The Push-pull of digital literacy

Digital literacy within higher education was originally grounded in Gilster’s (1997) definition that essentially framed it as information literacy using technologies. This has necessarily evolved over the past two decades in conjunction with rapid technological advances. Digital literacy concepts have attempted to match the changing landscape engendered by ubiquitous and ever more available technologies, where cybersecurity and accessibility, multimodal communication channels, and push-pull models of information delivery impact the way we learn, work and play. A dizzying plethora of digital literacy definitions has emerged, with no common understanding of what it means or what skills and capabilities it reflects. Concomitantly, there is no one digital literacy framework that is unilaterally accepted.

Recognising that digital literacy underpins teaching and research, regardless of discipline, Deakin University has positioned digital literacy as a core graduate learning outcome. A 2012 definition and a 2015 framework, developed collaboratively by the Library and Faculty over a three year period, currently guides Deakin’s digital literacy teaching. However, awareness of the changing nature of digital literacy has prompted a reconsideration of definitions and frameworks. A cross-divisional team of librarians and academics have reviewed the framework and are in the process of extending it to capture the broader understanding of digital literacy, moving away from an information literacy focussed version. The ultimate goal of the project is to find good practice within the Deakin context for building digital literacy capabilities in students by creating nuanced and modifiable frameworks at AQF7-10 levels that can guide curriculum (re)development.