Web literacy
{{Short description|Ability to read and write web content}}
{{Multiple issues|
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Web literacy refers to the skills and competencies needed for reading, writing, and participating on the web.{{cite web |url=https://webmaker.org/literacy |title=Web Literacy Map (1.1.0) | website=Mozilla Webmaker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418112528/https://webmaker.org/literacy |archive-date=18 April 2014 |access-date=3 January 2025}} It has been described as "both content and activity" meaning that web users should not just learn about the web but also about how to make their own website.Davidson, C.N. & Surman, M. [http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680264/why-web-literacy-should-be-part-of-every-education "Why Web Literacy Should Be Part of Every Education"], Fast Company. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
History of the concept
In the late 1990s, literacy researchers began to explore the differences between printed text and network-enabled devices with screens. This research was largely focused on two areas: the credibility of information that can be found on the World Wide WebDetweiler, M. C., Hess, S. M., & Peck, A. C. (1996, October). Acquiring User-Centered Design Skills by Designing and Evaluating World Wide Web Pages. In Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (Vol. 40, No. 8, pp. 459-462). SAGE Publications and the difference that hypertext makes to reading and writing.Snyder, I., & Joyce, M. (Eds.). (1998). Page to screen: Taking literacy into the electronic era. Psychology Press. These skills were included in definitions of information literacy and included in a SCONUL position paper in 1999.SCONUL Advisory Committee on Information Literacy (1999) Information skills in higher education:
a SCONUL position paper. Prepared by the Information Skills Task Force, on behalf of SCONUL. This paper became the '7 Pillars of Information Literacy', which was last updated in 2011.SCONUL. (2011). [http://www.sconul.ac.uk/tags/7-pillars 7 Pillars of Information Literacy Core Model]. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
Web Literacy Map
File:Web Literacy Map v1.10.png
The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to promote openness, innovation, and participation on the Internet. It has created a Web Literacy Map in consultation with a community of stakeholders from formal and informal education, as well as industry.Belshaw, D.A.J. & Smith, K.L. [https://mozilla.github.io/webmaker-whitepaper/ "Why Mozilla cares about Web Literacy"]. Retrieved 2 February 2015. Work on what was originally entitled a Web Literacy 'Standard' began in early 2013. Version 1.0 was launched at the Mozilla Festival later that year.[http://boingboing.net/2013/10/28/web-literacy-standard-1-0-from.html Web Literacy Standard 1.0 from Mozilla]. BoingBoing. Retrieved 12 February 2015. Going forward, 'standard' was seen to be problematic and against the ethos of what the Mozilla community was trying to achieve.[http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2014/01/15/web-literacy-map/ The Web Literacy Standard is dead (long live the Web Literacy Map!)]. Doug Belshaw's blog. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
Literacy Version 1.1 of the [https://learning.mozilla.org/en-US/web-literacy Web Literacy Map] was released in early 2014[https://blog.webmaker.org/why-the-web-literacy-map-will-remain-at-v1-1-until-mozfest Why the Web Literacy Map will remain at v1.1 until MozFest]. Mozilla Webmaker blog. Retrieved 12 February 2015. and underpins the Mozilla Foundation's [https://wiki.mozilla.org/Webmaker/Resources Webmaker resources section], where learners and mentors can find activities that help teach related areas. Although the Web Literacy Map is a list of strands, skills, and competencies, it is most commonly represented as a competency grid.
The Mozilla community finalized version 1.5 of the Web Literacy Map at the end of March 2015.[https://blog.webmaker.org/weblitmap-v1-5 Building version 1.5 of Mozilla’s Web Literacy Map]. Mozilla Webmaker blog. Retrieved 12 February 2015. This involves small changes to the competencies layer and a comprehensive review of the skills they contain.[http://literaci.es/redefining-weblitmap-skills Help us redefine the skills underpinning three Web Literacy Map competencies!]. Literaci.es. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
=Exploring=
(Navigating the Web)
- Navigation (Using software tools to browse the web)
- Web Mechanics (Understanding the web ecosystem)
- Search (Locating information, people, and resources via the web)
- Credibility (Critically evaluating information found on the web)
- Security (Keeping systems, identities, and content safe)
=Building=
(Creating the Web)
- Composing for the Web (Creating and curating content)
- Remixing (Modifying existing web resources to create something new)
- Design & Accessibility (Creating universally effective communications through web resources)
- Coding/Scripting (Creating interactive experiences on the web)
- Infrastructure (Understanding the Internet stack)
=Connecting=
(Participating on the Web)
- Sharing (Creating web resources with others)
- Collaborating (Providing access to web resources)
- Community Participation (Getting involved in web communities and understanding their practices)
- Privacy (Examining the consequences of sharing data online)
- Open Practices (Helping to keep the web democratic and universally accessible)