Increase Digital Literacy

We need to create a widespread programme to increase Digital Literacy. To hope or expect people to buy into the use of digital services, we need to support users of all ages to be able to build an understanding of the tools available to navigate online spaces safely.

Why the contribution is important

This training / promotional campaign would need to be delivered in an inclusive way in plain English to avoid creating barriers to entry. Lessons like "how to check where an email has come from" may seem simplistic but will help build trust in the system. Many people only ever encounter or hear about Digital services through reports on data breaches or scare stories about scams and online fraud. This breeds fear and if we are to move beyond this barrier we need to acknowledge it and give people the skills to spot the useful digital services from the scam. Other potential areas to cover:

Creating and storing safe passwords.
How to spot a scam.
Safe online shopping.
How to bank / pay safely.

Before we give people the tools to have a basic level of understanding then it is very hard to build meaningful trust.

by Anthony on December 14, 2020 at 02:05PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 5.0
Based on: 3 votes

Comments

  • Posted by deafscotland December 15, 2020 at 17:17

    deafscotland knows that many older people are not online and do not have the skills or knowledge necessary to get online. Why? Because computers and smartphones are relatively new and many older people have never used a smartphone or computer at work; and they definitely didn't use them at school. While planning for the future, you also need to take older people with you as longevity is on the increase and many older people are living longer independently. Any Digital Literacy needs to include these older people as we also know that technology can reduce isolation and increase wellbeing of older people affected by deafness and in some cases, sight loss too.

  • Posted by paulgray December 17, 2020 at 15:54

    In order for Scots to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet we must build in a digital skills framework (and delivery mechanisms for that framework) to ensure all citizens are able to fully participate in the increasing use of new technologies. The UK professional body for librarians and information professionals (CILIP) describes this as 'information literacy' and defines that as “The ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to reach and express informed views and to engage fully with society.”

    If we wish Scotland to truly be an ethical digital nation, we must build these skills into this framework.

  • Posted by simonbarrow December 18, 2020 at 15:34

    This is really important. Without Digital Literacy education, training and awareness there is a real risk of deepening the 'digital divide' in Scotland. The issue is how to build DL into other programmes of outreach and education in both formal and informal sectors, through NGOs, etc.

  • Posted by JennyForeman December 18, 2020 at 17:37

    Agree with all previous comments. It’s really important to ensure all citizens are able to participate fully in new technology, and digital and information literacy education and training is one of the solutions.
    CILIP definition:
    “Information literacy is closely related to a range of other literacies, including digital, media and news literacy, ensuring that not only people can use devices to access information but they can be discerning in their approach to information; that they understand where information comes from; and that they use, share and create that information safely and responsibly”. https://infolit.org.uk
    There are a wide range of organisations to consult and collaborate with regarding digital and information literacies e.g CILIP, CILIP Scotland, The Carnegie Trust, PEN Scotland, and The FOSIL Group to name but a few.

  • Posted by Dina_Martzoukou December 19, 2020 at 23:30

    It is essential to start teaching information and digital literacy at all levels of education. If we start now with young children and include digital literacy in school curricula as a core subject, children will be better equipped later as adults to deal with the challenges of misinformation, disinformation and fake news and be more digitally resilient to address online phenomena that may become barriers to their personal wellbeing or safety and be more informed on how to protect their digital footprint. Children access the Internet from a very young age to play, socialise, connect and learn. Parents may find it difficult to keep up with changes in the online environment and teachers and librarians in particular (who already teach these skills) should be empowered by means of focused training to support children to develop information and digital literacy life skills - to become the critical thinkers and the responsible and resilient digital citizens of tomorrow, and more importantly, to continue to develop these skills for life. These skills are not only about using digital tools, coding or creating with technology. There are also about understanding the challenges and the opportunities of online connectivity, sourcing and evaluating good quality information that can lead to informed decisions and understanding how practice ethical behaviour and conduct online.

  • Posted by Fiona_Mossman December 22, 2020 at 13:18

    Navigating online spaces is a learned skill and this kind of training is very important. Basics of spotting disinformation and keeping yourself safe online need to reach very broad audiences, though different people will have different needs and perspectives and some level of tailoring to be effective (e.g. schoolchildren's critical reading skills in digital contexts can be developed and the specific issues of social media can be explored, whereas for others the challenge is to get online at all).
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