Web literacy explained

Web literacy refers to the skills and competencies needed for reading, writing, and participating on the web.[1] It has been described as "both content and activity" meaning that web users should not just learn about the web but also about how to make their own website.[2]

History of the concept

In the late 1990s, literacy researchers began to explore the differences between printed text and network-enabled devices with screens. This research was largely focused on two areas: the credibility of information that can be found on the World Wide Web[3] and the difference that hypertext makes to reading and writing.[4] These skills were included in definitions of information literacy and included in a SCONUL position paper in 1999.[5] This paper became the '7 Pillars of Information Literacy', which was last updated in 2011.[6]

Web Literacy Map

The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to promote openness, innovation, and participation on the Internet. It has created a Web Literacy Map in consultation with a community of stakeholders from formal and informal education, as well as industry.[7] Work on what was originally entitled a Web Literacy 'Standard' began in early 2013. Version 1.0 was launched at the Mozilla Festival later that year.[8] Going forward, 'standard' was seen to be problematic and against the ethos of what the Mozilla community was trying to achieve.[9]

Literacy Version 1.1 of the Web Literacy Map was released in early 2014[10] and underpins the Mozilla Foundation's Webmaker resources section, where learners and mentors can find activities that help teach related areas. Although the Web Literacy Map is a list of strands, skills, and competencies, it is most commonly represented as a competency grid.

The Mozilla community finalized version 1.5 of the Web Literacy Map at the end of March 2015.[11] This involves small changes to the competencies layer and a comprehensive review of the skills they contain.[12]

Exploring

(Navigating the Web)

Building

(Creating the Web)

Connecting

(Participating on the Web)

See also

Notes and References

  1. https://webmaker.org/literacy Mozilla Web Literacy Map v1.1.0
  2. Davidson, C.N. & Surman, M. "Why Web Literacy Should Be Part of Every Education", Fast Company. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  3. Detweiler, M. C., Hess, S. M., & Peck, A. C. (1996, October). Acquiring User-Centered Design Skills by Designing and Evaluating World Wide Web Pages. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 40, No. 8, pp. 459-462). SAGE Publications
  4. Snyder, I., & Joyce, M. (Eds.). (1998). Page to screen: Taking literacy into the electronic era. Psychology Press.
  5. SCONUL Advisory Committee on Information Literacy (1999) Information skills in higher education:a SCONUL position paper. Prepared by the Information Skills Task Force, on behalf of SCONUL.
  6. SCONUL. (2011). 7 Pillars of Information Literacy Core Model. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  7. Belshaw, D.A.J. & Smith, K.L. "Why Mozilla cares about Web Literacy". Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  8. http://boingboing.net/2013/10/28/web-literacy-standard-1-0-from.html Web Literacy Standard 1.0 from Mozilla
  9. http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2014/01/15/web-literacy-map/ The Web Literacy Standard is dead (long live the Web Literacy Map!)
  10. https://blog.webmaker.org/why-the-web-literacy-map-will-remain-at-v1-1-until-mozfest Why the Web Literacy Map will remain at v1.1 until MozFest
  11. https://blog.webmaker.org/weblitmap-v1-5 Building version 1.5 of Mozilla’s Web Literacy Map
  12. http://literaci.es/redefining-weblitmap-skills Help us redefine the skills underpinning three Web Literacy Map competencies!