YCWW: Experts or Amateurs? Gauging Young Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills

Experts or Amateurs? Gauging Young
Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills
March 2014
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Experts or Amateurs? Gauging
Young Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills
© 2014 MediaSmarts

March 2014
© 2014 MediaSmarts
MediaSmarts Model for Digital Literacy

March 2014
© 2014 MediaSmarts
In 2013, MediaSmarts conducted a national
survey of 5,436 Canadian students, grades 4
through 11, in every province and territory, to
explore the role of networked technologies in
their lives.
Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills is the fourth in a
series of reports which draw on the rich data that
was collected.
“Digital Natives” or not? What are the digital
literacy skills of young Canadians?

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Experts or Amateurs? Gauging Young Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills © 2014 MediaSmarts
Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Connecting to the Internet outside of school: Gender

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Connecting to the Internet outside of school: Grade

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
What are students doing online?
Do you do the following things online?
At least
once a
day
At least
once a
week
At least
once a
month
At least
once a
year
Less
than
once a
year
Never
Post comments or pictures on your own social
network site (for example, your Facebook
profile) 17% 24% 20% 7% 4% 28%
Read or post on other people’s social network
sites (for example, Facebook) 30% 22% 12% 4% 3% 28%
Post your own tweets on Twitter 12% 9% 7% 3% 4% 66%
Follow friends or family on Twitter 12% 9% 7% 4% 3% 65%
Follow celebrities on Twitter 12% 8% 8% 4% 3% 64%
Download or stream music, TV shows or movies
(Grade 7-11 only) 24% 27% 21% 8% 5% 15%
Post a story or artwork you created yourself 3% 6% 9% 9% 11% 62%

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
What are students doing online?
Do you do the following things online?
At least
once a
day
At least
once a
week
At least
once a
month
At least
once a
year
Less
than
once a
year
Never
Post a video or audio file of you doing something
(for example, singing, dancing, how-to video) 2% 3% 8% 9% 11% 67%
Post a video you made using music or clips you
found online (for example, fan tribute, mash-up
video) 2% 2% 5% 6% 8% 78%
Post your contact information (for example, your
home address, email) 2% 3% 6% 7% 12% 71%
Post comments on news sites (Grade 7-11 only) 3% 4% 6% 6% 9% 71%
Send people links to news stories or information
about current events(Grade 7-11 only) 4% 10% 14% 11% 12% 50%
Join or support an activist group (for example,
Greenpeace, Students Against Bullying, Free the
Children) 3% 4% 7% 10% 11% 65%

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Strategies for searching for information online
When you are looking for information online, do you
Percentage
Yes
Ask your teacher for sites you should use 54%
Use more than one search engine to research the same topic 61%
Use advanced search engine tools (for example, limiting a search to a
particular time, particular site, filtering out adult content) (Gr. 7-11
only) 35%
Search inside a site that you think is reliable 75%
Scan the whole page of search results before clicking on anything 50%
Start over with different search terms or a different source or search
engine if you’re not happy with the results of your search 61%

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Strategies for searching for information online: Gender
50%
56%
39%
74%
48%
58%56%
65%
32%
76%
52%
65%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Ask teacher Use >1 search
engine
Use advanced
search tools (Gr.
7-11)
Search inside
reliable site
Scan whole page of
search results
Start over if not
happy with results
Boy Girl

Use as a Component
of Digital Literacy
Top 10 favourite websites: All students
What are your five favourite websites?
Site Content Percent
Youtube.com Video sharing 75%
Facebook.com Social networking 57%
Google.com Search engine 31%
Twitter.com Microblogging / Social networking 24%
Tumblr.com Blogging / Social networking 12%
Instagram.com Media sharing / Social networking 10%
Minecraft.com Gaming 8%
Miniclip.com Gaming 7%
Hotmail.com Email 6%
Wikipedia.org Reference 5%

Understanding Contexts,
Evaluating Content
Evaluating Content

Evaluating Content
Do you try to make sure that what you find online is correct when Percentage Yes
You are looking for information for school work 89%
You are looking for information for your own personal interest 66%
You are looking for information for a friend or family member 71%
You learn something through social media (for example, Facebook,
Twitter) 56%
You read an online news story, blog, etc. 60%

Evaluating Content
Verifying if online information is correct: Gender

Evaluating Content
Verifying if online information is correct: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Informa on for School
Informa on for
Personal Interest
Informa on for
Friend/Family
Social Media
Informa on
Online News, Blog,
etc.

Evaluating Content
When you are deciding if online information is correct, do you do these? Percentage Yes
I ask my teacher for advice on whether a site is a good site 54%
I make sure that facts on the site are from experts on the topic 59%
I look at whether the site only shows one side of an issue 44%
I look at who pays for the site (for example, do a WHOIS search) (Gr. 7-11 only) 18%
I look to see if there is contact information on the site 27%
I look to see when the site was published or last updated 50%
I look at whether any opinions on the site are backed up with facts that I can
check out Grade 51%
I do research to see if the source is considered reliable by other (example,
googling the author) Grade 44%
I look at other sources to see if they say the same thing ♂♀, Grade 69%
Strategies for verifying if online information is correct

Evaluating Content
Strategies for verifying if online information is correct: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Ask teacher
Ensure facts are from
topic experts
Does site show only one
side of issue?
Who pays for site? (Gr.
7-11)
Is contact informa on on
site?
When was site last
publsihed or updated?
Are opinions backed by
verifiable facts
Research reliability of
source
Do other sources say same
thing?

Evaluating Content
Strategies for verifying if online information is correct: Gender

Evaluating Content
Cell phone activities
Do you use the cell phone to do any of these? Percentage Yes
Chat with friends during class without your teacher knowing it 33%
Cheat on a test at school 6%

Evaluating Content
Cell phone activities: Grade

Evaluating Content
46%of students agree with the
statement, “Downloading music, TV
shows or movies illegally is not a big
deal”.
Older students are significantly more
likely than younger students to
agree with this statement:
26% in Grade 6 vs 72% in Grade 11

Evaluating Content
Opinions on illegal downloading: Grade

Evaluating Content
Where students have learned what is legal and illegal to do online: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
How to know what is
legal and illegal to do
online From my
parent(s)
How to know what is
online From teachers
How to know what is
online From friends
How to know what is
online From reading
about it online
How to know what is
online I have never
learned about this

Creating Content and
Contributing to Digital Society
Creating Content and Contributing
to Digital Society

What students do online – Social media
Do you do the following things
online?
At least
once a
day
At least
once a
week
At least
once a
month
At least
once a
year
Less
than
once a
year
Never
Post comments or pictures on your
own social network site (for
example, your Facebook profile)
17% 24% 20% 7% 4% 28%
Read or post on other people’s
social network sites (for example,
Facebook)
30% 22% 12% 4% 3% 28%
Post your own tweets on Twitter 12% 9% 7% 3% 4% 66%

What students do online – Social media: Gender

What students do online – Social media: Grade

What students do online – News and activism
Do you do the following things
online?
At least
once a day
At least
once a
week
At least
once a
month
At
least
once a
year
Less
than
once a
year
Never
Send people links to news stories or
information about current events
(grade 7-11 only) Grade
4% 10% 14% 11% 12% 50%
Post comments on news sites (grade
7-11 only)
3% 4% 6% 6% 9% 71%
Join or support an activist group (for
example, Greenpeace, Students
Against Bullying, Free the Children)
3% 4% 7% 10% 11% 65%

Learning about online activities
I have learned about the following activities
From my
parent(s)
From
teachers
From
friends
From
reading
about it
online
I have
never
learned
about
this
How to search for information online 47% 45% 28% 21% 8%
How to tell if online information is true 37% 45% 15% 17% 20%
How to use privacy settings 41% 15% 27% 24% 18%
How companies collect and use personal
information online 35% 24% 10% 20% 34%
How to know what is legal and illegal to do
online 58% 42% 15% 20% 17%

Would you like to learn more about these in school?
Would you like to learn more about these in school? Percentage Yes
How to search for information online 35%
How to tell if online information is true 51%
How to use privacy settings 31%
How companies collect and use personal information 36%
How to know what is legal and illegal to do online 45%

Would you like to learn more
about these in school?: Gender

Would you like to learn about these in school?: Grade

Technology in the Classrooms
and School Filters
Technology in the Classroom
and School Filters

and School Filters
Technology at school
Does your school or classroom have Percentage
Website where you can get information about homework, assignments and
tests 72%
Online help with homework after school 35%
Digital whiteboards (for example, Smart Boards) 68%
Computer lab 74%
Computers in the classrooms 66%
Media lab 21%
My school does not have any of these things 0%
I don’t know if my school has any of these things 3%

and School Filters
Devices allowed for use in the classroom
Are you allowed to use these in your classroom? Percentage
MP3 player (for example, iPod) 36%
Cell phone / smart phone 25%
Computer, laptop or netbook with Internet access 53%
Tablet with Internet access (for example, iPad, Blackberry Playbook) 31%
E-readers (for example, Kindle, Kobo) 27%
I am not allowed to use any of these in class 29%

and School Filters
Devices allowed for use in the classroom: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
MP3 player (for example,
iPod)
Cell phone / smart phone
Computer, laptop or
netbook with Internet
access
Tablet with Internet access
(for example, iPad,
Blackberry Playbook)
E-readers (for example,
Kindle, Kobo)
I am not allowed to use any
of these in class

and School Filters
Use of personal devices in the classroom: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Do research for a school
assignment or project
Use educa onal games or
programs
Read class material (books,
textbooks, etc.)
Watch videos, listen to
podcasts, or read websites for
class work
Communicate with other
students in your class about
class work
Communicate with people
outside the classroom for class
work
Contribute to a class blog or
Wiki
Help you concentrate on school
work (for example, listening to
an iPod to drown out noise)
As a reward when you finish
your school work early
I don’t do any of these things

and School Filters
29% of students say their
teachers have used social media to
help them learn (for example,
Facebook, Twitter).
41%of Grade 9 students
report this.

and School Filters
Teachers using social media in the classroom: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Yes

and School Filters
Uses of devices in the classroom
What do you do with permitted devices during class? Percentage
Do research for a school assignment or project 83%
Use educational games or programs 42%
Read class material (books, textbooks, etc.) 51%
Watch videos, listen to podcasts, or read websites for class work 40%
Communicate with other students in your class about class work 24%
Communicate with people outside the classroom for class work 16%
Contribute to a class blog or Wiki 19%
Help you concentrate on school work (for example, listening to an iPod to
drown out noise) 38%
As a reward when you finish your school work early 31%
I don’t do any of these things 5%

and School Filters
Blocking sites at school
Percentage Yes
Have you ever had trouble finding something
you needed for school work on a school
computer because it was blocked? 36%
Can you access sites at your school even if your
school has blocked them? 25%

and School Filters
Blocked sites at school: Gender
37%
31%
35%
20%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Have you ever had trouble finding something you needed for
school work on a school computer because it was blocked? Yes.
Can you access sites at your school even if your school has
blocked them? Yes.
Boy Girl

and School Filters
Blocked sites at school: Grade
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Grade
Have you ever had
trouble finding something
you needed for school
work on a school
computer because it was
blocked? Yes.
Can you access sites at
your school even if your
school has blocked them?
Yes.

Young Canadians in a Wired World, Phase III: Experts or
Amateurs? Gauging Young Canadians’ Digital Literacy
Skills was made possible by financial contributions from
Canadian Internet Registration Authority, Office of the
Privacy Commissioner of Canada and The Alberta
Teachers’ Association.

YCWW: Experts or Amateurs? Gauging Young Canadians’ Digital Literacy Skills

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