Digital Literacy vs Digital Fluency

Peter du ToitI'm the founder of FutureWork IQ where I spend my time assisting businesses to design digital workplaces or “offices in the cloud.” These environments enable companies to allow flexible and remote working for their teams. I also teach the digital literacy, fluency, communication and collaboration skills needed to work in these modern technology-rich workplaces.

I see a lot of people who struggle to understand what digital literacy is and how it’s different from digital fluency.

Let me give you an example. And let’s use the current social media landscape.

Digital literacy, in this context for example would include knowing that there is now a 24-hour feed (vs the main news feeds we know so well) and having the technical ability to create content using the 24-hour feed cameras. (These cameras are in the Facebook app, Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp)

Digital Fluency on the other hand is knowing when to use the 24-hour feed vs the main “permanent” feed. It would also mean understanding how to create value and story-tell in the 24-hour feed.

In this example, literacy is having the technical skills to use the tools and fluency is having the skill to create value with the tools.

Does that make sense?