New literacies: a definition
In defining ‘new literacies’ it is helpful to start with what is meant by ‘old’ or ‘conventional’ literacies: that is, the ability to read and write printed text on a page. This definition however is quite narrow, so it helps our understanding if we broaden the definition to include the understanding of how to interpret the underlying meanings of text, ‘reading between the lines’ if you like. With this broader definition of ‘literacy’, we can tackle what is meant by the term in the digital age.
In this ‘digital age’ McDougall (2007) asserts that “ ‘Reading’ and ‘writing’ are no longer just about understanding the written word but also about negotiating a wide range of complex electronic and visual texts with which we interact in our daily lives. ” Such ‘texts’ (in their ‘new’ definition) are often visually-driven and may include Youtube videos, advertisements (both print and moving image) and visual art.
Therefore, I believe ‘new literacies’ can be defined as: posessing the skills and ability to understanding and interpret multimedia-based ‘texts’ containing a highly visual component.
References
McDougall, J. (2007). Engaging the visual generation : some Queensland teachers come to terms with changing literacies. Screen Education(46), 130-137
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