Read time 5 minutes
Published on Aug 31, 2023
Speak with a University Counselor today.
Approved by the assistant vice president of GCU Marketing on Aug. 14, 2023.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
We're here to help.
There is no question that we live in a digital world. The successful navigation of a digital world is predicated upon up-to-date digital literacy skills.
What is digital literacy? Digital literacy is a broad concept that refers to a basic level of competency in understanding and using digital tools.1 Here, you can learn more about the digital literacy definition, the types of digital literacy skills that many employers may be looking for and ways of enhancing your digital abilities.
So, what is digital literacy, exactly? There isn’t any one universal digital literacy definition. In fact, this term resists a strict definition because it is such a broad concept that encompasses a range of abilities and skills.
One way to think of digital literacy is the ability to navigate an environment that has been integrated with a variety of different technologies. It includes both technical skills (e.g. knowing how to use a smartphone) and non-technical skills (e.g. knowing how to evaluate whether a particular website is reputable and whether certain information available in digital formats is trustworthy). An important component of digital literacy is communication, as digital tools often involve the sharing and seeking of information.
The American Library Association (ALA) offers this digital literacy definition: Digital literacy is “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.”1 In other words, being digitally literate doesn’t require that you know how to use computer programming languages to create an app or that you can fix a malfunctioning server. Rather, it refers to a basic level of competency that enables you to use digital tools in your daily life and perhaps to continually build upon your digital skills.
Digital literacy skills are important for just about everyone. Since so much of modern life is conducted online, it’s likely that you’ll need digital skills to handle routine tasks like the following:
In short, digital literacy facilitates modern life. These skills are particularly important for college students. During college, you’ll likely need digital skills to set up and view your class schedule, find course materials, locate library books and view a campus map (not to mention complete class assignments). As you look toward graduation, you’ll find that your digital literacy skills will help you:
Of course, digital skills are also essential for many types of employment. Even if you plan on becoming a forest ranger with hopes of working in remote areas, you’ll need to communicate on a smartphone and you’ll likely need to use software to document your work. Digital literacy is so important that employers may expect that job candidates will possess a basic framework of digital skills so they can execute their job responsibilities properly.
There are many specific digital literacy skills that you could learn. The ones that you should learn depends on your path in life. For example, if you intend on becoming a librarian, you’ll need to be an exemplary digital researcher. If you intend on becoming a graphic designer, you’ll need to know how to navigate the most widely used graphic design software.
Digital literacy isn’t necessarily about knowing how to use every advanced feature of every digital tool you might need throughout your life. Rather, it’s about:
Digital literacy is often thought of as a soft skill, even though it relates to technical abilities. This is because it doesn’t involve proficiency with any one tool or technology. Rather, it encompasses one’s capacity to adapt to various technologies.
Here’s a look at some digital literacy examples. These are some general skills that many employers might expect their job candidates to possess:
No matter how computer savvy you may or may not be, you can always take steps to improve your digital literacy skills. If you’re a high school or college student, one great way to start is by looking for resources that your school offers. You might have access to tutorials or online courses, for example.
Next, look for ways to facilitate collaboration and productivity with digital tools. For instance, you could learn how to use digital scheduling and organizing tools to manage your coursework. Other digital literacy examples include using digital tools to collaborate with your peers, such as cloud storage for sharing and collaborating on documents or online discussion boards for communication.
Here are a few other ideas:
Remember that digital literacy is about more than knowing how to do “fuzzy matching” in Microsoft Excel or how to share permission to access a document in cloud storage. It’s also about knowing how to keep yourself safe online, such as by being aware of the red flags of scams and knowing how to identify whether the source of information is reputable or not.
Lastly, digital literacy is a journey — not an end point. Technologies will always evolve and new ones will continue to emerge for as long as human civilization exists. To remain competitive in the job marketplace and to facilitate your own personal tasks, it’s a good idea to stay aware of the latest tech trends and tools.
Grand Canyon University provides a wide range of programs and student support services intended to enrich our students’ education and enhance campus life. Our Student Success Center team offers academic resources, including tutorials for developing computer skills, study skills and more. Fill out the form on this page to learn about joining our student community.
1 American Library Association. (n.d.). Digital literacy. ALA Literacy Clearinghouse. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
