read and write, we are learning to read and write in certain contexts and social spheres. Once we are embedded with the social practice of the space we are studying, then we can move to consider ourselves literate (Lankshear and Knobel 7).

According to Jenkins (2006), "Just as we would not traditionally assume that someone is literate if they can read but not write, we should not assume that someone possesses media literacy if they can consume but not express themselves" (p. 176).

Rainie and Wellman (2012) encourages seven forms of literacy: graphic literacy, navigation literacy, context and connections literacy, multitasking literacy, skepticism literacy, ethical literacy, and networking literacy (p. 272-4). The book ends with projecting what may happen in the future (p. 276).

In addition to Rheingold, Rainie and Wellman, Gilster provides four competencies of digital literacy: 1) internet searching; 2) hyper-text navigation; 3) knowledge assembly; and 4) content evaluation (Lankshear and Knobel, 2008, p. 20).

References:

Bawden, David. "Information and Digital Literacies: A Review of Concepts." Journal of Documentation 57(2): 218-59. 2001.

Gilster, Paul. Digital Literacy. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc., 1997. Print.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. New York: New York University Press.

Lankshear, Colin and Michele Knobel.Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices.New York: Peter Lang, 2008.

Rainie, H. & Wellman, B. (2012). Networked: The New Social Operating System. Cambridge: MIT.