Socio-emotional literacy

The expansion of platforms of digital communications has opened up new dimensions of learning and information sharing in various forms(ScardamaliaBereiter,1996;Mioduser&Nachmias,2002). However, alongside the opportunities also present the users with problems in a proportion unknown prior to the internet era. How do we know whether the individuals in a chat room are really who they are? Should we open an e-mail from an unknown person, even if the e-mail's subject seems interesting? It might contain a virus, but then again it could be genuine. These questions are only a few examples of considerations that the present-day internet users must take into account. Cyberspace is not only a global village, but also a jungle of human communications embracing an infinite quantity of information, true and false, honest and deceptive. Socially-literate users of cyberspace know how to avoid 'traps' as well as derive benefits from the advantages of digital communications. This type of literacy is known as Socio-emotional literacy. Individuals who possess this fundamental skill are able to protect themselves from the dangers on the internet. Socio-emotional literacy skills refer to the sociological and emotional aspect of communication in a digital world (Alkali & Hamburger(2004) or state that "in order to acquire the skill (socio-emotional literacy), users must be very critical, analytical and mature socio-emotional users" according to Amichau-Hamburger (2004) are those who are willing to share data and knowledge with others, capable of information evaluation, abstract thinking and also able to collaboratively construct knowledge. These skills are necessary because individuals working in a digital environment need to be able to discern between what is good and what is bad on the web. (Aphek,2007). The importance of this skill cannot be over-emphasized. It aids in the protection of users while in a digital environment. It enjoins individuals to use caution while using the web to avoid the danger of web scams.

Photo Visual Literacy

According to Yoram Eshet-Alkalai, a scholar from the Tel-Hai College in Israel, one of the components of digital literacy is Photo-visual literacy.Eshet-Alkalai defines photo-visual literacy as the shift from alphabetic literacy to Photo-Visual Literacy, in which icons have become the new letters. This idea is based on the fact that vision helps us to think. In this concept, photos and videos work as letters and numbers. We all know that a picture says a thousand words. Everywhere we go, we see pictures explaining a particular action. For example, in traffic system, almost everything is visual signs instead of words and letters. These signs help us to drive safely on the road. These photo visual signs serve as shortcuts for action and do away with the mediation of the cognitive skill of deciphering and understanding the alphabetic symbol.

The following traffic sign is universal and we all know that it means Do Not Enter. So, this picture is sufficient to convey the message. In fact, if someone is not familiar with this sign will have difficulty navigating the roads because most of the traffic sign is visual.

We also use emoticons like these :( -- ;-) (-: heavily on our email and text messaging. They express emotions that are very powerful yet visual.

Branching Literacy

The modern hypermedia environments, such as the Internet, multimedia environments, and digital databases provide businesses and common users with a high degree of freedom in navigating through knowledge domains. In the past the limited computer environments enhanced linear ways of learning, because users were used to books and expected to work with digital environments in much the same way they read through books. Now digital technology involves the need to utilize non linear and branching information strategies. With communications, there are more and easier ways of communicating within a business. Such as e-mail, networking through facebook and most businesses utilized through this type of networking by hiring and doing back ground checks.

Quality Assurance Literacy

Quality assurance literacy is needed in all literacies. It is the most important element with digital literacy; it involves awareness for quality and excellence. Businesses require nothing but the best quality and excellence that are out there. The need for quality assurance is very important to all businesses and also it s important to develop standards. With standards we can help the digital world with their work and the work of others. For business communications, it is especially important. When it comes to communicating, you want to make sure that whatever is communicated is communicated thoroughly and accurately.

Moderation and Self-regulation Literacy

Moderation and self-regulation literacy is a form of addiction. With the many different technologies we have in the world, it would be easy to become dependent on the new technologies we have today. Such as addiction to the internet, with thousands and thousands of sites with all sorts of information you are bound for an overload. This could result in the information fatigue syndrome (IFS). With these new technologies, you must be knowledgeable and be able to past your knowledge on. For businesses in general, it is very important that you keep up with all types of literacies. Many businesses today are very high tech and technology changes very steadily. Especially for business communications, that’s one technology that changes often. Once you become familiar with one new digital media, the next month they have something totally brand new.

REPRODUCTION LITERACY:THE ART OF CREATIVE RECYCLING OF EXISTING MATERIALS

Digital reproduction literacy is defined as the ability to create a meaningful, authentic, and creative work or interpretation, by integrating existing independent pieces of information. Reproduction literacy is essential in two major fields; in writing, where pre-existing sentences can be reorganized and rearranged to create new meanings and in visual art, where pre-existing audio or visual pieces can be edited and manipulated in order to create new art works. (Eshet-Alkalai. (2004). Digital Literacy: A Conceptual Framework for Survival Skills in the Digital Era. Jl. of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia , 93-106. )

Multimedia world in particular is benefiting from reproduction of visual art while businesses in general can take advantage by using it in product designing and advertising.Use of digital technolgy is now an essential part of the communication process. To be more effective in research and written communication demands not only mastery in the technical aspects of using computer programs or digital devices, but proficiency in using text manipulation tools to generate meaningful and genuine essays is also very important.

Informaton Literacy

Information literacy is the ability to recognize the extent and nature of an information need, then to locate, evaluate and effectively use the needed information. Information literacy is not the same as computer literacy or library literacy. Information literacy, on the other hand is a possible tool of empowerment for all learners reached through a "resource based" learning approach. Information literacy is encouraged to teachers and learners. In the business world its very helpful because they are collecting data information from many ways, they filter all the data by which one is important to the business they collected. They collect information by books, encyclopedias, computer skills, online research and word processing. Information literacy is helpful for business and communication power point presentations. Some companies use and develop specific information skills in the workplace, for lack of information will cost businesses. Costs include an in ability to recognize, use valuable information that the company has, inefficient use of the time, providing wrong or inappropriate information & duplicate work.