Today, the term multiple literacies is widely used, encompassing both the new forms of literacy associated with ICT (e.g., media literacy, print literacy, computer literacy, multimedia literacy) and the culturally-specific form of education such as cultural literacy, social literacy, and eco-literacy (UNESCO, 2005).
Types of literacy:
| Media Literacy | Media Literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, & produce communication in a variety of forms.
In essence, a media literate person can think critically about what they see, hear, and read in books, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, music, advertising, video games, the Internet, and new emerging technology. Kaiser Family Foundation |
| Computer Literacy | The ability to use a computer and its software to accomplish practical tasks.
National Forum on Information Literacy |
| Digital Literacy | Digital literacy is more than just the technical ability to operate digital devices properly; it comprises a
variety of cognitive skills that are utilized in executing tasks in digital environments, such as browsing the Internet, deciphering user interfaces, working with databases, and chatting in chat rooms. Eshet-Alkali & Amichai-Hamburger |
| Information Literacy | Information Literacy is defined as the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to
identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand. National Forum on Information Literacy |
| Technology Literacy | Technology literacy is the ability to responsibly use appropriate technology to communicate, solve problems,
and access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information to improve learning in all subject areas and to acquire lifelong knowledge and skills in the 21st century. State Educational Technology Directors Association |
Adapted from “Media Literacy – Definition Matrix” Leadership Summit Toolkit 2007