Why technology alone won't bridge literacy gap

THE theme for this year’s International Literacy Day, which is celebrated annually on 8 September, is “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era’.

- ZELDA BARENDS

When reflecting on this theme, I am immediately confronted with the fact that digital literacy skills cannot develop at the expense of traditional literacy skills. I would argue that to navigate the complex world we live in, we must first strengthen traditional literacy before we can fully develop digital literacy.

In South Africa, promoting literacy in a digital era has its own complexities. I immediately think about the many marginalised people who may not be equipped with the necessary literacy skills to access new opportunities for learning, work and communication.

In addition, when thinking about digital inclusion I am reminded of our responsibility to ensure everyone has the skills to safely use digital tools and platforms. This goes hand in hand with the ability to think critically about the information found online.

Critical thinking and comprehension are deeply interconnected, as the former builds on and enhances a reader's ability to comprehend.

Comprehension—a traditional literacy skill but also one of the fundamental pillars of literacy instruction—involves understanding what a text is saying.

Put simply, it refers to answering questions about the text, identifying main ideas and summarising the text. When a reader can do this, they are grasping the literal meaning of the text.