Digital Platform Standard Seven - Expand Digital Literacy

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

Last week we launched the Digital Literacy and Upskilling Program with little fanfare but large hopes. We started sharpening the axe in preparation for our metaphorical tree.

This week we are continuing down the same path, incrementally adding to beginnings of what will be a larger knowledge base.

Introducing the Digital Standards

As we discussed last week, the Digital Literacy and Upskilling Program is part of the delivery of the  IT and Digital Strategy 2020-2025. Our 11 newly minted Digital Platform Standards also form part of this delivery as they inform and guide all the digital work we do at Council.

Over the coming months we will explore each of the standards together, learning about what they mean and look like in practice. By upholding these standards in our daily work, we are actively working towards a smarter, more digitally enabled future for our community and staff. Each project and team have a part to play in contributing to this aim. 

You can find an explanation of each standard, actionable tips for how to meet it and resources to support further understanding in the document.

Each article on the standards will also provide a guide. We are aiming for your favourite teacher, crossed with a colleague and some good video recommendations.

Standard 7 – Expand Digital Literacy

We are starting at Standard 7 as it’s the most logical standard to begin with given where we have started in our conversation around the Digital Literacy and Upskilling Program.

According to the Ready, Set, Upskill - Effective Training for the Jobs of Tomorrow report (2021), from RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics, "over 87 per cent of jobs in Australia already require digital literacy skills. And yet one quarter of employees say their skills aren’t up to scratch." More on the report in the video below.

These statistics are not breaking news, we have all noticed and felt this gap and far more acutely lately.

The official definition of digital literacy is the ability to identify and use technology confidently, creatively, and critically to effectively meet the demands and challenges of living, learning, and working in a digital society. (Coldwell-Neilson)

What do these skills look like?

• The ability to create, not just consume content across media types
• Combine technical and critical thinking skills to successfully find, evaluate, create and communicate information
• The experience to know when, why and how to use digital tools productively, creatively, ethically and safely

The good news is like the ability to read and write, digital literacy skills can be learned, developed and practiced by everyone. These articles and others will help towards that goal.

The important piece is that we do not all have to be ‘tech heads’. We each need to know just enough to begin and then add to our knowledge over time. Honestly, that’s how ‘tech heads’ become ‘tech heads’ – incremental learning about specific subjects and processes.

Speaking of incremental learning, below you will find a playlist of videos that will help expand your understanding on this topic. You don’t need to watch them all at once, in fact we’d recommend maybe one a day, with a coffee.

Other resources include:

• Getting yourself familiar with the ‘How do we meet the standard’ section for each standard in the Digital Platform Standards
• Keeping an eye on the Digital Knowledge Hub for relevant past articles and new events in this space.

End of the day, expanding our digital literacy as an organisation has an expediential ripple effect that reaches out from each of us as individuals to our colleagues, customers, families, and community groups. We become teachers, leaders, and capacity builders, and we all get the best value from digital investments.