In a society shaped by ever-increasing digitalization, new skills are in constant demand, including information, data and media literacy. This article discusses the areas in which it is particularly central.

Several years ago the Institute for the Future predicted what changes to society and the work world might be expected in 2020.1 Notably, “new media ecology”, “a globally connected world”, “new media literacy” and “virtual collaboration” were named as central abilities and skills.

These predictions have indeed come true, and in many cases the reality has surpassed expectations. It is not surprising that so many endeavors and projects nowadays take the advancement of digitalization as a starting point. It has become an important factor for success in countless areas of life – including the worlds of education and industry.

Against this backdrop, it is clear that we must increasingly focus on the development of “digital literacy” in education and career: increasingly, this ability is a prerequisite to fully participate in social and professional life.2 Specifically, the required skills include practical technical competence (for example, use of digitall devices), information literacy (for example, the ability to find information on the internet and evaluate it based on relevance and degree of reliability) and transversal skills (including learning and reflection skills, specifically the “acquisition of knowledge and learning techniques in order to keep up with technological developments”, and reading literacy, defined as the ability to “identify central statements and information from a text”).³

Another ability that is understood to be essential in the practical application of information literacy is “critical assessment of information in terms of its origin, relevance, value and credibility”.⁴

This suggests that both digital literacy and media literacy have much in common with information literacy when it comes to practical application. One reason is the complexity of situations and contexts in which these skills are applied.

The German educational expert Hilbert Meyer formulated it as this:

A competence describes the ability to apply knowledge and skills gained via experience and learning independently, consciously and appropriately to new situations.⁵

Alongside hard subject-specific skills, soft skills are increasingly growing in importance. The University of Bern distinguishes between intrapersonal skills (such as learning readiness, problem-solving skills, and analytical thinking) and interpersonal skills (such as presentation skills).⁶

These methodological skills are also closely related to information, data and media literacy, and its application.

Application of IDM

Where and for what purpose does information, data and media literacy apply? It is fundamental in the following areas:

• Training and continuing education
• Career
• University studies
• Problem solving in the academic sphere
• Learning and work management

To sum up, the relevant abilities and skills are important for effective use, creation and sharing of digital content. Fundamentally, it is about the critical and competent handling of information: procuring, evaluating and applying it appropriately to the situation at hand, as well as managing, organizing and sharing it. “Digital media should be understood as a social, political and pedagogical tool” that must be used with “proper citations […] with respect to copyright and open licenses”.⁴

Types of media and channels

Various media channels and forms of presentation (text, graphics, audio, video, animation), as well as data recorded in tables, databases or other formats, can be used to create or interpret data analysis or reports, for example. Here, too, “observation of the security of personal data”⁴ is critical. In general, information, data and media literacy is a key qualification for studying, careers and life-long learning in today’s world, with a broad range of uses.

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Literature

¹ Institute for the Future for University of Phoenix Research Institute (2011). Future Work Skills 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.iftf.org/uploads/media/SR-1382A_UPRI_future_work_skills_sm.pdf (02.12.2021).

² Bundesamtes für Kommunikation (2020). Strategie «Digitale Schweiz». Retrieved from: https://www.bakom.admin.ch/bakom/de/home/digital-und-internet/strategie-digitale-schweiz.html (02.12.2021).

³ State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, SERI (2019). Orientierungsrahmen Grundkompetenzen in Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT). Retrieved from: https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/sbfi/de/home/bildung/wb/grundkompetenzen-erwachsener.html (02.12.2021).

⁴ University of Basel (2020). Erklärung des Kompetenzrahmens «Digital Literacies». Retrieved from: https://digitalskills.unibas.ch/de/kompetenzrahmen/literacy-bereich-2-informations-daten-und-medienkompetenz/ (02.12.2021).

⁵ Meyer, H. (2012). Meyer, H. (2012). Kompetenzorientierung allein macht noch keinen guten Unterricht! Handout from presentation at didacta 2012, p.8. Retrieved from https://www.profilq.ch/cmdownloads/kompetenzorientierung-allein-macht-noch-keinen-guten-unterricht/ (02.12.2021).

⁶ University of Bern Career Service (2020). Soft Skills. Retrieved from: https://www.unibe.ch/studium/beratungsangebote/career_service/bewerbung/bewerbungsdossier/soft_skills/index_ger.html (02.12.2021).

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