Why teaching digital literacy is a socioeconomic need

How schools can help combat digital poverty

The conversation about the digital divide often starts with one issue: digital access. In the UK, the Department of Education started to tackle this during the pandemic by providing digital devices and connectivity support. However, studies from Deloitte reveal that digital skills remain the most pressing dimension of digital poverty. To wholeheartedly tackle the digital divide, digital literacy must also be a primary focus.

What is digital poverty?

According to the Digital Poverty Alliance, digital poverty is ‘the inability to interact with the online world fully, when, where and how an individual needs to’. And, while the term refers to a complex, multi-layered issue, it also underscores the major socioeconomic consequences. In the UK, roughly 1 in 5 individuals under 16 live in digital poverty. When factoring in a lack of basic digital skills, the figure rises to 1 in 4.

Previously, digital skills referred to a basic grasp of using computers; today, expectations have evolved to encompass digital literacy. This includes aspects like: evaluating information, communicating effectively, searching efficiently, and understanding how to choose the right digital tools. Without this skillset, individuals cannot fully interact with the online world in ways that align with their possible needs. As services increasingly become digital, this creates barriers to accessing a breadth of opportunities and resources.

Levelling the playing field early

Schools and colleges are well-positioned to bridge the digital skills gap due to the number of ways they can incorporate digital literacy across curricula. Additionally, secondary and FE institutions can help to level the digital playing field for those who may not be pursuing higher education due to personal preferences or other barriers.

The chart below underlines that higher education is very effective in closing the digital divide amongst older students, creating a significant disparity in digital skills among adults depending on their education level.

Education is also fundamental in building the future workforce. As highlighted by the World Economic Forum, 63% of leaders note that a skills gap will likely be the biggest challenge they face in their workforce as 2030 approaches.

They predict that coveted workplace skills like analytical thinking, resilience, and leadership will be dethroned by three digital skills over the next 5 years. To have positive career prospects, learners must have the opportunity to build up their digital capabilities.

So, how can the education sector work to improve digital literacy?

Senior leaders must help educators with self-directed CPD

Digital availability in schools might have come a long way since the pandemic, but only 53% of teachers in secondary schools (Pearson’s 2024 Schools’ Report) reported feeling confident using technology in their role. This problem spreads into the further education sector, with 41% of teaching staff (Digital Experience Insights Report 2024) reporting that they’d received guidance about the digital skills needed to fulfil their roles. And the greatest negative aspect of using digital technologies? A lack of support for using them.

Osi Ejiofor, Educational Technologist, advises practical actions that senior leaders can take to facilitate self-directed CPD amongst their educator staff:

1. Audit staff competency. He provides this Google survey that acts as a useful way of helping identify where staff currently sit in their digital literacies across different areas. Leaders can then collate links for resources to help develop each skill.
2. Implement development plans with a ‘fit for purpose’ digital strategy, including time for staff to develop their digital skillset.
3. Identify suitable online training and micro-accreditation courses; often lesson resources and plans are created as part of course requirements.

Teach AI literacy using digital literacy fundamentals

The rise of generative AI is one of this decade’s most significant digital transformations. And, since over half of secondary students want to learn skills to prepare them for the job market, teaching AI literacy is becoming a non-negotiable.

To meet these needs, institutions can begin by focusing on two important components: data literacy and critical thinking.

1. Learners must be able to practise the ability to interpret, question and critique the datasets that AI is built on. This includes an understanding of how human-originated biases can affect this data.
2. With the unreliability of AI, students need to be trained to critically analyse outputs and discern fact from falsehoods, just like they would when assessing other media.

Keep up with digital learning resources

Out of the top five things that educators say have positively impacted schools since 2022, digital learning resources ranked second. But, beyond general curriculum support, how can digital resources facilitate digital literacy?

1. Research resources like JSTOR and subject-specific Gale in Context platforms enable learners to develop research skills that fall within digital literacy, including targeted searching, selecting information, and drawing conclusions after nuanced evaluations.
2.  For the promotion of digital citizenship, along with media literacy in the digital sphere, newspaper resources such as PressReader offer the chance to access publications from around the world. Digital newspapers are powerful tools for training students to detect misinformation, recognise biases, and participate meaningfully in the global community.
3.  Cite Them Right allows students to understand how to cite information from a range of sources in the digital age. Furthermore, they provide lots of information on how to responsibly engage and cite AI for research purposes and  – crucially – why it’s important.

We must act now

The faster the digital landscape evolves, the more costly the impact of digital poverty. Without digital literacy, individuals are vulnerable to reduced educational outcomes, restricted employment prospects, and barriers to societal participation. By prioritising digital literacy across schools and colleges, alongside efforts to expand digital access, educators can help bridge this divide and help build equitable opportunities for all.