Sparrow, J (2018) summarises that “Fluency skills are important because it allows for the ability to leverage technology to create new knowledge, new challenges and new problems and to complement these with critical thinking, complex problem solving and social intelligence to solve the new challenges.”
The 5 fluency skills are:
• Information fluency
• Solution fluency
• Media fluency
• Collaboration fluency
• Creativity fluency
Source: Global Digital Citizen Foundation (figure 1)
Information
Fluency
Information Fluency is about interpreting information in an unconscious and intuitive manner
in order to interpret its meaning and significance by the knowledge extracted (Weebly,
2018). It is
the set of skills needed to locate, retrieve, assess and use information to
solve problems (Bundy, 2004). When information literacy and relevant computer skills are added to critical thinking skills,
there is an outcome of information fluency (Associated Colleges of the South, 2002).
Being
information fluent means you are able to (Virtual Library, 2021):
·
Find
out about your information needs
·
evaluate
information critically when locating it
·
solve problems
·
communicate
your learning effectively
·
reference
information sources in a correct manor
Source: iTeach2 (figure
2)
An example of information fluency skills is when learning about the
idea of global warming, students had the ability to access digital information
endlessly. They accessed information in the form of texts, images and videos through
their computers and phones. They found videos on YouTube and the documentaries
on the Discovery Channel. The students find what was significant, accurate and necessary
to support their topic by searching through information.
Solution
Fluency
Solution fluency is about
problem solving, hence solving problems through an intuitive process that is
presented. In order to be able to find a solution to a problem, the ability to
interpret information and extract knowledge is required (Weebly, 2018). The
steps in solution fluency that are an essential system for building
problem-solving processes and strong critical thinking capacity are (Hoda,
2018):
·
Define
·
Discover
·
Dream
·
Design
·
Deliver
·
Debrief
Source: wabisabi learning (figure 3)
An example of solution fluency is when students are presented
with the challenge of learning about global warming. By designing, applying and
evaluating the process and outcome of an appropriate solution, they can
creatively solve a problem. Their success with this challenge will determine
the depth of their learning and their grade.
Media fluency
Media fluency includes two
steps. Listening and interpreting the media is included is step one. How we use
this for our own output such as communication is included in step two. Being able
to analyse the meaning of any communication and direct a message to the
audience that is intended to receive it what is involved in media fluency. This
is known as the input and output and it includes both of the communication and
literacy aspect (Tong, 2015)
Source: Prezi (figure 4)
An example of media fluency includes when
student text, the message goes through a medium to be transferred. Students also
use media fluency by watching movies and paintings, hence the same message can
be communicated through different mediums.
Collaboration fluency
Collaboration
Fluency involves team working
proficiency to create original digital products. They cooperatively work in
online environments with virtual and real partners (Global digital citizen
foundation, 2019).
Source:
Global digital citizen foundation (figure 5)
The steps included in
collaboration fluency is:
·
Establish
·
Envision
·
Engineer
·
Execute
·
Examine
An
example of collaboration fluency includes the pre-grad college students working
collaboratively on a group project on the topic of global warming with a variety
of people that are close and far in order to accomplish the task.
Source: Global
digital citizen foundation (figure 6)
Creativity fluency
Creativity fluency involves how meaning
is added to design, art, and storytelling through artistic proficiency. Creativity
can be taught and learned like any other skill due to the fact that every
person is creative. It is a brain process that involves both hemispheres
working together and the steps included in creativity fluency are (Gurr, 2012):
·
Identify the
outcome and criteria that is desired.
·
Inspire your
creativity with sensory information that is rich.
·
Interpolate and
connect all the dots. You can do this by searching for patterns that connect with
your outcome desired and criteria from Identify that is within your inspiration.
·
Imagine is
the combination of Inspire and Interpolate therefore an idea is formed
·
Inspect the
idea by comparing to the original criteria and for practicality.
Source: all things learning (figure
7)
An example of creativity fluency is the students creative use of design, art and storytelling
have added to the meaning of the story, created interest by the audience, and
resulted in a quality documentary on their group project on the topic of global
warming.
Digital fluency is considered as part of a broader
set of competencies related to ‘21st century’ learning. Being able to
manipulate technologies so we can create and navigate information successfully
is supported by our ability to work collaboratively, solve real-world problems
creatively, pursue our own learning goals, etc.
Issues of responsibility,
equity and access is related to
the outcome of being digitally fluent. Full participation in a
digitally-enabled education system and digitised society is something we all
have a right to. We can keep ourselves safe online and take full advantage of
opportunities such as having the ability to apply for work, managing finances
and be part of local communities if we work with fluency in the way we use
technology (Spencer, 2020).
Reference list:
Sparrow, J. 2018. Digital Fluency: Preparing Students to Create Big,
Bold Problems. EDUCAUSE, 12 March
2018. [Online]. Available at: https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/3/digital-fluency-preparing-students-to-create-big-bold-problems [Accessed 1 June 2021]
Figure 1: Jukes, I.
(2015). Global Digital Citizen Foundation. 21st Century Fluencies. Retrieved
from https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies [accessed
3 June 2021]
Weebly.
(2018). Digital citizenship. [online]. Retrieved from: https://digitalcitizenshippass.weebly.com/-five-fluencies.html
[Accessed 3 June 2021]
Bundy,
A. (ed.) (2004). Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework:
principles, standards and practice. 2nd ed.
Adelaide: Australian and New Zealand Institute for Information Literacy
(ANZIIL) and Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL). Retrieved from: http://www.caul.edu.au/content/upload/files/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf [Accessed 3 June 2021]
Associated
Colleges of the South. (2002). ACS information fluency - definition. Retrieved
from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Associated-Colleges-of-the-Souths-Information-Fluency-Model-This-is-an-ACS-graphic-It_fig1_254373929 [Accessed 3 June 2021]
Virtual
Library. 2021. Information Fluency, 21 April 2021. [Online]. Available at: https://www.virtuallibrary.info/information-fluency.html [Accessed 3 June 2021]
Figure 2: iTeach2. Information fluency,
16 May 2019. Retrieved from: https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu/iteach2/topics/information-fluency
[Accessed 3 June 2021]
Hoda,
M. 2018. Solution Fluency. Digital citizenship,
7 October 2018. [Online]. Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/muhammaddhoda15013505poe/5-fluencies/solution-fluency
[Accessed 3 June 2021]
Figure
3: Wabisabi learning. Solution fluency process, 16 April 2019. Retrieved from: https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/future-fluencies/living-solution-fluency-process
[Accessed 3 June 2021]
Anson
Tong, 2015. Media fluency. Prezi, 26 May
2015. [Online]. Available at: https://prezi.com/lhj0thuxkpr9/media-fluency/
[Accessed 4 June 2021]
Figure
4: Media fluency. Prezi, 26 May 2015. [Online].
Available at: https://prezi.com/lhj0thuxkpr9/media-fluency/
[Accessed 4 June 2021]
Global digital citizen foundation. 2019. Collaboration fluency,
6 July 2021. [Online]. Available at: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies/collaboration-fluency
[Accessed 4 June 2021]
Figure
5 & 6: Global digital citizen foundation.
2019. Collaboration fluency, 6 July 2021. [Online]. Available at: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies/collaboration-fluency
[Accessed 4 June 2021]
Gurr,
T. 2012. Creativity fluency. All things learning, 14 March 2012. [Online].
Available at: https://allthingslearning.wordpress.com/tag/creativity-fluency/
[Accessed 5 June 2021]
Figure
7: Creativity fluency. 2012. All things learning, 14 March 2012. [Online].
Available at: https://allthingslearning.wordpress.com/tag/creativity-fluency/
[Accessed 5 June 2021]
Spencer,
K. 2020. What is digital fluency? Digital learning collaborative, 16 March
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[Accessed 6 June 2021]
