Essential Skills for Digital Life

The rapid growth of information technology has opened new ways to learn, work, and connect with others. However, people need to constantly learn an evolving set of competencies and skills to pursue these opportunities. Depending on socio-cultural contexts and broader technological affordances, this can require anything from repurposing traditional literacies (information literacy, media literacy) to developing cutting edge technical competencies (robotics, programming). We explore what skills and pedagogical approaches are best suited to enable individuals and communities across varied cultural settings to participate equitably in digital life. Through this research we co-develop tools, approaches, and public policies to ensure our work has applied impacts for populations that have historically been denied access to learning opportunities.

• What essential skills are necessary to engage in digital life across different social and technical ecosystems, and how are these skills used to produce new opportunities in everyday lives?
• What learning environments, pedagogical approaches, and learning tools are most effective for enabling different communities to develop these skills?
• How can participatory technology design be utilized to better align digital resources with local needs and skills?

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People & Organizations