digital age essay ideas

Reflections on the digital age: 7 improvements that brought about a decade of positive change

The new digital age enabled billions of people to collaborate and mobilize to fight climate change. Image:  Photo by kazuend on Unsplash

.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo{-webkit-transition:all 0.15s ease-out;transition:all 0.15s ease-out;cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:none;color:inherit;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:hover,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-hover]{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo:focus,.chakra .wef-1c7l3mo[data-focus]{box-shadow:0 0 0 3px rgba(168,203,251,0.5);} Don Tapscott C.M.

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September 2030 . The early 2020s were full of dramatic turning points in global history.

Powerful new technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, the internet of things and the metaverse upended traditional systems, institutions and ways of life. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-22 accelerated these trends as people everywhere moved much of their lives online. The pandemic also exposed deep problems in our governments and systems for everything from supply chains to public health data.

Moreover, the early 2020s were jolted by political upheaval. Notably, in January 2021, the American election was challenged, exacerbating deep fissures in the United States and emboldening populists and extremists around the world. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, global sanctions and significant disruptions to food supplies further convulsed the global economy and exacerbated tensions. These challenges, among others, created a perfect storm and resulted in extraordinary social anxiety and unrest.

Fortunately, a miracle of sorts occurred. Driven by a deep hope for a brighter future, people everywhere began to reimagine the relationship between government and civil society, ushering in a new societal framework for the digital age. This was not some kind of academic process but rather the result of mass mobilizations around broad change.

Reflecting on the digital age

Today, looking back a decade, let’s examine seven key improvements that stemmed from this period of positive change:

1. New models of prosperity and work

Given the bifurcation of wealth and structural unemployment in many economies engendered by the new digital age, expectations of employment shifted, with people understanding that the private sector cannot provide jobs and prosperous life for all. New rules and regulations were instituted that created a strong social safety net for workers. These reforms helped mitigate the gross inequality that plagued the early years of the 21 st century. New technologies also brought more underserved people into the global economy and readied workers for lifelong learning.

2. New models of digital identity

New regulations allowed individuals to own and benefit from the digital data they create. This ended the era of “digital feudalism,” which was characterised by a centralized group of “digital landlords” who collected, aggregated and profited from the data that collectively constituted our digital identities. Furthermore, Web3 gave people the ability to harvest their data trail and use it to plan their lives, enhancing their prosperity and protecting their privacy.

3. More informed digital age society

Through public and private partnerships, media systems were rebuilt in ways that safeguarded independence and free speech. New tools were implemented that enabled citizens to track the veracity and provenance of information. This helped reduce the ability of bad-faith actors to spread false information about everything from climate change to public health. Clear rules were also set that ensured large media companies were prohibited from supporting hate on their platforms in the digital age. These reforms helped us rebuild public education systems to ensure that every young person can function fully, not just as a worker or entrepreneur, but as a citizen. Media literacy programs were also introduced into schools to help young people develop their capabilities to handle the onslaught of information and discern the truth.

4. Renewed trust in government and democracy

Innovative technologies and other modern reforms enabled us to create a new era of democracy based on public deliberation, transparency, active citizenship and accountability. Technology also helped to embed electoral promises into smart contracts that allowed citizens to track and engage in their democracies through the mobile platforms they use every day. These reforms helped boost trust in politicians and the legitimacy of our governments as leaders are now more beholden to the people and not the powerful interests that funded their campaigns in the years prior. Moreover, these improvements helped stifle radical populists and extreme politicians on both the right and left.

5. A new commitment to justice

It was clear that new technologies exacerbated racial divides, so governments and organisations throughout civil society committed to ending racial inequities. In the United States, action was taken to end the era of mass incarceration and the financial hamstringing of minority groups. The criminal subjection of indigenous peoples as evidenced by Canada’s “Residential School System” was also readdressed. These steps helped move racism, class oppression and subjugation of all peoples into the dustbin of history, along with those who perpetrate these vile relics of the past. The reforms also went past the tropes about bad apples and forgiveness. They recognized that racism and oppression are systemic and must be addressed society-wide.

6. A deep commitment to sustainability

Through major reforms, the world is now on track to reduce carbon emissions by 90% by the year 2050. The new digital age enabled billions of people to collaborate and mobilize to fight climate change. This included not just governments but businesses large and small, commuters, vacationers, employees, students, consumers – everyone – from every walk of life. Public pressure and new regulations have also forced business executives to participate responsibly in the reindustrialization of our planet and embrace carbon pricing.

7. Global interdependence

The crises of the past decade—the COVID-19 pandemic, the political legitimacy crisis, the war in Ukraine and the climate catastrophes—demonstrated that no country could succeed fully in a world that is in trouble. And while significant national differences remain, countries have embraced common interests and an understanding of a common fate. The new way of thinking also allowed governments, companies and NGOs to better organise around solving major problems like public health, education, social justice, environmental stability and peace.

These positive changes did not bring about a utopia. But they were improvements—and ones that were achieved through bottom-up struggle.

Victor Hugo said there is nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come. In our case, there was nothing so powerful as ideas that had become necessities.

The World Economic Forum’s Platform for Shaping the Future of Digital Economy and New Value Creation helps companies and governments leverage technology to develop digitally-driven business models that ensure growth and equity for an inclusive and sustainable economy.

• The Digital Transformation for Long-Term Growth programme is bringing together industry leaders, innovators, experts and policymakers to accelerate new digital business models that create the sustainable and resilient industries of tomorrow.
• The Forum’s EDISON Alliance is mobilizing leaders from across sectors to accelerate digital inclusion . Its 1 Billion Lives Challenge harnesses cross-sector commitments and action to improve people’s lives through affordable access to digital solutions in education, healthcare, and financial services by 2025.

Contact us for more information on how to get involved.

This article is abridged from an major essay written by Don Tapscott called “A Declaration of Interdependence: Towards a New Social Contract for the Digital Age” and a recent short essay entitled “ Why We Built a Social Contract for the New Digital Age.”

Don Tapscott is author of 16 widely read books about technology in business and society, including the best-seller Blockchain Revolution , which he co-authored with his son Alex. His most recent book is Platform Revolution: Blockchain Technology as the Operating System of the Digital Age. He is Co-Founder of the Blockchain Research Institute , an Adjunct Professor at INSEAD, and Chancellor Emeritus of Trent University in Canada. He is a Member of the Order of Canada and drafted a framework for “ A New Social Contract for the Digital Economy.”

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World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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84 Digital Transformation Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best digital transformation topic ideas & essay examples, 📃 good research topics about digital transformation, 🎓 interesting topics to write about digital transformation, ❓ digital transformation research questions.

• General Electric Company’s Digital Transformation Strategy The introduction of digital products is something that should be supported by the current business model. Such an initiative required a superior business model to make the company competitive and successful.
• Digital Transformation in the Oil and Gas Industry The functions of modern digital devices that support the work of the oil and gas industry serve as the tolls reducing people’s participation in the monitoring process, thereby automating the monitoring of activities and allowing […] We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
• Bossard Company’s Digital Transformation As the size of the clients grew to industrial companies and factories, the demands for parts increased. The SmartBin technology was innovative and has become the centerpiece of Bossard’s business model and approach to customers.
• Business and Its Digital Transformation However, if a company wants to be ahead of competitors, it needs to invest in advanced digital technologies regularly. Nonetheless, individuals should analyze the possible reasons for the deployment of NIT to their unique business […]
• The Automobile Company’s Digital Transformation As a result, the primary objective of the project is to discuss how the company can move from the first level of the maturity model to the second level.
• Digital Transformation Strategies for Organizations The first success factor in digital transformation is the company’s preparedness to make bold moves in the digital realm to explore and anticipate customers’ expectations.
• The Digital Transformation and Innovation Nexus The practical orientation of the study ensures its applicability in the current economic environment characterized by the increasing complexity of the organizational landscape.
• Information Governance and Digital Transformation By involving information technology, innovations in technology, and data, organizations must oversee the right implementation of digital transformation to address security and privacy concerns.
• Digital Transformation: Job Satisfaction among Academic Family Physicians Some stakeholders may resist the application of Industry 4 in the manufacturing sector based on the concerns raised above. This study aims to investigate the relevance of digital transformation, specifically focusing on Industry 4, in […]
• Extending Supply Chain Digital Transformation with Analytics, Simulation, and Optimization There is a need for digital transformation in the supply chain to streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve the employees’ working environment.
• Supply Chain Digital Transformation To improve the present system, it is essential to utilize analytics, simulation, and optimization approach as a digitalization extension means.
• Sadara Company’s Digital Transformation The digital transformation and the transition to the online environment used to be seen as the prerogative of the organizations that provided solely the services that could be easily translated into the online context due […]
• Electric Utility Companies’ Digital Transformation Electric utility companies have faced the problem of decentralization in the past due to the underdevelopment of the service market in this area and the centralization of the system.
• Digital Transformation: E-Services in the UAE In the United Arabs Emirates, there has been a major transformation in the adoption of electronic services aimed to improve the quality of service delivery.
• Digital Transformation in the UAE’s National Policy As a result, the changes taking place in various sectors correspond to the state plan for the reorganization of different sectors and the promotion of modern digital opportunities to improve life in the country.
• How Digital Transformation Is Affecting the Oil and Gas Industry The research will assess the contributions of digital transformation in the oil and gas industry. What is the impact of digital transformation in the oil and gas industry?
• Organizational Capabilities and Digital Transformation A digital strategy entails using big data and business intelligence to acquire a competitive advantage in the industry. Data indexing, quality evaluation, and aggregation are some of the procedures that may be complex and costly […]
• Digital Transformation: Hyper-Connectedness and Collaboration The guiding principles for E2E economy formulated by the authors include the ability of organizations to provide optimal customer experiences through the right partnerships, capacity to use contextual and predictive analytics to generate customer value, […]
• American Entertainment Industry: Digital Transformation The purpose of this paper is to examine the aspects of the current competition between streaming companies and television networks with the focus on observed digital transformations in sharing information and to discuss what further […]
• Digitalization and the Future of Work: Macroeconomic Consequences
• Does Enterprise Architecture Support the Digital Transformation Endeavors?
• Digital Transformation and Lean Management: Challenges in the Energy Industry
• The Process of Digital Transformation of Airline Companies
• Digital Transformation Beyond the Digital Age
• Paving the Way Towards Digital Transformation and Sustainable Societies
• Digital Transformation, Digital Dividends, and Entrepreneurship
• The Impact of Digital Transformation on Finance Sector Competition
• Digital Transformation And Its Effect On A Business
• Linking Digital Transformation and Localizing the Sustainable Development Goals
• Digitalization Changing the Economy and the Labor Market
• The Relations Between Digital Transformation and Technological Advancements
• Digital Transformation and the Performance of Micro and Small Enterprises
• Correlation Between Digital Transformation and the Provision of Legal Services
• The Relationship Between Digital Transformation and the Renewal of Social Theory
• Digital Transformation and Value Creation: Sea Change Ahead
• Linking Digital Transformation, International Competition, and Specialization
• Does Digital Transformation Mean the End of Marketing?
• Engineering the Digital Transformation of Marketing
• How Information Systems Enable Digital Transformation: Focus on Business Models
• Predicting the Future Work Change Due to Digital Transformation
• Government Digital Transformation Strategy: High-Level Themes
• How Does the Digital Transformation Affect Organizations?
• Composing the Plan and Budget for a Digital Transformation Project
• Products’ Digital Transformation Effect on Perceived Luxury Level and Brand Authenticity
• How the Internet Drove the Digital Transformation of Products and Services
• The Digital Transformation of Healthcare: Current Status and the Road Ahead
• Retail Digital Transformation Market: Global Industry Analysis, Share, Growth, and Forecast
• The Productivity and Unemployment Effects of the Digital Transformation
• Analysis of the Key Elements of Digital Transformation
• How the Digital World May Influence Teaching
• Data, Measurement and Initiatives for Inclusive Digitalization, and Future of Work
• Digitalization and Smartening Public Governance of the European High North Regions
• Fiscal Pressures From Digital Transformation and Immigration
• How Decarbonization, Digitalization, and Decentralization Are Changing Key Power Infrastructures
• Digitalization, Multinationals, and Employment: An Empirical Analysis of Their Causal Relationships
• How Digital Transformation Has Reshaped the Mass Media
• Managing Digitalization: Challenges and Opportunities for Business
• Organizing for Digitalization Through Mutual Constitution: The Design Firm Case
• Innovative and Sustainable eMaintenance: Capabilities for Digital Transformation of Maintenance
• How Does Digital Transformation Impact Marketing?
• Why Is Digital Transformation a Never-Ending Process?
• What Is the Biggest Barrier to Digital Transformation?
• Is Digital Marketing Part of Digital Transformation?
• Which Industry Is Leading in Digital Transformation?
• What Is the Future of Digital Transformation?
• How Is Digital Transformation Affecting the Industry or Work?
• What Is the End Goal of Digital Transformation?
• How Does Digital Transformation Improve Organizational Resilience?
• What Is the Outcome of Digital Transformation?
• Does Digital Transformation Require Coding?
• Why Do People Fear Digital Transformation?
• Does Information Management Play a Critical Role in Digital Transformation?
• What Are the Biggest Digital Transformation Challenges Organizations Face?
• Why Is Digital Transformation Important for Organizations?
• How Has Technology Impacted Digital Transformation?
• Why Is Digital Transformation Critical to Business Growth?
• How Effective Is Digital Transformation?
• What Is the Negative Impact of Digital Transformation?
• Is Technology Important in Digital Transformation?
• What Are the Key Effective Strategies for Digital Transformation?
• How Do Companies Implement Digital Transformation?
• Why Is Digital Transformation Important in Retail?
• Does Digital Transformation Ever End?
• Is Digital Transformation a Business Model?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Freedom — The Right to Privacy: Personal Freedom in the Digital Age

The Right to Privacy: Personal Freedom in The Digital Age

• Categories: Digital Era Freedom

About this sample

Words: 691 |

Published: Sep 16, 2023

Words: 691 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The significance of the right to privacy, historical development of the right to privacy, contemporary challenges, protecting the right to privacy, 1. individual autonomy:, 2. human dignity:, 3. democracy and free expression:, 1. data privacy:, 2. government surveillance:, 3. social media and cybersecurity:, 1. legal protections:, 2. technological solutions:, 3. digital literacy:, 4. ethical considerations:.

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Student Writing in the Digital Age

Essays filled with “LOL” and emojis? College student writing today actually is longer and contains no more errors than it did in 1917.

“Kids these days” laments are nothing new, but the substance of the lament changes. Lately, it has become fashionable to worry that “kids these days” will be unable to write complex, lengthy essays. After all, the logic goes, social media and text messaging reward short, abbreviated expression. Student writing will be similarly staccato, rushed, or even—horror of horrors—filled with LOL abbreviations and emojis.

In fact, the opposite seems to be the case. Students in first-year composition classes are, on average, writing longer essays (from an average of 162 words in 1917, to 422 words in 1986, to 1,038 words in 2006), using more complex rhetorical techniques, and making no more errors than those committed by freshman in 1917. That’s according to a longitudinal study of student writing by Andrea A. Lunsford and Karen J. Lunsford, “ Mistakes Are a Fact of Life: A National Comparative Study. ”

In 2006, two rhetoric and composition professors, Lunsford and Lunsford, decided, in reaction to government studies worrying that students’ literacy levels were declining, to crunch the numbers and determine if students were making more errors in the digital age.

They began by replicating previous studies of American college student errors. There were four similar studies over the past century. In 1917, a professor analyzed the errors in 198 college student papers; in 1930, researchers completed similar studies of 170 and 20,000 papers, respectively. In 1986, Robert Connors and Andrea Lunsford (of the 2006 study) decided to see if contemporary students were making more or fewer errors than those earlier studies showed, and analyzed 3,000 student papers from 1984. The 2006 study (published in 2008) follows the process of these earlier studies and was based on 877 papers (one of the most interesting sections of “Mistakes Are a Fact of Life” discusses how new IRB regulations forced researchers to work with far fewer papers than they had before.

Remarkably, the number of errors students made in their papers stayed consistent over the past 100 years. Students in 2006 committed roughly the same number of errors as students did in 1917. The average has stayed at about 2 errors per 100 words.

What has changed are the kinds of errors students make. The four 20th-century studies show that, when it came to making mistakes, spelling tripped up students the most. Spelling was by far the most common error in 1986 and 1917, “the most frequent student mistake by some 300 percent.” Going down the list of “top 10 errors,” the patterns shifted: Capitalization was the second most frequent error 1917; in 1986, that spot went to “no comma after introductory element.”

In 2006, spelling lost its prominence, dropping down the list of errors to number five.  Spell-check and similar word-processing tools are the undeniable cause. But spell-check creates new errors, too: The new number-one error in student writing is now “wrong word.” Spell-check, as most of us know, sometimes corrects spelling to a different word than intended; if the writing is not later proof-read, this computer-created error goes unnoticed. The second most common error in 2006 was “incomplete or missing documentation,” a result, the authors theorize, of a shift in college assignments toward research papers and away from personal essays.

Additionally, capitalization errors have increased, perhaps, as Lunsford and Lunsford note, because of neologisms like eBay and iPod. But students have also become much better at punctuation and apostrophes, which were the third and fifth most common errors in 1917. These had dropped off the top 10 list by 2006.

The study found no evidence for claims that kids are increasingly using “text speak” or emojis in their papers. Lunsford and Lunsford did not find a single such instance of this digital-era error. Ironically, they did find such text speak and emoticons in teachers’ comments to students. (Teachers these days?)

The most startling discovery Lunsford and Lunsford made had nothing to do with errors or emojis. They found that college students are writing much more and submitting much longer papers than ever. The average college essay in 2006 was more than double the length of the average 1986 paper, which was itself much longer than the average length of papers written earlier in the century. In 1917, student papers averaged 162 words; in 1930, the average was 231 words. By 1986, the average grew to 422 words. And just 20 years later, in 2006, it jumped to 1,038 words.

Why are 21st-century college students writing so much more? Computers allow students to write faster. (Other advances in writing technology may explain the upticks between 1917, 1930, and 1986. Ballpoint pens and manual and electric typewriters allowed students to write faster than inkwells or fountain pens.) The internet helps, too: Research shows that computers connected to the internet lead K-12 students to “conduct more background research for their writing; they write, revise, and publish more; they get more feedback on their writing; they write in a wider variety of genres and formats; and they produce higher quality writing.”

The digital revolution has been largely text-based. Over the course of an average day, Americans in 2006 wrote more than they did in 1986 (and in 2015 they wrote more than in 2006). New forms of written communication—texting, social media, and email—are often used instead of spoken ones—phone calls, meetings, and face-to-face discussions. With each text and Facebook update, students become more familiar with and adept at written expression. Today’s students have more experience with writing, and they practice it more than any group of college students in history.

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In shifting from texting to writing their English papers, college students must become adept at code-switching, using one form of writing for certain purposes (gossiping with friends) and another for others (summarizing plots). As Kristen Hawley Turner writes in “ Flipping the Switch: Code-Switching from Text Speak to Standard English ,” students do know how to shift from informal to formal discourse, changing their writing as occasions demand. Just as we might speak differently to a supervisor than to a child, so too do students know that they should probably not use “conversely” in a text to a friend or “LOL” in their Shakespeare paper. “As digital natives who have had access to computer technology all of their lives, they often demonstrate in theses arenas proficiencies that the adults in their lives lack,” Turner writes. Instructors should “teach them to negotiate the technology-driven discourse within the confines of school language.”

Responses to Lunsford and Lunsford’s study focused on what the results revealed about mistakes in writing: Error is often in the eye of the beholder . Teachers mark some errors and neglect to mention (or find) others. And, as a pioneering scholar of this field wrote in the 1970s, context is key when analyzing error: Students who make mistakes are not “indifferent…or incapable” but “beginners and must, like all beginners, learn by making mistakes.”

College students are making mistakes, of course, and they have much to learn about writing. But they are not making more mistakes than did their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Since they now use writing to communicate with friends and family, they are more comfortable expressing themselves in words. Plus, most have access to technology that allows them to write faster than ever. If Lunsford and Lunsford’s findings about the average length of student papers stays true, today’s college students will graduate with more pages of completed prose to their name than any other generation.

If we want to worry about college student writing, then perhaps what we should attend to is not clipped, abbreviated writing, but overly verbose, rambling writing. It might be that editing skills—deciding what not to say, and what to delete—may be what most ails the kids these days.

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Essays on Digital Age

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7 Digital literacies and the skills of the digital age

Cathy L. Green, Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University

Abstract – This chapter is intended to provide a framework and understanding of digital literacy, what it is and why it is important. The following pages explore the roots of digital literacy, its relationship to language literacy and its role in 21 st century life.

Introduction

Unlike previous generations, learning in the digital age is marked by the use of rapidly evolving technology, a deluge of information and a highly networked global community (Dede, 2010). In such a dynamic environment, learners need skills beyond the basic cognitive ability to consume and process language. In other words: To understand what the characteristics of the digital age, and of digital learners, means for how people learn in this new and changing landscape, one may turn to the evolving discussion of literacy or, as one might say now, of digital literacy. The history of literacy contextualizes digital literacy and illustrates changes in literacy over time. By looking at literacy as a historical phenomenon, the characteristics of which have evolved over time, we can glean the fundamental characteristics of the digital age. Those characteristics in turn illuminate the skills needed in order to take advantage of digital environments. The following discussion is an overview of digital literacy, its essential components and why it is important for learning in a digital age.

Moving from Literacy to Digital Literacy

Literacy refers to the ability of people to read and write (UNESCO, 2017). Reading and writing then, is about encoding and decoding information between written symbols and sound (Resnick, 1983; Tyner, 1998). More specifically, literacy is the ability to understand the relationship between sounds and written words such that one may read, say and understand them (UNESCO, 2004; Vlieghe, 2015). Literacy is often considered a skill or competency and is often referred to as such. Children and adults alike can spend years developing the appropriate skills for encoding and decoding information.

Over the course of thousands of years, literacy has become much more common and widespread with a global literacy rate ranging from 81% to 90% depending on age and gender (UNESCO, 2016). From a time when literacy was the domain of an elite few, it has grown to include huge swaths of the global population. There are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which are some of the advantages the written word can provide. Kaestle, (1985) tells us that “literacy makes it possible to preserve information as a snapshot in time, allows for recording, tracking and remembering information, and sharing information more easily across distances among others” (p. 16). In short, literacy led “to the replacement of myth by history and the replacement of magic by skepticism and science. Writing allowed bureaucracy, accounting, and legal systems with universal rules and has replaced face-to-face governance with depersonalized administration” (Kaestle, 1985, p. 16). This is not to place a value judgement on the characteristics of literacy but rather to explain some of the many reasons why it spread.

There are, however, other reasons for the spread of literacy. In England, throughout the middle ages literacy grew in part, because people who acquired literacy skills were able to parlay those skills into work with more pay and social advantages (Clanchy, 1983). The great revolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries also relied on leaders who could write and compatriots who could read as a way to spread new ideas beyond the street corners and public gatherings of Paris, Berlin, and Vienna. Literacy was perceived as necessary for spreading information to large numbers of people. In the 1970’s Paulo Freire insisted that literacy was vital for people to participate in their own governance and civic life (Tyner, 1998). His classic “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” begins from the premise that bringing the traditional illiterate and uneducated into learning situations as partners with their teachers awakens the critical conscience necessary as a foundation for action to foment change (Freire, 1973). UNESCO (2004) also acknowledges the role that literacy plays in enabling populations to effect change and achieve social justice aims. They speak even more broadly, moving beyond the conditions necessary for revolution, contending that literacy is a fundamental right of every human being, providing employment opportunities, and the fundamental skills necessary to accrue greater wealth and improve one’s quality of life.

Although the benefits of literacy were a driving force in its spread, technological advances also enabled the spread of literacy to greater and greater numbers of people. From stamped tokens, tally sticks and clay tablets, to ancient scrolls, handwritten volumes, the printing press, typewriters, and finally computers, technology is largely responsible for driving the evolution of literacy into the particular forms of encoding and decoding information associated with the digital age. Technology has made it possible for literacy to move from the hands of the few to the hands of the masses and to morph into a digital environment with characteristics extending far beyond anything that has been seen before.

Not only did computers and electronic technology deliver literacy into the hands of many but also created an environment that made it possible to store vast amounts of information. Books and libraries led the way to making information easily available to the public, but within the age of computers and the internet the volume of accessible information is larger than ever, more readily available than ever, and changing more quickly than ever before. In the early 21st century, technology continues to develop more quickly than at any time in the past creating an environment that is constantly changing. These changes contribute to the need for different skills beyond traditional literacy skills also called new media literacy (Jenkins, 2018). For a short video on the reasons why digital literacy is important visit “ The New Media Literacies ” located on YouTube.com and created by the research team at Project New Media Literacies.

Literacy in the Digital Age

If literacy involves the skills of reading and writing, digital literacy requires the ability to extend those skills in order to effectively take advantage of the digital world (ALA, 2013). More general definitions express digital literacy as the ability to read and understand information from digital sources as well as to create information in various digital formats (Bawden, 2008; Gilster, 1997; Tyner, 1998; UNESCO, 2004). Developing digital skills allows digital learners to manage a vast array of rapidly changing information and is key to both learning and working in an evolving digital landscape (Dede, 2010; Koltay, 2011; Mohammadyari & Singh, 2015). As such, it is important for people to develop certain competencies specifically for handling digital content.

People who adapt well to the digital world exhibit characteristics enabling them to develop and maintain digital literacy skills. Lifelong learning is a key characteristic necessary for handling rapid changes in technology and information and thus, critical to digital literacy. Successful digital learners have a high level of self-motivation, a desire for active modes of learning and they exercise the ability to learn how to learn. Maintaining and learning new technical skills also benefits learners in the digital age and an attitude of exploration and play will help learners stay engaged and energized in a world where speed of change and volume of information could otherwise become overwhelming (Dede, 2010; Jenkins, 2018; Visser, 2012). A final characteristic of a digital learner includes the ability to engage in a global network with a greater awareness of one’s place and audience in that network. Together, these characteristics of the digital age guide us in understanding what traits a learner will require to be successful in the digital environment. The following section will help understand what lies at the intersection of digital skills and traits of successful digital learners by reviewing existing digital literacy frameworks.

Reviewing Existing Frameworks for Digital Literacy/ies

Digital literacy is alternately described as complicated, confusing, too broad to be meaningful and always changing (Heitin, 2016; Pangrazio, 2014; Tyner, 1998; Williams, 2006). Due to this confusion, some feel it best to completely avoid the term digital literacy altogether and instead opt for the terms such as digital competencies (Buckingham, 2006), 21st century skills (Williamson, 2011) or digital skills (Heitin, 2016). Another way to sort out the confusion is to look at digital literacy as multiple literacies (Buckingham, 2006; Lankshear & Knobel, 2008; UNESCO, 2004)

Here, I take the latter approach and look at digital literacy as a collection of literacies each of which play a significant role in learning in a digital world. Ng (2012), operationalizes digital literacy as a framework of multiple, specific competencies which, when combined, form a cohesive collection of skills. By taking this approach, we link the characteristics of the digital environment as well as those of the digital learner not to a single digital skill but rather a set of digital literacy practices. In this way, we can consider the various skills needed to navigate the digital world in an organized and consistent manner.

Ng (2012) proposes a three-part schema for discussing the overlapping functional characteristics of a digitally competent person: technical, cognitive, and social (see Figure 1).

Technical literacy, also referred to as operational literacy, refers to the mastery of technical skills and tasks required to access and work with digital technology such as how to operate a computer; use a mouse and keyboard; open software; cut, copy and paste data and files, acquire an internet connection and so on (Lankshear & Knobel, 2008). The cognitive area of digital literacy focuses on activities such as critical thinking, problem solving and decision making (Williamson, 2011) and includes the ability to “evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments”(Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan, 2006, p. 5). The third of Ng’s three categories – social literacies – covers a wide range of activities which together constitute the ability to communicate in a digital environment both socially and professionally, understand cyber security, follow “netiquette” protocols, and navigate discussions with care so as not to misrepresent or create misunderstandings (Ng, 2012). Of particular note, Ng captures the essence of digital literacy by showing how digital literacy exists at the intersection of the technical, cognitive and social aspects of literacy which are referred to as dimensions. Ng’s framework is not, however, a digital literacy framework itself. Instead it provides a vehicle for exploring the various components of digital literacy at a conceptual level while remaining clear that the individual skills are at all times connected to and dependent upon each other.

There are a number of organizations that publish their own framework for digital literacies including the International Society for Technology in Education ICT Skills (ISTE), the American Association of College and Universities (AACU), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the American Library Association (ALA), and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills among others (Dede, 2010). The digital frameworks exhibit many similarities, and a few differences. There are some differences in the terminology and organization of these frameworks, but they all include similar skills. What follows is a brief overview of the different digital frameworks. See Figure 2 for a composite of these frameworks.

Figure 2. Major Frameworks for 21st Century Skills (American Library Association, 2013; Dede, 2010; SCONUL, 2016; Vockley & Lang, 2008)

Each of the frameworks come from a slightly different angle and will at times reflect the background from which they come. The American Library Association (ALA) framework evolved out of the information literacy tradition of libraries, while the American Association of College and Universities (AACU) and the Society of College and University Libraries (SOCNUL) evolved from higher education perspective, the Partnership for 21st century learning addresses K-12 education, and the ISTE is steeped in a more technical tradition. Even with these different areas of focus the components of each framework are strikingly similar although some in more detail than others. Three of the six specifically address the skills necessary for accessing, searching and finding information in a digital environment while the other three have broader categories in which one might expect to find these skills including, research and information fluency, intellectual skills, and ICT literacy. Cognitive skills required for digital literacy are also covered by all of the frameworks in varying degrees of specificity. Among them one will find references to evaluating, understanding, creating, integrating, synthesizing, creativity and innovation. Finally, four of the six digital frameworks pay homage to the necessity of solid communication skills. They are in turn, referred to as life skills, personal and social responsibility, communication, collaboration, digital citizenship and collective intelligence.

What seems oddly missing from this list of skills is the technical component which only appears explicitly in the ISTE list of skills. The partnership for 21st century learning uses ICT literacy as a designation for the ability to use technology and the ALA, in discussing its framework, makes it clear that technical proficiency is a foundational requirement for digital literacy skills. Even with these references to technical skills the digital literacy frameworks are overwhelmingly partial to the cognitive and social focus of digital skills and technical proficiency tends to be glossed over compared to the other dimensions. Even though technical skills receive relatively little attention by comparison we will assume for this discussion, technical skills are a prerequisite to the other digital skills, and we will look more carefully at each of them in the next section.

To fully understand the many digital literacies, we will use the ALA framework as a point of reference for further discussion using the other frameworks and other materials to further elucidate each skill area. The ALA framework is laid out in terms of basic functions with enough specificity to make it easy to understand and remember but broad enough to cover a wide range of skills. The ALA framework includes the following areas:

• Understanding,
• Evaluating,
• Creating, and
• Communicating (American Library Association, 2013).

Finding information in a digital environment represents a significant departure from the way human beings have searched for information for centuries. The learner must abandon older linear or sequential approaches to finding information such as reading a book, using a card catalog, index or table of contents and instead use lateral approaches like natural language searches, hypermedia text, keywords, search engines, online databases and so on (Dede, 2010; Eshet, 2002). The shift from sequential to lateral involves developing the ability to construct meaningful search parameters (SCONUL, 2016) whereas before, finding the information would have meant simply looking up page numbers based on an index or sorting through a card catalog. Although finding information may depend to some degree on the search tool being used (library, internet search engine, online database, etc.) the search results also depend on how well a person is able to generate appropriate keywords and construct useful Boolean searches. Failure in these two areas could easily return too many results to be helpful, vague or generic results, or potentially no useful results at all (Hangen, 2015).

Not immediately obvious, but part of the challenge of finding information is the ability to manage the results. Because there is so much data, changing so quickly, in so many different formats it can be challenging to organize and store it in such a way as to be useful. SCONUL (2016) talks about this as the ability to organize, store, manage and cite digital resources while the Educational Testing Service also specifically mentions the skills to access and manage information. Some ways to accomplish these tasks is through the use of social bookmarking tools such as Diigo, clipping and organizing software such as Evernote and OneNote, and bibliographic software. Many sites, such as YouTube allow individuals with an account to bookmark videos as well as create channels or collections of videos for specific topics or uses. Other websites have similar features.

Understanding

Understanding in the context of digital literacy perhaps most closely resembles traditional literacy in so much as it too, is the ability to read and interpret text (Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan, 2006). In the digital age, however, the ability to read and understand extends much further than text alone. For example, searches may return results with any combination of text, video, sound, and audio as well as still and moving pictures. As the internet has evolved, there have evolved a whole host of visual languages such as moving images, emoticons, icons, data visualizations, videos and combinations of all of the above. Lankshear & Knoble, (2008) refer to these modes of communication as “post typographic textual practice”. Understanding the variety of modes of digital material may also be referred to as multimedia literacy (Jones-Kavalier & Flannigan, 2006), visual literacy (Tyner, 1998), and digital literacy (Buckingham, 2006).

Evaluating digital media requires competencies ranging from evaluating the importance of a piece of information to determine its accuracy and its source. Evaluating information is not new to the digital age, but the nature of digital information can make it more difficult to understand who the source of information is and whether it can be trusted (Jenkins, 2018). When there is abundant and rapidly changing data across heavily populated networks, anyone with access can generate information online, making decisions about its authenticity, trustworthiness, relevance, and significance daunting. Learning evaluative digital skills means learning to ask questions about who is writing the information, why they are writing it, and who the intended audience is (Buckingham, 2006). Developing critical thinking skills is part of the literacy of evaluating and assessing the suitability for the use of a specific piece of information (SCONUL, 2016).

Looking for secondary sources of information can help confirm the authenticity and accuracy of online data and researching the credentials and affiliations of the author is another way to find out more about whether an article is trustworthy or valid. One may find other places the author has been published and verify they are legitimate. Sometimes one may be able to review affiliated organizations to attest to the expertise of the author such finding out where an employee works if they are a member of a professional organization or a leading researcher in a given field. All of these provide essential clues for use in evaluating information online.

Creating in the digital world makes explicit the production of knowledge and ideas in digital formats. While writing is a critical component of traditional literacy, it is not the only creative tool in the digital toolbox. Other tools are available and include creative activities such as podcasting, making audio-visual presentations, building data visualizations, 3D printing, writing blogs and new tools that haven’t even been thought of yet. In short, all formats in which digital information may be consumed, a digitally literate individual will also want to be able to use in the creation of a product. A key component of creating with digital tools is understanding what constitutes fair use and what is considered plagiarism. While this is not new to the digital age, it may be more challenging to find the line between copying and extending someone else’s work.

In part, the reason for the increased difficulty of finding the line between plagiarism and new work is the “cut and paste culture” of the internet referred to as “reproduction literacy” (Eshet 2002, p.4) also referred to as appropriation in Jenkins’ New Media Literacies (Jenkins, 2018). The question is, what can one change and how much can one change work without being considered copying? This skill requires the ability to think critically, evaluate a work and make appropriate decisions. There are tools and information to help understand and find those answers such as the creative commons. Learning about these resources and learning how to use them is part of this digital literacy.

Communicating

Communicating is the final category of digital skills in the ALA digital framework. The capacity to connect with individuals all over the world creates unique opportunities for learning and sharing information for which developing digital communication skills is vital. Some of the skills required for communicating in a digital environment include digital citizenship, collaboration, and cultural awareness. This is not to say that one does not need to develop communication skills outside of the digital environment but that the skills required for digital communication go beyond what is required in a non-digital environment. Most of us are adept at personal, face to face communication but digital communication needs the ability to engage in asynchronous environments such as email, online forums, blogs and social media platforms where what we say can’t always be deleted but can be easily misinterpreted. Add that to an environment where people number in the millions and the opportunities for misunderstandings and cultural miscues are much more likely.

The communication category of digital literacies covers an extensive array of skills above and beyond what one might need for face to face interactions. It includes competencies around ethical and moral behavior, responsible communication for engagement in social and civic activities (Adam Becker et al., 2017), an awareness of audience and an ability to evaluate the potential impact of one’s actions online. It also includes skills for handling privacy and security in online environments. These activities fall into two main categories of activity including digital citizenship and collaboration.

Digital citizenship refers to one’s ability to interact effectively in the digital world. Part of this skill is good manners, often referred to as “netiquette. There is a level of context which is often missing in digital communication due to physical distance, lack of personal familiarity with people online and the sheer volume of people who may come in contact with our words. People who know us well may understand exactly what we mean when we say something sarcastic or ironic, but those and other vocal and facial cues are missing in most digital communication making it more likely we will be misunderstood. Also, we are also more likely to misunderstand or be misunderstood if we remain unaware of cultural differences amongst people online. So, digital citizenship includes an awareness of who we are, what we intend to say and how it might be perceived by other people we do not know (Buckingham, 2006). It is also a process of learning to communicate clearly and in ways that help others understand what we mean.

Another key digital skill is collaboration, and it is essential for effective participation in digital projects via the internet. The internet allows people to engage with others we may never see in person and work towards common goals be they social, civic or business oriented. Creating a community and working together requires a degree of trust and familiarity that can be difficult to build given the physical distance between participants. Greater awareness must be paid to inclusive behavior, and more explicit efforts need to be made to make up for perceived or actual distance and disconnectedness. So, while the promise of digital technology to connect people is impressive it is not necessarily an automatic transition, and it requires new skills.

Parting thoughts.

It is clear from our previous discussion of digital literacy that technology and technical skills underpin every other digital skill. A failure to understand hardware, software, the nature of the internet, cloud-based technologies and an inability to learn new concepts and tools going forward handicaps one’s ability to engage with the cognitive and social literacies. While there are sometimes tacit references to technical skills and ability, extant digital literacy frameworks tend to focus more on the cognitive and social aspects of digital environments. There is an implied sense that once technical skills are learned, we the digitally literate person can forget about them and move on to the other skills. Given the rapid pace of technological change in the last 40 years, however, anyone working in a digital environment would be well advised to keep in mind that technical concepts and tools continue to develop. It does not seem likely that we will ever reach a point where people can simply take technological skills for granted and to do so would undermine our ability to address the other digital skills.

Another way to think of this is to recognize that no matter what the skill, none of them operate independently of one another. Whether searching, creating, evaluating, understanding or communicating, it is a combination of skills (or literacies) that allow us to accomplish our goals. Thinking critically, and evaluating information and sources leads to sound decision-making. Understanding and synthesizing information is necessary for creating and again the technical tools are necessary for completing the product. Finding information is of little use if one is unable to analyze its usefulness and creating a great video or podcast will not mean much if one is unable to navigate social and professional networks to communicate those works to others. If only understood in isolation, digital literacies have little meaning and can be of little use in approaching digital environments.

Ng’s (2012) conceptual framework reminds us that digital literacy is that space where technical, cognitive and social literacies overlap. A digital skill is not the same thing as digital literacy but the two are fully intwined. Acquiring digital skills is only the beginning of a study of digital literacies, however, and it would be a mistake to stop here. Furthermore, digital literacies span multiple areas including both the cognitive and the social. The real value of digital literacy lies in understanding the synergistic effect of individual digital literacy skills integrated with sets of competencies that enable one to work effectively in the digital world.

Learning Activities.

Literacy Narratives are stories about reading and composing in any form or context. They often include poignant memories that involve a personal experience with literacy. Digital literacy narratives can sometimes be categorized as narratives that focus on how the writer came to understand the importance of technology in his/her life or teaching pedagogy. More often, they are simply narratives that use a medium beyond the print-based essay to tell the story.

Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy, 20(1), available at http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/20.1/praxis/bourelle-et-al

• Combining both aspects of the genre, write a piece based on your technological literacy, choosing a medium you feel best conveys the message you want to share with your audience.
• Find and read 2-4 literacy narratives online that emphasize the use of technology and write a short reflection that discusses the main digital literacies used, summarizes the main points made and describes the elements you felt were most important. Also, describe any digital literacy skills you utilized to complete the assignment.
• Create your literacy narrative that tells the story of a significant experience of your own with digital literacy. Use a multi-modal tool that includes audio and images or video. Share with your classmates and discuss the most important ideas you noticed in others’ narratives.
• Compare two of the literacy frameworks in Figure 2. How are they alike? How are they different? Do you like one better than the other? Why or Why not?
• Digital Literacy and why it matters – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w
• The essential elements of digital literacies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78
• What is a Literacy Narrative? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mhl2j-cpZo
• Benji Bissman’s computer literacy narrative – http://daln.osu.edu/handle/2374.DALN/2327
• Global Digital Literacy Council
• International Society for Technology in Education
• Information and Communication Technologies
• Education Development Center, Inc.
• International Visual Literacy Association
• http://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/digital-literacy-fundamentals
• https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/digitalliteracy/overview.aspx
• . http://info.learning.com/hubfs/Corp_Site/Sales%20Tools/12EssentialSkills_Brochure_Apr16.pdf
• http://www. digitalliteracy.us
• https://k12.thoughtfullearning.com/FAQ/what-are-literacy-skills

References.

Adam Becker, S., Cummins, M., Davis, A., Freeman, A., Hall Gieseinger, C., & Ananthanarayanan, V. (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. NMC Horizon Report. https://doi.org/ISBN 978-0-9977215-7-7

Association, A. L. (2013). Digital literacy, libraries, and public policy (January). Washington, D.C. Retrieved from http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/2012_OITP_digilitreport_1_22_13.pdf

Bawden, D. (2008). Origins and concepts of digital literacy. In C. Lankshear & M. Knobel (Eds.) (pp. 17–32).

Buckingham, D. (2006). Defining digital literacy. District Dispatch, 263–276. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92133-4_4

Clanchy, M. (1983). Looking back from the invention of printing. Resnick (Ed.), Literacy in historical perspective (pp. 7–22). Library of Congress.

Dede, C. (2010). Comparing frameworks for 21st century skills. 21st Century Skills: Rethinking How Students Learn, 51–76.

Eshet, Y. (2002). Digital literacy: A new terminology framework and its application to the design of meaningful technology-based learning environments. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, 1–7.

Gilster, P. (1997). Digital Literacy. New York: Wiley Computer Pub.

Hangen, T. (2015). Historical digital literacy, one classroom at a time. Journal of American History. https://doi.org/10.1093/jahist/jav062

Heitin, L. (2016). Digital Literacy: Forging agreement on a definition. Retrieved from www.edweek.org/go/changing-literacy

Jenkins, H. (2018). This page has a content security policy that prevents it from being loaded in this way . Retrieved from http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/

Jones-Kavalier, B. B. R., & Flannigan, S. L. (2006). Connecting the digital dots : Literacy of the 21st century. Workforce, 29(2), 8–10. https://doi.org/Article

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Koltay, T. (2011). The media and the literacies: Media literacy, information literacy, digital literacy. Media, Culture & Society, 33(2), 211–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443710393382

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Learning in the Digital Age Copyright © 2020 by Cathy L. Green, Oklahoma State University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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The Digital Age Essays

Bridging the advertising gap: the digital age, google’s advantage, and future trajectories, popular essay topics.

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How the Digital Age Is Affecting Students

Five books that give insight into how social media and technology are shaping today’s students and their learning.

Teachers don’t have to look far to see how changes in technology and social media are shaping students and influencing classrooms. We watch kids obsess over the latest apps as they chat before class. We marvel at the newest slang edging its way into student essays, and wonder at the ways constant smartphone communication is shaping students’ friendships, bullying, and even study habits.

To understand the internet-savvy students who fill our classrooms and the changing landscape of social media they inhabit, we need more than hot new gadgets or expensive educational software. The book list below is a starting point if you’re looking for insight into how the digital age is shaping students and ideas about how you can respond in the classroom.

Each book was chosen for its combination of research, story, and applicability to the classroom. Grab one or two to help you invent new strategies to reach students or reimagine your application of technology in your classroom.

Social Media

If you’ve ever wondered what students are doing with all their time on the internet, It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens  is for you. Author danah boyd dissects how and why kids rush to the online world. Using student interviews and stories, boyd describes the ways youngsters use social media to connect, escape, and eke out a little privacy away from their parents and teachers. She includes a chapter on how the internet has shaped young people’s understanding of personal and public spaces. Read this book if you want to help students optimize the knowledge and skills they already have as digital natives.

A clinical psychologist and researcher at MIT, Sherry Turkle isn’t against the smartphones our students love so much. But she is worried that the obsession with phones—and the texting and social media posting they enable—is impacting in-person discussion and deep conversation. In her book Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age , Turkle claims that students’ communication skills have changed. Her suggestions for taking back in-person conversation in a digital world can shape collaborative classrooms and guide teachers on how to help students improve peer-to-peer interactions.

Social media and the free flow of information have also influenced the language we use every day. In A World Without ‘Whom’: The Essential Guide to Language in the Buzzfeed Age , Emmy Favilla lays out a case for language shaped by the internet. This entertaining and informative 2017 book is peppered with pop culture examples ready for use in class, though like all pop culture references they’ll quickly become dated. Favilla’s writing is pragmatic; she offers advice on where to hold the line on traditional language and when readability and appeal to a new generation might be more important. As Favilla puts it, “We’re all just trying to be heard here.” The book is a timely reminder that social-media-fueled language innovation deserves some classroom discussion.

If you’re eager to understand larger trends affecting young students, pick up Jean Twenge’s iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood . Drawing from large data sets and longitudinal studies, Twenge examines everything from SAT scores to rates of loneliness. Her research-heavy book offers helpful hints about the impact of technology and other cultural changes. Read this book if you want to brainstorm about how to adapt classes and school structures to meet student needs. To bring students in on the conversation, consider using Twenge’s easy-to-read graphs as discussion kick-starters or as a way to provide historical context to current trends.

If you want to reimagine the way computers and video games might be used in the classroom, check out David Williamson Shaffer’s book How Computer Games Help Children Learn . A professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Shaffer believes that video games can help schools foster creative thinking, problem solving, and strategic decision making. After all, making mistakes and trying out innovative strategies are less risky in a game than in real life. And even reluctant learners will often dive eagerly into video games. A lot has changed since the book’s publication in 2007, but its ideas—about what students can learn from video games, how video games engage students, and what issues to avoid—can guide you toward thoughtful, effective video game use.

Our students are steeped in the internet, social media, and all types of technological innovations, and it’s time for schools and teachers to carefully examine how these things interact with curriculum and learning.

Learning in the Digital Age

(3 reviews)

Tutaleni Asino, Oklahoma State University

Rebecca Bayeck

Wilmon Brown

Raymond W. Francis

Tammi Kolski

Kathy Essmiller

Cathy L. Green

Sarah L. Lewis

Corrine McCabe

Josephine Shikongo

Jose Fulgencio

Copyright Year: 2020

Publisher: Oklahoma State University

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Brenda Williams, Part-time Faculty, Lane Community College on 2/1/22

It covers a variety of topics but did not include a index or glossary. read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

It covers a variety of topics but did not include a index or glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

THe content is accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

It is up to date and should be easy to update again if needed

Clarity rating: 4

The abstracts are helpful at the beginning of each chapter

Consistency rating: 4

The layout and the header styles are consistent.

Modularity rating: 3

Some of the chapters are much longer than others but there is consistent use of headers. There wasn't much use of pictures or graphs.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

The book could do a better job of grouping chapters together.

Interface rating: 5

There weren't any major issues. I did notice the navigation was only at the top so I always had to scroll back to the top.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I didn't see any insensitivities.

Reviewed by Asashia Martin, Adjunct Professor, American University on 12/22/21

There are a variety of topics to consider regarding learning within a digital age and this textbook does a thorough job elevating topics. The lack of comprehensiveness for this textbook happens because you will find that the author of an included... read more

There are a variety of topics to consider regarding learning within a digital age and this textbook does a thorough job elevating topics. The lack of comprehensiveness for this textbook happens because you will find that the author of an included essay will either stay at a surface level explanation or will move through theory, definition, and application within the essay.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Due to the variety of topics that emerge as educators navigate learning within a digital age, the reader has a first-hand glimpse of what to expect and possible next steps. From elevating play, to financial literacy development, to digital literacy, the authors share both research and anecdotes for consideration when facilitating learning in a digital age.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The impact of a digital world is ever-present within today's classrooms. As the author states, we are presented with an opportunity to refine and elevate how we are impacted by the digital age as well as how we navigate it systematically to deepen learning.

Clarity rating: 5

There is a good balance between theoretical and practical language for both content and application strategies.

Some essays dive deeper into theory and application than others. Depending on the subject that the reader may feel most drawn to, they may not have a full learning experience themselves if they got a surface level essay in one area versus another.

Modularity rating: 5

Easy to read, content is accessible, essays can function as supplements to larger bodies of work around the essay topic.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The essays elevated within the text are varied and the feel is that you are jumping from topic to topic with a lack of connection between topics.

text is clear, easy to read, graphics are supportive and easy to understand

No grammatical errors found

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

Texts reads as "race-neutral," with lack of acknowledgment of the impact of navigating digital literacies across race and culture. The board game chapter speaks of "Africa" as if it's just one country, not an entire continent made up of multiple and nuanced societies. The podcasting chapter references Maslow, who stole his framework from the Blackfoot Nation. Navigating the digital age could be an equalizer within culturally responsive classrooms but this text lacks what is needed to support educators to do so.

Reviewed by Youxin Zhang, Instructional Designer, Kapiolani Community College on 11/2/21

It might be helpful to include one chapter focusing on learning theories (e.g., Cognitive Development, Behaviorism, Constructivism) and another one on learner styles/preferences/characteristics if the vision of this textbook is to understand... read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

It might be helpful to include one chapter focusing on learning theories (e.g., Cognitive Development, Behaviorism, Constructivism) and another one on learner styles/preferences/characteristics if the vision of this textbook is to understand learning and help learners/stakeholders learn how to learn in the digital age. What is covered in the textbook now seems too broad to be used as an intact piece for an instructional purpose. No index/glossary was provided. It might be helpful to add one.

Most of the content is accurate.

Content is recent. With the current setup, it should work well for the author to update the content when needed.

Clarity rating: 3

The abstract of each chapter is helpful to get a snap judgment of what the author attempted to deliver. But not every chapter has it following a consistent format within the same textbook. The text is easy to understand and follow. As a whole, the target audience is not clearly stated since it’s a textbook for people to use in the class.

Consistency rating: 2

The internal consistency within each chapter looks good. But the improvements could be made on the internal consistency between chapters. Learning in the digital age is a broad subject. Now, the textbook seems like a potluck containing different contributing pieces. The correlation between chapters is not explicit to tell. As a reader, I have to go to each chapter and read the abstract to do jigsaw puzzles on my own rather than reviewing the chapter names at a glance from the table of contents to draw a quick picture as a whole.

Some chapters have a fairly long length (e.g., 25 pages, single-space), the others do not. It might be helpful to reach a balance between chapters by informing the chapter authors about the word limit when calling out for book chapter proposals. The headings used in each chapter are helpful for navigation.

Definitely, some work can be done to improve the organization of this textbook. Since this textbook is a work-in-progress product, the organization of all chapters can be reconsidered when more chapters are coming in. For example, some chapters (e.g., Chapter 2) focused on K-12 settings, others related to higher education. It might be helpful to regroup these chapters based on some parameters (e.g., institution type).

Interface rating: 3

Navigation is good within this textbook. Just want to point out that some chapters contained content that is not ADA compliant. For example, a URL link is NOT descriptive and is used as hyperlinked text directly. Additionally, the images used in the chapters are not attributed to the original author in a proper manner and follow the same format.

The grammar looks good.

Not detect anything.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Board Games and Learning: Why Care in the Digital Age?

Effective Instruction in Blended Learning Environments

Podcasting as a Mode of Motivation in Online and Blended Learning

Virtual Proctoring and Academic Integrity

Personal Learning Networks: Defining and Building a PLN

Digital Learners in the Workplace

Digital Literacies and the Skills of the Digital Age

Playful Approaches to Learning

The Digital Divide

Ignored Conversations: Higher Education Funding in the Digital Age

Literacy in the Digital Age: From Traditional to Digital to Mobile Digital Literacies

The Digital Divide and the Lack of Financial Literacy Among First Generation 

Ancillary Material

About the book.

This book is designed to serve as a textbook for classes exploring the nature of learning in the digital age. The genesis of this book is a desire to use OERs in all my teachings, coupled with the realization that the resources that I was looking for were not available and as such I needed to contribute in creating them. It is thus a small attempt to contribute to the vast repository of Open Educational Resources. When discussing learning in the digital age, most focus on the technology first. However, the emphasis made in this book is that it’s about the learner not just the technology. One of the things that is easy to lose track of when talking about learning in the digital age is the learner. Technology is important and it has significant impact but it is still about the person who is using the technology. Many people conflate learning in the digital age with technology in today’s age. This important misconception is common and results from our failure to examine our understanding of what “learning” really is. Of course, Most of this depends on a person’s epistemology. There are numerous definitions of what learning is and often they come to how a person sees the world. Some argue that learning is about a change in behavior due to experiences, others state simply that learning is being able to do something new that you were not able to do before. Regardless of what side you choose, to understand what learning in the digital age is, one has to understand what learning itself is. I am immensely thankful to the authors for sharing their ideas freely and for the reviewers who volunteered their time to give feedback.

About the Contributors

Dr. Tutaleni Asino is an Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University. His areas of research revolve around diffusion of innovations in teaching and learning, mobile learning, design for mobile devices, indigenous knowledge, comparative international education, and the role of culture in the development and evaluation of learning technologies.

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103 Digital Marketing Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Digital marketing is a constantly evolving field that requires creativity, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior. With the rise of social media, online advertising, and search engine optimization, businesses are constantly looking for ways to stand out in the digital landscape.

If you're a student or professional looking for inspiration for your next digital marketing essay, look no further. Here are 103 digital marketing essay topic ideas and examples to help you get started:

• The impact of social media influencers on consumer behavior
• The role of storytelling in digital marketing campaigns
• The rise of video marketing in the digital age
• The importance of personalization in email marketing
• The future of artificial intelligence in digital marketing
• The effectiveness of influencer marketing compared to traditional advertising
• The impact of user-generated content on brand perception
• The role of data analytics in digital marketing strategies
• The benefits of content marketing for small businesses
• The ethics of targeted advertising on social media platforms
• The effectiveness of mobile marketing in reaching younger audiences
• The role of virtual reality in immersive marketing experiences
• The impact of voice search on SEO strategies
• The importance of social listening in digital marketing campaigns
• The benefits of using chatbots for customer service in digital marketing
• The role of gamification in engaging consumers in digital marketing campaigns
• The impact of influencer marketing on brand loyalty
• The effectiveness of email marketing in driving conversions
• The role of social media advertising in reaching new audiences
• The benefits of using data-driven insights to optimize digital marketing campaigns
• The impact of video content on social media engagement
• The effectiveness of using memes in digital marketing campaigns
• The role of virtual events in digital marketing strategies
• The benefits of using interactive content in email marketing campaigns
• The ethics of data collection in digital marketing campaigns
• The impact of social media algorithms on organic reach
• The role of artificial intelligence in personalized marketing experiences
• The effectiveness of using user-generated content in social media campaigns
• The benefits of using influencers for brand collaborations
• The impact of visual storytelling in digital marketing campaigns
• The role of customer reviews in building trust with consumers
• The effectiveness of using social proof in digital marketing strategies
• The benefits of using micro-influencers for niche marketing campaigns
• The impact of social media contests on brand awareness
• The role of brand partnerships in reaching new audiences
• The effectiveness of using retargeting ads in digital marketing campaigns
• The benefits of using interactive quizzes in email marketing
• The impact of personalized recommendations on e-commerce sales
• The role of user-generated content in building community around a brand
• The effectiveness of using augmented reality in digital marketing campaigns
• The benefits of using social media listening tools to track brand sentiment
• The impact of social media influencers on brand perception
• The role of storytelling in building emotional connections with consumers
• The effectiveness of using social media polls to engage audiences
• The benefits of using user-generated content in social media campaigns
• The impact of influencer marketing on brand authenticity
• The role of customer journey mapping in optimizing digital marketing strategies
• The effectiveness of using chatbots for customer service in e-commerce
• The benefits of using social media ads to drive traffic to a website
• The impact of using personalized landing pages in email marketing campaigns
• The role of social media influencers in promoting sustainability initiatives
• The effectiveness of using social media analytics to track campaign performance
• The benefits of using video testimonials in digital marketing campaigns
• The role of data visualization in presenting marketing insights
• The effectiveness of using social media contests to engage audiences
• The benefits of using storytelling to humanize a brand
• The impact of using emojis in social media marketing campaigns
• The role of influencer marketing in promoting diversity and inclusion
• The effectiveness of using social listening tools to track brand sentiment
• The benefits of using user-generated content to build brand advocacy
• The impact of social media influencers on consumer trust
• The role of customer reviews in building credibility for a brand
• The effectiveness of using personalized email campaigns to drive conversions
• The benefits of using interactive content to educate consumers about a product
• The impact of social media influencers on brand loyalty
• The role of data analytics in optimizing digital marketing campaigns
• The effectiveness of using social proof in e-commerce sales
• The benefits of using chatbots for lead generation
• The role of influencer marketing in promoting social causes

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In today’s digital age, anyone with a smartphone can capture and share photographs. this accessibility to photography diminishes the value of professional photographers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Support ideas with relevant, specific examples

Examples make your writing easier to understand by illustrating points more effectively.

Examples, if used properly, not only help you get higher marks for ‘Task Response’ but also for ‘Coherence’.

When giving examples it is best to put them after your main idea or topic sentence. They can be used in the middle of supporting sentences or they can be used to start a new sentence. There is no rule for where exactly to give examples in essays, logically they would come after your main idea/topic sentence or just after a supporting sentence.

Linking words for giving examples:

• for example
• for instance
• to illustrate this
• to give a clear example
• to illustrate
• take, for example

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

• democratization
• visual culture
• composition
• technical skills
• proliferation
• oversaturate
• unique styles
• high-quality
• collaboration
• diverse perspectives
• photographic landscape
• professional
• Check your IELTS essay »
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As well as making money, businesses also have social responsibilities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

More and more people are migrating to cities in search of a better life, but city life can be extremely difficult. explain some of the difficulties of living in a city. how can governments make urban life better for everyone, it is common nowadays for each member of the family to have their own piece of modern technology. some people think this will lead to a break down in family relationship and communication. to what extent do you agree or disagree, information technology enable many people to do their chores outside their workplace (e.g at home or while travelling) do the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world. do you think this is a positive or negative development.