1) Digital Literacy Promotes Higher-Order Thought Skills Whether your state is transitioning to the Common Core Standards or an independent state standards set, the key movement is to steer instruction away from memorization and, instead, promote the acquisition of higher-order skills (analysis, cooperation, creating, etc.). Digital literacy skills are transmutable from the tech world to real world and meet many of the basic needs required by today’s learning standards. Instilling strong levels of digital literacy creates great avenues to learn and practice these higher-order skills, ranging from students working collectively via a Google Doc to developing the ability to analyze a web source’s credibility (and everything in between).

2) Digital Literacy Breaks Down the “Walls” of Learning and Information The traditional pen-and-pencil system presents tons of barriers to student access and connection, whether it be the plight of a master narrative, language disconnect, etc. By instilling adept digital skills, students can break through these “walls” and become ‘producers’ of knowledge. Allowing students to find their own learning resources (via the web, cloud-based learning tools, etc.) and analyze the sources’ benefit creates a true personalized learning environment. Students are no longer given a static text set that dictates how and what they should learn. Instead, developed digital literacy skills afford students the ability to seek out and utilize knowledge resources that help them create a personal learning connection.

3) Digital Literacy Prepares Students for a Digital Post K-12 World Not to be lost in all of the higher-order thinking and personalized learning benefits is the fact that the workplace is becoming increasingly digitized. Much of our goals as educators are geared around ensuring students have the tools they need to become successful Post K-12 citizens. That now includes having familiarity with technology. Whether it be working with Microsoft Office, understanding the nuances of a Windows/Mac operating system, or even the simple use of a mouse and keyboard, it’s vital for students to be ready to roll when sat down in front of a digital device. In today's climate, gaining familiarity with digital device functions and features is now just as important as learning to read and write. 

The nature of knowledge is changing and, in this digital age, our definition of basic literacy urgently needs expanding. With an estimated 90% of UK jobs requiring some level of IT competency, the notion of digital literacy – those capabilities that equip an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society – is one that needs to be taken seriously by colleges and universities.