Digital Literacy: Digital Literacy at UCD Library

UCD Library’s Digital Literacy initiative empowers UCD staff and students to develop key digital competencies that are central to academic, professional and personal success and wellbeing.

To facilitate the initiative's implementation we have developed a Digital Literacy Framework that helps UCD staff and students map their own digital capabilities. The framework has been influenced by other literacy frameworks including DigComp, the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens; JISC's Digital Capabilities Framework and the Open University's Digital and Information Literacy Framework, and it is designed to serve the specific needs of UCD staff and students.

UCD Library's Digital Literacy Framework focuses on five main capabilities, as detailed in this infographic:

Within each capability there is particular emphasis on two skills, which can be attained at foundation, intermediate and advanced levels. The skills and levels have been mapped to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF).  As in the EQF, each skill is defined in terms of knowledge, practical and cognitive skills, and level of responsibility and autonomy. The three levels of attainment for each skill have been mapped to the EQF levels in the table below.

	Foundation level training provides basic general and factual knowledge related to a specific digital skill. It develops basic cognitive and practical skills in order to carry out tasks and solve routine problems related to a digital literacy skill, using simple rules and tools. Equivalent to EQF levels 1-2. Relevant for UCD students in stages 1 & 2.
	Intermediate level training provides factual and theoretical knowledge of concepts, principles and processes associated to a digital literacy skill. It develops a range of cognitive and practical skills required to generate creative solutions to problems associated with a digital literacy skill.  Equivalent to EQF levels 3-4. Relevant for UCD students in stages 3 & 4.
	Advanced level training provides comprehensive, specialised, factual and theoretical knowledge of a specific digital literacy skill, involving a critical understanding of theories and principles and an awareness of the boundaries of that knowledge. It delivers the cognitive and practical skills required to develop creative solutions to abstract problems associated with that skill, demonstrating mastery, innovation and the ability to solve complex and unpredictable problems. Equivalent to EQF levels 5-6. Relevant for UCD students in stage 5 and post-doctoral researchers.

Each of the capabilities is explored in greater detail in the individual pages of this guide.