Fostering Digital Literacy between Schools and the Local Community: Using Service Learning and Project-Based Learning as a Conceptual Framework

Promoting Digital Literacy As “Digital Citizenship”

It’s interesting to note that the meaning attributed to “digital literacy” has in fact changed over time: until a few years ago, the prevailing interpretations related to the mastery of purely technical skills, now associated with these are also relational and participatory skills, extending the meaning to incorporate more elements including essentially the concept of “digital citizenship” (Mossberger, 2008). The report “Digital Competence in Practice” (2012) of The Institute for Perspective Technological Studies of the European Commission, is an interesting example that tries to specify the concept as a convergence of multiple illiteracies, including precisely participation, socialization and learning: “Digital Competence is the set of knowledge, skills, attitudes [...] that are required when using ICT and digital media to perform tasks; solve problems; communicate; manage information; collaborate; create and share content; and build knowledge effectively, efficiently, appropriately, critically, creatively, autonomously, flexibly, ethically, reflectively for work, leisure, participation, learning, socialising, consuming, and empowerment” (Ferrari, 2012).