“Digital and Media Literacies are the current currencies in the Digital World”
For those who missed my self introduction in my Google + community group, my name is Mboni Amiri Ruzegea, a librarian at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. In this Sway, i thought i should talk a little bit about how digital and media literacies are tending in my country. As we all know the Digital Tech has leapfrogged people’s standard of living and makes life waay much easier everyday in many parts of the world. I would like to believe that Digital and Media Literacies are the current currencies in the Digital World. The use of digital technology is associated with the application of digital devices like smartphone, tablets, laptops/computers etc to curb one’s information needs. In Tanzania, for example, 23 million out of a population of 59 million have their mobile phones connected to the Internet (https://africaopendata.org/dataset/africa-2018-population-and-internet-users-statistics) and many are in social groups or networks. Use of social media has redefined how people communicate and interact on daily bases. People meet in their virtual spaces to discuss work related issues, politics, family, business, health news, gossips et cetera. However, research shows that people do not utilize the Internet to its fullest potential (https://blogs.worldbank.org/category/tags/digital-divide). Several past studies done in the country were related to digital literacy targeting improvement in the use of Internet and search skills among students and or faculty members (e.g. Barakabitze et al, 2015; Norbet & Lwoga, 2013 and Sife, 2013 etc). Only few studies were done to evaluate online information usage of other people outside academic or research circles (e.g. Pfeiffer, et al, 2014 on “the use of social media among adolescents” and Sife, 2013 on “the Internet use behavior of cybercafé users”). The general public need both digital literacy and social media literacy. The implications of these two literacies have far reaching impacts. As McCrea (2012) put it: “Done correctly, this combination enhances the quality and efficiency of teaching, research, learning, communicating, collaborating, and creating.” (https://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/08/21/the-intersection-of-digital-literacy-and-social-media.aspx). One has got to be wise for him or her to succeed in the Digital World whether educationally, socially, politically or whatever. So, to be (or not to be) a digital and media literate person, that’s NOT a question.
- Being “Digital Native Does Not Mean Digital Literate” (https://newtechnetwork.org/resources/digital-native-not-mean-digital-literate/)
A Learning Curve
Digital and media literacies in our education and research platforms (in Tanzania) are still a struggle. Despite years of investigating information search skills and competencies in an educational context (ibid) and impressive recommendations, yet, incompetency still exists among our students and faculty regarding the use of digital content and media technology to improve academic/research performance. As a library professional, I know what, how and where to find what I need and when I need in order to accomplish my tasks. But this may not be easy to other faculty members who lack digital and social media literacy skills even when time and money are in their favor. The majority are “digital phobic”, especially the BBCs (Born before Computers). Without digital and or social medial skills its easy to get lost in a fancy but irrelevant information by clicking links after links and come out with little and or irrelevant information. It’s easy to fall into a trap of fake news or rely on gossip stories instead of hard evidence or facts. More need to be done!
Team Building – Tanmaya Vora
Self-inspection!
After joining the ONL181 course, Alas! I feel there are still a lot of things I am illiterate about concerning digital literacy. Thanks to my ONL colleagues in my G+ community (Filip, especially) who put loads of information links to read more on digital literacy. To me this is a golden opportunity to find my niche in an ongoing digital literacy discussions. This course is indeed an eye opener. I expect to learn many things and improve my skills in the use of digital literacy so as to make my digital footprint relevant and impactful and prepare myself to embrace the power of dynamic digital world.
“It would be a breach of our duties as teachers for us to ignore the rhetorical power of visual forms of media in combination with text and sound…the critical media literacy we need to teach must include evaluation of these media, lest our students fail to see, understand, and learn to harness the persuasive power of visual media.” (NCTE Resolution on Visual Literacy).
References:
- Barakabitze, A.A; Kitindi, E.J; Sanga, C; Kibirige, G and Makwinya, N. (2015). Exploring Students’ Skills and Attitudes on Effective Use of ICTs: Case Study of Selected Tanzanian Public Secondary Schools. Universal Journal of Educational Research 3(6): 407-425, 2015
- Chatama, Y.J. (2014). Developing End-user ICT skills: case of Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania Developing Country Studies (Online) Vol.4, No.3.
- Luambano, I. (2016). Information seeking behavior of distance learning students: a case study of Open University of Tnzania, Arusha Region. Univeristy of Dar es Slaam Journal. Vol 11, No1.
- Norbert, G.L and Lwoga, E.T. (2013). Information seeking behaviour of physicians in Tanzania Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. Information Development, 29 (2): 1-12.
- Pfeiffer, C; Kleeb, M; Mbelwa, A and Ahorlu, C.(2014) The use of social media among adolescents in Dar es Salaam and Mtwara, Tanzania, Reproductive Health Matters, 22:43, 178-186, DOI: 10.1016/S0968-8080(14)43756-X
- Sife A.S. (2013). Internet use behaviour of cybercafé users in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania. Annals of Library and Information Studies Vol. 60, March 2013, pp. 41-50
- Sife, A.S. (2013). Web Search Behaviour of Postgraduate Students at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania. Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). 897
