Week 8: Types of Digital Skills

In the article: The Digital Divide As A Complex and Dynamic Phenomenon

-Instrumental skills: the ability to operate hardware and software. (Can you turn it on?)

-Informational skills: searching information using digital hardware and software. ( Can you use techology for basic means of communication and information exchange?)

-Strategic skills: using information for one's own purpose and position. (Are you comfortable enough with ICT to use it efficiently to aid in your communications and enhance your acquisition, analysis, and proliferation of information?)-Upon reaching this level, you are among the most skilled and most advantaged in the realm of ICT.

Instrumental and informational skills are united under the idea of informacy, the basic ability to apply technical know how and literacy to ICT operation. Informacy is not primarily determined by education, but rather, by age and gender.

If not born digital, having young children, particular hobbies, or access in the workplace can lead to a greater resevoir of technical skills.