From Literacy to Fluency to Citizenship: Digital Citizenship in Education

Abstract

The internet affords new ways of working and learning, and in turn, new challenges are emerging and evolving for children and those who support them. Young people are accessing the internet with increasing frequency via multiple access points with a continuing trend towards mobile access. At the same time, education system policy has encouraged schools’ uptake of technology. Schools and their communities are increasingly reliant on digital technology which has created a more complex environment to keep safe and secure. There is an ongoing need for sustained and dedicated support so schools can provide safe and secure digital learning environments. Digital citizenship has the potential to be a powerful enabler of inclusion in social, cultural economic, and civil society. Becoming a digital citizen is ‘part of who we all are’ in school; it should be planned for, and addressed, through multiple contexts including structured activities and wherever there is a meaningful opportunity to talk and learn about being online. Therefore, understanding what is a ‘digital citizen’ precedes endeavours to develop the concepts and qualities in our children and young people. The intention of this paper is to provide a definition of digital citizenship and the principles that underpin and support its within and across the education sector. It also outlines why Netsafe believes digital citizenship is important and signposts tools and resources that schools can use to get started. Netsafe first published this version of its digital citizenship model in 2016. At the time, a range of related terms – such as digital competency, literacy and fluency – were being used by policy makers and practitioners, sometimes interchangeably. There was a need for greater clarity for schools as they looked to develop effective learning opportunities for their students. The definitive statement of digital citizenship in this paper - and its particular relationship to digital literacy and digital fluency – provides this. It is still relevant today.

Keywords: digital literacy, digital citizenship, digital fluency, digital competency