TOPIC 4

DIGITAL LITERACY
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
• By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
• Describe the meaning of digital literacy and how you may develop your digital proficiency;
• Explain the proficiencies that form digital literacy; and
• Adopt and apply all the best practices and expectations highlighted in each of the
proficiencies.
 INTRODUCTION
• The term “digital literacy” was first introduced by Paul Gilster, way back in 1997. Gilster
has defined digital literacy as “ability to understand and use information in multiple formats
from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers” (Gilster 1997).
• Recent definitions on “digital literacy” may have some variations as compared to the above
definition. For example, Cornell University defines digital literacy as “the ability to find,
evaluate, utilise, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.”
(https://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu/).
 INTRODUCTION
• Digital literacy are the capabilities required in order to be a responsible and an effective
participant in a digital society. However, digital literacy is not a standalone proficiency, but
in fact it consists of multiple set of proficiencies as listed below (Llida review, 2009).
• ICT Literacy (which include Computer Literacy)
• Information Literacy
• Technology-enhanced Learning (i.e. Digital Learning/E-Learning)
• Media Literacy
• All of the above proficiencies will help you to reach the upper portion of the digital literacy
development framework (refer to Figure 4.1).
 ICT LITERACY
• ICT represents the collection of activities and technologies that fall into the IT and
communication technologies combined (ets.org).
• Hardware, software, data and the people who use them collectively lead to ICT’s system set-
up. It typically includes communications technology such as the Internet.
• But you must remember that computers and ICT are not the same thing. Computers are
the hardware that is often part of an ICT system.
 ICT LITERACY
• Computer literacy refers to a person's ability to use information technology devices and
software.
• Information literacy refers to a person's ability to find and critically evaluate resources to
find quality information.
• Thus, computer literacy is a subset of ICT proficiency (Bruce, 1998).
 ICT LITERACY
• ICT literacy is using digital technology, communications tools, and/or networks to access,
manage, integrate, evaluate and create information in order to function in a knowledge
society
(International ICT Literacy Panel, 2007).
ICT LITERACY
 ICT LITERACY
• These FIVE components are explained below:
• Access - knowing about and knowing how to retrieve and/or collect information.
• Manage - applying an existing organisational or classification scheme.
• Integrate - interpreting and representing information. This may involve comparing,
summarizing and contrasting.
• Evaluate - making judgments about the quality, usefulness, relevance, or efficiency of
information.
• Create - generating information by adapting, designing, applying, inventing, or even
authoring information.
ICT LITERACY
 ICT LITERACY
• These THREE proficiencies are explained below.
• Cognitive Proficiency - the foundational skills required at school, at home, and at work.
Problem solving and numeracy are examples of cognitive proficiency. As a student enrolled
in higher education, you need to have a good grasp of knowledge in your field of study
which is also considered as cognitive proficiency.
• Technical Proficiency - the foundational element of digital literacy. It encompasses basic
knowledge of hardware, networks, applications software, and other components of
computing. As a student, you need to have at least the following computer proficiencies.
 ICT LITERACY
• ICT Proficiency - the application and integration of technical and cognitive skills will lead
to ICT proficiencies. ICT proficiencies can be considered as enablers that allow individuals
to maximise the capabilities of technology.
• For example, in order to successfully perform an ICT task such as searching the Internet to
find and compare best management practices, an individual must apply reading and critical
skills (cognitive) and be able to access information on the Internet using a search engine
such as Google which include knowing on how to operate the computer (technical).
 INFORMATION LITERACY
• “Information” is the result of data that has been given a meaning. New Oxford American
Dictionary defines information as “facts provided or learned about something or someone”.
According to Li (2014):

• Information has a broad domain: the scope of information is very broad. Information can have
different meanings in different scopes; and

• Information exists in many different forms: information can be represented as codes, colours,
events, facts, graphs, images, letters, lights, numbers, pictures, signs, signals, sounds, statistics,
tables, texts, waves, and so on.
 INFORMATION LITERACY
• Information can be seen from different perspectives, such as:
• Information as useful data;
• Information as subjective knowledge;
• Information as a resource; and
• Information as a commodity.
 INFORMATION LITERACY
• Why Information Literacy is Important for You as a Learner?
• Doing research and additional reading are fundamental in a university’s learning
environment. One of the first challenges facing students at the university is where to find the
articles or books they need. The ability to do an article or book search is an information
literacy skill essential to surviving in academic activities.
• Which tools should you use to discover whether the library has the articles or books that you
need?
• Do you know the methods that you can use to search for the articles?
• What would be your options if the library does not have the articles or books that you are
looking for?
 INFORMATION LITERACY
• ALA defines information literacy as “a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognise
when information is needed and have the ability to locate, valuate, and use effectively the
needed information” (ALA, 1989).

• Information literacy relates to information not just print, but also spoken word, digital
content, images and data. Information Literacy may be deployed in veryday life without you
knowing that you are making use of it - for instance, by checking hotel reviews or travel
review websites.

• FIVE main action components of information literacy are identify, find, evaluate, apply, and
acknowledge.
 INFORMATION LITERACY
FRAMEWORK
• In this 21st century, your level of information literacy will need to increase. Whether at
work, in university, or at home, there is an ever growing demand for you to do the following:
• Determine the extent of information needed;
• Evaluate critically the information and its sources;
• Access the needed information efficiently and effectively;
• Incorporate the selected type of information in your knowledge base;
• Use the information effectively in order to accomplish a specific task or purpose; and
• Use information ethically and legally; and at the same time understand the economic, legal,
and social issues surrounding the use and access of information.
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
• The 21st century education is all about application of technology in teaching and learning.
The influence of technology on teaching and learning is remarkable.
• Nowadays, many lessons are delivered in digital format including the online learning via
Web/Internet.
• You, as a learner at Open University Malaysia that uses technology heavily in teaching and
learning, need to have confidence and motivation in order to engage in online learning or
online classroom.
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
• The term Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL) or also known as digital learning is used to
describe the application of information and communication technologies in teaching and
learning environments.
• The use of technology can add value to your learning by enabling:
• Connectivity to information and to others;
• Access to learning resources anytime, anywhere and anyhow;
• Greater choice over the time, place and pace of study;
• Alternative modes of study: distance, blended work-based, partially or wholly campus-based;
• Knowledge-sharing and co-authoring across multiple locations;
• Opportunities for reflection and planning in personal learning spaces;
• More active learning by means of interactive technologies and multimedia resources;
• Participation in communities of knowledge, inquiry and learning; and
• Development of skills for living and working in a digital age.
TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
• The 21st century education is all about application of technology in teaching and learning.
The influence of technology on teaching and learning is remarkable.
• Nowadays, many lessons are delivered in digital format including the online learning via
Web/Internet.
• The term Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL) or also known as digital learning is used to
describe the application of information and communication technologies in teaching and
learning environments.
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
• Technology enhanced learning can provide learning opportunities that are unconstrained by
time or location, support wider and more relevant learning experiences and provide
opportunities for students to take greater control of their own learning.
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
LEARNING
• The use of technology can add value to your learning by enabling:
• (a) Connectivity to information and to others;
• (b) Access to learning resources anytime, anywhere and anyhow;
• (c) Greater choice over the time, place and pace of study;
• (d) Alternative modes of study: distance, blended work-based, partially or
• wholly campus-based;
• (e) Knowledge-sharing and co-authoring across multiple locations;
• (f) Opportunities for reflection and planning in personal learning spaces;
• (g) More active learning by means of interactive technologies and multimedia
• resources;
• (h) Participation in communities of knowledge, inquiry and learning; and
• (i) Development of skills for living and working in a digital age.
 TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
• This capability will enable you to the do the following at ease: LEARNING
• (a) Participate in digital learning such as weekly e-lessons;
• (b) Use digital learning resources, such as video lectures and online quiz;
• (c) Use digital media to take part in learning conversations with tutors and your coursemates;
• (d) Use digital tools to organise, plan and reflect on learning;
• (e) Record learning events/outcomes and use them for self-analysis, reflection and showcasing of achievement
through e-portfolio or learning blog;
• (f) Use digital tools to take notes, review and revise learning;
• (g) Undertake self-assessment;
• (h) Submit your assignment though electronic submission via myINSPIRE LMS;
• (i) Participate in other forms of digital assessment; receive and respond to such as live forum;
• (j) Manage learning time and tasks; manage attention, engagement and motivation to learn in digital settings
• (k) Work collaboratively with other learners by using digital technologies where
• appropriate; and
• (l) Share digital know-how and expertise with others.
 TOOLS USED IN TEL ENVIRONMENT IN
THE CONTEXT OF OUM
• Learning Management System (LMS)
• A learning management system (LMS) is an application software for the administration, documentation,
tracking, reporting and delivery of educational courses. LMS can be considered as a container that holds
all teaching and learning tools together.
 Forum
Forum is an online discussion board where people can hold
conversations in the form of posted messages.
A discussion forum is hierarchical or tree-like in structure: a
forum can contain a number of subforums, each of which may
have several topics.

e-book
An electronic book (or e-book or eBook) is a book publication
made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or
both, readable on the flat-panel display
of computers or other electronic devices such as iPad or tablets.
At OUM, e-book is provided in the form of e-module through
portable document format (pdf )
and accessible from various devices. The
• Video Lectures
• A video lecture is a recorded educational
lecture posted in the course page of
myINSPIRE.
• Students may view the lecture online at a
time which is convenient for them.
 MOBILE LEARNING
• O’Malley et al. (2003) defined mobile learning as learning that take place when the learner
is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or when the learner takes advantage of the learning
opportunities offered by mobile technologies.
• The “mobile” in “mobile learning” has two meanings:
• (a) Learner mobility:
• learners are able to engage in educational activities without the constraints of having to do
so in a tightly delimited physical location.
• It requires nothing more than the motivation to do so wherever the opportunity arises from
books, electronic resources, places and people
• (b) Mobile devices:
• portable, lightweight devices that are sometimes small enough to fit in a pocket or in the
palm of one’s hand. Typical examples are mobile phones, smartphones (like the iPhone),
palmtops, and handheld computers like the iPad or PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants).
• The following factors have contributed to the effectiveness of mobile learning:
• (a) Convenience - all the required learning is at your fingertips;
• (b) Duration - short and concise courses that allows for broader participation;
• (c) Focus - courses are designed based on learning outcomes or course
• objectives;
• (d) Microlearning - brief focused learning can be created easily; and
• (e) Contents - contents are engaging and interactive.
 MOBILE LEARNING VIA
MYINSPIRE
• a)Download myInspire application from
• PlayStore(Android) or AppStore(Apple/iPhone).

• b)Steps
• 1.Key-in-inspire.oum.edu.my
• 2.Click button Connect
• 3.Key in user ID and password
 MEDIA LITERACY
• Media Literacy is defined as the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and create media in a
variety of forms (https://www.medialit.org/media-literacydefinition- and-more).

• European Commission (2007) defined media literacy as the ability to access the media, to
understand and to critically evaluate different aspects of the media and media contents and to
create communications in a variety of contexts (https://
eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52007DC0833&from=EN).
 MEDIA LITERACY
• Media literacy helps in:
• (a) Promoting critical thinking;
• (b) Understanding how media content affects culture and society;
• (c) Identifying communication strategies;
• (d) Recognition of the purpose of the creator of the media content;
• (e) Recognition of misinformation and manipulation; and
• (f) Creating and sharing your own media content.
 MEDIA LITERACY
• There are FOUR important skills that help the viewer or reader to understand the meaning of
media literacy:
• (a) Accessing media;
• (b) Analyzing content;
• (c) Being able to evaluate messages; and
• (d) Being able to create media for self-expression and communication.
 MEDIA FOR LEARNING AND IN
CLASSROOM
• We learn by doing. There are rich variety of media that allows you to understand and express
ideas regardless of the field of your study.
• Movies, radio, Internet, photography, print, and all the other communication forms are
available to us not only as sources of information and pleasure, but as tools that can be used
to produce creative and innovative educational solutions.
• For example, you may use your handphone to record your own presentation and upload it
into myINSPIRE LMS for the online tutor to view and eventually for grading.
• The classroom (be it physical or online) is a place where active production in all media is a
natural way to learn.
• It is a place where learners solve problems, not only through reading and writing, but also
through producing media contents through digital means.
• Video
• 1.Living in a Digital World
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_2pVrl87Nc&feature=youtu.be

• 2.Digital Literacy and why it matters

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w&feature=youtu.be

• 3.ICT Literacy
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io2A6dVsHVQ&feature=youtu.be

• 4.5 Components of Information Literacy

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ronp6Iue9w&feature=youtu.be

• 5.What is Information Literacy

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbe6xBibOL4&feature=youtu.be

• 6.21stCentury Education
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA1Aqp0sPQo&feature=youtu.be

• 7.The Importance of Media Literacy

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaMzYDe0taY&feature=youtu.be
• Nota:
• 1.Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
• http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/framework1.pdf