Identifying digital literacy needs

3 hours, of which:

- 1 hour of face-to-face learning

- 1,5 hours of self-directed learning

- 0,5 hour for assessment

Internet connection

Digital device (smartphone, tablet or PC)

Writing material to take notes (e.g., writing software or notebook/pen)

This unit is designed to help learners identify the digital literacy needs of employees and employers in the workplace and is ideal for individuals who are responsible for training or managing employees, or for those who are interested in improving their own digital literacy skills. In this learning unit, you will understand the importance of digital literacy in the workplace, identify the digital literacy skills needed for different job roles and tasks, evaluate the current digital literacy levels of employees and employers in the workplace, develop strategies to improve digital literacy skills in the workplace and create a plan for implementing digital literacy training in the workplace.

Photo by Markus Spiske in https://unsplash.com/pt-br/fotografias/4T5MTKMrjZg

What is digital literacy?

Digital literacy refers to the set of knowledge and skills required to use digital technologies effectively and efficiently. It involves the ability to navigate, evaluate, and create digital content, communicate and collaborate using digital tools, and protect oneself and others in the digital environment.

Digital literacy is a critical component of modern life and essential for individuals to participate fully in today's digital society.

What is the importance of digital literacy in the workplace?

Digital literacy is essential for everyone in the workplace for several reasons:

• Efficiency: digital literacy skills can help employees’ complete tasks more efficiently by using digital tools and technologies effectively.
• Communication: communication and collaboration in the digital environment are becoming increasingly common in the workplace. Digital literacy skills can enable employees to communicate and collaborate using digital tools more effectively.
• Innovation: digital literacy skills can facilitate innovation and creativity in the workplace by enabling employees to use digital tools to create and share new ideas and solutions.
• Adaptability: digital technologies and tools are constantly evolving, and digital literacy skills can help employees adapt to these changes and learn new technologies quicker.
• Career advancement: in today's job market, many jobs – not only computer-related - require digital literacy skills, and having these skills can make an individual more competitive in the job market and increase opportunities for career advancement.

Overall, digital literacy is essential in the workplace to improve efficiency, communication, innovation, adaptability, and career advancement, thus also supporting the development of soft skills.

How to identify digital literacy skills in the workplace?

The Digital competence framework (DigComp) is the European framework that outlines the digital competences required for individuals to fully participate in today's digital society The DigComp, developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, consists of a set of 21 competences across five areas of digital competence, as summarised next.

Information and data literacy	Browsing, searching and filtering data, information and digital content Evaluating data, information and digital content Managing data, information and digital content
Communication and collaboration	Interacting through digital technologies Sharing information and content through digital technologies Engaging in citizenship through digital technologies Collaborating through digital technologies Netiquette Managing digital identity
Digital content creation	Developing digital content Integrating and re-elaborating digital content Copyright and licenses Programming
Safety	Protecting devices Protecting personal data and privacy Protecting health and well-being Protecting the environment
Problem solving	Solving technical problems Identifying needs and technological responses Creatively using digital technologies Identifying digital competence gaps

Table 1: DigComp Conceptual reference model

Identifying digital literacy skills in the workplace using the DigComp framework enables you to assess employees' competences in each area and identify areas where improvement is needed. Training on their needs can further be provided using a variety of training formats, such as in-person and online options.

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• In this video you can find out what digital competence is and why it is important in today's world

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI9ePlsGdbg

• The following video presents a case study on digital transformation

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr7xSyxCUL8

• Read how organisations are building both individual and organisational digital capability in the following article

digitalcapability.jisc.ac.uk/case-studies/

• In this article you can find the EU programmes to increase digital skills in both the workforce and consumers: “Digital skills | Shaping Europe's digital future”

digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-skills

• This article explains the importance of digital literacy in the labour market: “Why ‘digital literacy’ is now a workplace non-negotiable” www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220923-why-digital-literacy-is-now-a-workplace-non-negotiable
• The following animated video summarises the definition and importance of digital literacy: “Digital literacy and why it matters”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w

• Find all about the DigComp framework in the following article.

https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcomp/digital-competence-framework_en

• The following publication explains how DigComp can be implemented at work.

publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC120645

• The following video explains how DigComp is helping young people to gain digital competence.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii1sgxgnOlc

Digital literacy: set of skills, knowledge, and attitudes required to use digital technologies effectively, critically, and creatively in various contexts. It involves the ability to find, evaluate, use, and create digital information, as well as to communicate, collaborate, and participate in digital communities. Digital literacy encompasses a range of competences, including technical skills, information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, and ethical and social responsibilities in the digital realm.

DigComp (Digital Competence Framework): reference framework that provides a common language and a shared understanding of digital competences. It is designed to support the development and assessment of digital competence for individuals and organisations and to promote lifelong learning in the digital age.

Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2019). Handbook of Research on Literacy and Digital Technology Integration in Teacher Education. IGI Global.

Mills, K. A. (2015). Literacy Theories for the Digital Age: Social, Critical, Multimodal, Spatial, Material and Sensory Lenses. Multilingual Matters.

Reedy, K., & Parker, J. (2018). Digital Literacy Unpacked. Facet Publishing.

Van Deursen, A. J. a. M., & Van Dijk, J. a. G. M. (2014). Digital Skills: Unlocking the Information Society. Springer.