New Challenges for Literacy in the New Digital Age

Guest Authors: Konrad Arszułowicz and Sylwia Sadowska
2nd Year Students at the MA in English Philology, University of Białystok, Poland

The issue of literacy has attracted the attention of many scholars. According to the Cambridge dictionary, literacy is defined as “the ability to read and write”. The Polish encyclopedia explains this term as the process of spreading the abilities of reading, writing, and calculating. However, it frequently happens that the abilities of reading and writing are associated only with written text, but these abilities may also refer to reading pictures with the help of eyes or drawing a picture as a form of writing.

In recent decades, it is possible to observe that the notion of literacy has been broadening its meaning due to technological developments. As noted by Wong (2015, p. 76), “young children who are not capable of reading printed texts can already produce sophisticated digital texts”. According to this particular statement, there are other samples of literacy other than written texts. Digital texts include digital pictures, audio recordings, and video recordings. These elements are almost omnipresent in online platforms, therefore, it is not surprising that preschoolers acquire the ability of digital literacy faster than the traditional abilities of reading and writing. As Withrow (2004, p. 29) observed, “Reading and writing are no longer the simple mode of literacy. […]This ocean of information flows in, around and through them while they snatch the bits of information they want to use from it.” Taking all the mentioned facts about literacy, it can be stated that traditional literacy is not only limited to written texts, but also refers to, for example, reading with eyes or reading by touching. What is more, literacy has expanded its meaning to digital reality as well. A similar observation was made by O’Byrne (2014, p. 102) who claimed that “we need a broadened, expanded view of “text” to include visual, digital, and other multimodal formats”.

With the emergence of technology and digital literacy, texts have considerably altered. As noted by Burnett and Merchant (2011, p. 46), it is possible to observe the following changes:

• multiple authors;
• possibility of being updated/expanded;
• possibility to connect text with other through hyperlinks.

Apart from the modification mentioned above, it is also necessary to acknowledge the fact that some devices or social media apps can also influence the visual presentation of content. As a result of all these alterations, digital texts have acquired unique features, which are absent in traditional texts.

Revised definitions of literacy are constantly remaining to be updated, and a number of researchers have attempted this successfully. One of the rather current ones is provided by Mora Vélez (2010, p. 1) as “the process of interpreting and creating text using multiple means and media, including technology, multiple languages, and diverse aesthetic forms of expression, in addition to the written and spoken word”. Based on his study (Mora, 2011, p. 8) on the influence of technology on literacy and education performed with a group of teachers, he concludes that respondents strongly associate the impact of technology on education and that the steady growth of digital literacy is unlikely to be halted. Yet, the respondents are unable to characterize this phenomenon’s qualities in terms of its benefits and downsides. Based on his results, the author highlights a set of three “challenges” and two “opportunities” to be mindful of and mitigate the potential for harm when technology is fully utilized as a literacy resource (Mora, 2011).

1. The first challenge: Technology and quality of expression — focuses on the evaluation of the deterioration of literacy sources and the factors influencing this with the use of technology
2. The second challenge: Understanding technology to maximize its potential — implementation and awareness of technology as a source of literacy as well as its results
3. The third challenge: The effect of technology in reading and writing — focuses on equalizing learning and literacy development, shifting the existing source’s perspective to digital and multimodal
4. The first opportunity: Technology encourages expression — recognition of increased occurrences for writing and expression, as well as a wider variety of audiences and information delivery formats
5. The second opportunity: Rethinking the discussion about digital “natives” and “immigrants” — the diversification of age groups with different levels of adaptation to shifts in literacy towards technology, and a critical approach to adjustment to changes occurring in the field of media literacy research as well as its implementation (Mora, 2011, pp. 9‒13)

This classification highlights modern issues associated with the phenomenon of literacy transfer to technology and media and also attempts to comprehend them.

Literacy is, in conclusion, a developing scientific area like any other, although its driving force and, in a way, its catalyst is the evolution of technology and media. Technology and media have become the fastest-growing medium as well as the hub of easily available written and read forms, and are therefore an integral component of contemporary literacy. Due to the quick development, there are a number of issues in altering the concept of this phenomenon, as well as a critical attitude to the formal incorporation of this component as a key source of education.

References

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/literacy

https://sjp.pwn.pl/szukaj/alfabetyzacja.html

Wong, S. S. H. (2015). Mobile digital devices and preschoolers’ home multiliteracy practices. Language and Literacy, 17(2), 75–90.

O’Byrne, W. I. (2014). Empowering learners in the reader/writer nature of the digital informational space. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 58(2), 102–104.

Burnett, C., & Merchant, G. (2011). Is There a Space for Critical Literacy in the Context of Social Media?. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, 10(1), 41–57.

Withrow, F. B. (2004). Literacy in the digital age: reading, writing, viewing, and computing. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Education.

Mora Vélez, R. A. (2010). An Analysis of the Literacy Beliefs and Practices of Faculty and Graduates from a Preservice English Teacher Education Program. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Mora, Raúl A. (2011). Challenges and Opportunities for Literacy and Technology in ELT Teacher Education. Online Submission, Paper Presented at the 2nd International Colloquia on Research and Innovation in Foreign Language Education. Bogotá, Colombia.