Digital literacy: The quest of an inclusive definition
Loading...
Date
2018
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AOSIS
Abstract
Forces of globalisation and economic competition enhanced by, among others, the
digital technologies, are radically transforming the social context. Digital technologies are
characterised by a powerful and pervasive Internet as well as the related information and
communication technologies. Globalisation is facilitated by the universally accessible, reliable
and inexpensive communication assisted by these digital technologies. However, there is
growing and valid scepticism regarding the digitally influenced socio-economic emancipation.
This scepticism is mainly driven by a lack of understanding of digital literacy as a holistic
process of creating the necessary social, economic and political changes within a given context.
The understanding of digital literacy therefore needs to join a number of seemingly divergent
views of digital technology when dealing with these technologies’ benefits in socio-economic
emancipation. This understanding of digital literacy should therefore be shaped and focused
more on understanding how digital literacy impacts the poor and marginalised, especially in
looking at the socio-economic welfare of these marginalised sections of the society. This article
discusses digital literacy by firstly looking at the shortcomings of the available definitions and
approaches and then recommends a socio-economic development-orientated definition. The
article brings to the fore the most critical digital literacy issues for socio-economic development.
These issues are important; they ensure that digital literacy is not viewed in isolation, but
rather in terms of its outcomes and consequences, especially with regard to socio-economic
development.
Description
Keywords
Digital technologies, Internet, Communication technologies, Globalisation, Digital literacy, Teaching in a digital world
Citation
Njenga, J.K. (2018). Digital literacy: The quest of an inclusive definition. Reading & Writing 9(1): a183.