Why we need to understand digital skills The worrying answer is that not all students may be ready for a digital future . In a new comprehensive report from the Capgemini Research Institute titled Future-Ready Education , we found that across all students aged 16 – 18 , only 55 % say they have the digital skills necessary to be successful in today ’ s workforce .
More worryingly , there also appears to be a perception gap between teachers and parents when it comes to the abilities of students , and their perception of students . The usage of digital media is often conflated with digital skills , leading teachers and parents to overestimate their students ’ abilities and knowledge of digital technologies .
Digital skills as a competency include four categories : digital literacy ( understanding how computers , the internet and mobile devices work ), digital citizenship ( engaging in appropriate and responsible behaviours online ), data literacy ( understanding how to work with data and how to analyse and interpret it ) and media literacy ( understanding how to determine which online sources are credible , with the ability to evaluate content online ).
• A majority of teens were found lacking in basic digital skills – less than half ( 47 %) of students aged 16 – 18 are confident in writing a professional email . Even fewer are confident in creating a presentation ( 45 %) or making a chart from data ( 42 %).
• The majority ( 80 %) of 16 – 18-yearold students say they are confident in finding information online using websites such as Google or Yahoo !, but fewer ( 66 %) know which online sources to trust , or what is fact versus opinion online ( 61 %). About half ( 53 %) of these students say they know whether information online is biased , dropping to 41 % of students aged 18 .
• Students need digital skills , not only to be able to confidently use technology in their education but also to prepare them for future entry into the workforce . sustainabilitymag . com 63