Digital Technology and Literacy: a Contact North | Contact Nord Perspective

Digital Technology and Literacy:

A CONTACT NORTH | CONTACT NORD PERSPECTIVE

By Sarah Stocker // Literacy and Basic Skills (e-Channel) Coordinator, Contact North

As Ontarians look ahead hopefully to a postpandemic resumption of their “normal” lives, the experiences of the “new normal” since March 2020 underscore the needs we all share. Now more than ever, we must be able to learn about and adapt to our evolving digital technology tools, and to develop the literacy skills to use these fully. Most of us can think of people we either know or have heard about who had to push themselves into the digital world in the last year and develop a literacy entirely new to them. Participating in our daily lives as employees, parents, caregivers, consumers and responsible citizens, we all face challenges that exercise learning and technology skills.

Never has the capacity to incorporate digital technologies using strong literacy skills been more urgent. From our need to connect virtually with family, friends and service providers, to searching and evaluating news media to get accurate information about the pandemic, our digital literacy and technology skills are in constant demand.

The American Library Association (ALA) defines digital literacy as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills.” https://literacy. ala.org/digital-literacy/ “Digital literacy goes much further beyond simple technological literacy. It includes how one interacts in an environment saturated with media and technology, as well as the societal and social contexts created by this technological and digital immersion.” https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540sept12/2012/11/11/ technological-vs-digital-literacy/ The Ontario Adult Literacy Curriculum Framework (OALCF) guides Ontario’s Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) programs’ development of content and tasks to enhance their learners’ literacy competencies. While the OALCF competency "Use Digital Technology" addresses this most directly, all of the OALCF competencies, from "Find and Use Information" to "Engage with Others" employ a host of technologies and promote learners' digital literacy.

All LBS programs strive to develop learning plans that help their learners achieve their employment, education, training and job readiness goals. The five online LBS “eChannel” providers: ACE Distance/Online, Deaf Learn Now, Programme formation à distance, Good Learning Anywhere and the LearningHUB have used digital technologies since eChannel's inception. Furthermore, each program has developed digitally adept practitioners who mentor learners in their literacy development.

The eChannel Curriculum Map’s digital and computer courses include an introduction to technologies for computers and mobile devices, Internet safety and tips, guidance on using a range of tools to accomplish everyday life and employment goals, social media, and options for developing digital literacy.

Contact North | Contact Nord provides technology platforms to support the eChannel providers’ digital delivery and strives to make the technology as comprehensible and accessible as possible to learners and their practitioners. Those familiar with Gartner’s Hype Cycles of technology adoption (see https:// www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-strategic-technology-trends-for-2021/) know that the challenges, even for those with strong literacy skills can go beyond the scope of digital technical knowhow. Contact North | Contact Nord posts resources and maintains a technical Help Desk, but, more importantly, it approaches the challenges for digital tool users with a learnercentred approach. Helping eChannel providers support their literacy learners' progress using evolving technologies and offering recommendations on content design as well as professional development will help improve learners' prospects on an ongoing basis.

Let's stay optimistic about using the digital technologies of the future that will best support learners in developing the competencies they need to thrive as digitally literate Ontarians, whatever the new normal brings! t