Digital Literacy – Post-study

So this is the final video in

our course on Digital Literacy

for distance learners.

I hope you found this course useful

and you've got some good ideas

about how to use digital

devices and platforms

to help you with your studies!

But you know what? I think a lot

of the things we've talked about

in these videos are useful

even beyond study. So that's

what I want to talk about today:

digital literacy in your everyday lives.

Right at the beginning of this course,

we defined digital literacy

as: "having the skills

and knowledge required to achieve

our goals in a digital society."

And let's face it:

today our world

is more connected than ever.

Think about how often you connect

with friends and family

on social media, or use the internet

to get the information you

need. Digital communications are

a big part of our lives,

so what have we learned on

this course that

we can use in our everyday lives?

For me one of the most

important things is how to

communicate effectively with others

online. It's really important to behave

in a respectful way to other people.

Because online communication

is not face to face,

sometimes people say things they would

never say in the physical world.

People who say mean

and horrible things online are called

'trolls', like monsters from fairy tales.

Nobody likes trolls - so always treat other

people online with respect.

Remember - the internet never forgets.

Things you post on

social media can be hard to get rid of

- so think very carefully before you put it online.

Safety and security

are really important too.

Don't give away your personal details

– or anyone else's.

You don't want strange people

showing up on your doorstep,

or being able

to access your bank account!

We've talked about using

the internet to find information,

but always remember to critically

evaluate the information

you find online.

If you use incorrect information

in your studies

you can lose marks.

In the same way, if you accept

incorrect information, your understanding

of the world could be based

on something that is not true.

So use your judgement and go

deeper into the information

you find to make sure you can believe it.

So those are a few of the key things

to remember when you are online.

I think we are very lucky

to be living in the digital age.

These are wonderful resources

that have revolutionised

the way we get information

and communicate with each other.

But we always need to be

improving our digital skills

so that we can make the best

and safest use of the online world.

So enjoy your experiences online

and I hope that your digital skills will make

you a better student!

Bye for now!