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basics needed for operational usage of texts (Frau-Meigs et al., 2017).
the most common digital tools used to Researchers believe that students
interact in the digital world.
must develop the necessary digital
Many terms are used to reveal the skills for the meaningful use of the
level of digital skills: IT skills, ICT skills, internet (Jenkins et al., 2009). Litt (2013)
computer skills, digital competence, focused on the uni-dimensional aspect
or digital literacy. UNESCO (2017) has of internet skills for the arguments
defined the term digital skills as a range about digital skills. Students' digital
of different abilities, many of which are skills are categorised under many
not only 'skills' per se, but a combination resources: material, intellectual, social,
of behaviours, expertise, know-how, and cultural. Inequalities are seen in
work habits, traits, dispositions, and the demographic, socio-economic, and
critical understandings. Van Laar et psychological dimensions of individuals.
al. (2017) viewed digital skills as part The demographic variable includes
of digital literacy. Besides the skills age, gender, and social background;
to operate digital devices, the skills the psychological dimension covers
required to perform tasks and solve an individual's trait and intelligence;
problems in a digital environment are Education, economic status, and income
known as digital skills (Ng, 2012). position of individuals are classified
under socio-economic dimensions.
An Individual's skill in using ICT includes
technical knowledge and cognitive Digital skills studies are largely limited
skills required to handle hardware and to demographic and socioeconomic
software environments. Many research determinants (Scheerder et al.,
findings emphasise the need to focus 2017). Factors such as age, gender,
not only on technical mastery aspects socioeconomic status, personality
and on the conceptual understandings traits, intelligence, and ICT experience
of technology but also on the higher- are responsible for determining digital
order cognitive skills and socio- skills. The intellectual determinants of
relational knowledge (Calvani et al., skills depend upon students' learning
2012). The digital literacy of students styles, motivation, intelligence, and
falls in two ways: Information Literacy other fundamental skills. Similarly,
and Multimedia Literacy. Learners who social determinants concern social
are developing their information literate networking using digital media. Attitude
skills define different types of ability, towards culture and tradition of one's
such as subject expertise, societal society are also determining factors of
participation, use of research tools, and possession of digital skills.
indicators to determine the credibility of
sources, and understand publications Managing Skills for Digital Inclusion
that are widely considered "standard". Universal access requires that
Multimedia literacy refers to the ability all students should have access,
to interpret, design, and create content affordability, and the ability to avail
that makes use of images, photographs, and use the internet. These factors are
video, animation, music, sounds, and essential in response to human rights
282 Indian Journal of Educational Technology
Volume 3, Issue 2, July 2021