Digital Skill

 

What are basic digital skills?

Digital skills are broadly defined as those needed to “use digital devices, communication applications, and networks to access and manage information,” in UNESCO’s terms.

This covers a huge range and variety of skills, of course. There are different tiers of digital skills. At the bottom, we have what the UK Department for Education (DfE) calls “digital foundation skills”.

These are the basic digital skills that will be second nature to Millennials and Generation Z digital natives, though which may have to be learned by older generations.

A framework written up by the DfE alongside Accenture and other organisations outlines these basic digital skills under six areas. These are then subdivided into skills for life and additional skills for work.

These are:

• Digital foundation skills – the fundamentals of being able to use digital technologies, such as using a browser, connecting to the internet, and keeping passwords secure.
• Communicating – sending emails securely, using attachments, and participating on social media.
• Handling information and content – using search engines, being aware that not all online content is reliable, accessing content across devices.
• Transacting – setting up accounts to use or purchase goods/services online, using different secure payment methods, filling in online forms.
• Problem-solving – finding solutions to problems using FAQs/tutorials/chat, presenting solutions through software, and improving productivity.
• Being safe and legal online – understanding best practice in data storage/sharing, updating and keeping passwords secure, and taking precautions against viruses.

These are defined as the basic digital skills needed in a day-to-day professional or personal context. They will be enough for many working in traditional workplaces which have adopted digital systems to improve efficiency, security, and connectivity.