The unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have brought to the forefront the critical nature of digitalisation. For individuals, businesses and economies, digital transformation is now a must-do and no longer a good-to-have. However, digital technology can both connect and divide. It can bring about tremendous benefits especially in times when safe distancing is mandatory, but it can also compound and worsen existing economic and social inequalities. In this working paper, we specifically address the second-level digital divide of digital literacy (the first level being physical access and the third level, participation). Based on a systemic review and mapping exercise of local and international digital literacy frameworks, we propose a Unified Framework for Digital Literacy in Singapore (UFDL). The key premise of the proposed UFDL is that existing digital literacy frameworks in Singapore mostly focus on digital consumption skills such as online safety and information literacy, and less on digital production skills such as problem solving and digital content creation. The proposed UFDL is intended to be a comprehensive and unifying digital skills framework that will strengthen policy coherence across different domains. Recommendations are also made for the formulation of a set of career-related digital competences and the implementation of a national digital literacy curriculum.
Main policy recommendation:
Other policy recommendations:
1. Develop a framework that expands and unifies frameworks such as the Digital Media and Information Literacy Framework to include “production” digital skills such as digital content creation and problem solving.
2. Synergise the National Digital Literacy Programme for in-school learners and the Digital Media and Information Literacy Framework for out-of-school learners to strengthen policy coherence and continuity.
3. Include career-related competences in an overarching national framework. There is urgent need to create a set of basic career-related competences curriculum and benchmarks so that Singaporeans can acquire foundational digital skills with which to deepen and broaden their competences. This will enable Singaporeans to track and acquire competences as they upgrade their employability or transit to different sectors.
4. Formulate a national digital literacy curriculum so that education and training institutions and lifelong learning organisations can use the curriculum as a template to develop and innovate their delivery and assessment services.
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