Digital Literacy round 3

A new semester begins! As we begin to teach Digital Literacy for Designers for the third time, I want to focus on what we want the students to learn from this class. I also want to redefine my understanding of web/digital literacy. I was reading Chris Lawrence's (VP of learning at Mozilla) definition of web literacy. First, I want to note that web literacy and digital literacy in my view are synonymous. Mozilla begins by defining web literacy as the ability to read, write and participate on the web. As an educator, this is the core idea behind any type of literacy, the ability to read and write and participate in the world at large through these skills.
Reading, writing and basic arithmetic were the necessary literacies in the 20th century. Schools were established to teach the required skills, so that individuals could enter the work force and participate. As society and work become more complex, and we entered the information age, the skills to enter and compete in the workplace expanded. More complex skills, critical thinking, analytical skills and non-linear thinking began to emerge as important. The web has redefined the necessary skills to succeed in the workplace, and placed new demands on higher education. The ability to research digitally in one's discipline is now a mandatory skill. But how do students learn this? Is it an innate ability? Are they really digital natives as Prensky refers to this generation of learners? I have observed that almost all students lack digital literacy skills, although they may be very adept at the social and communication aspects of social media. That does not equate to being able to read and write the web. Understanding concepts of privacy & tracking, being able to critically assess sources on the web, navigating information overload are all skills most undergraduate do not possess. Just like reading, writing and arithmetic--the 3 R's of 20th Century education were taught, literacy in the digital age must also be taught. Lets work together to define digital literacy, and learn together.