Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 19 November 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Digital Literacy in Adults: Discussion

Ms Elizabeth Waters:

May I just build on that? We talk all the time about inserting this into a lifelong learning context, which is absolutely crucial, and developing what we call a growth mindset, that is, that people begin to engage in a way that allows their minds to open up and to change their attitudes and behaviour.

That is what we call a growth mindset and we need to situate that. It is really important. There is a huge focus on digital skills for employment, but that is only one element of digital skills in our lives. It is for citizenship, engagement and participation in a totally different world that is in front of us. It is not just about skills, but about skills being set in a particular context that we have all agreed. I really liked the idea of digi-communities and digi-hubs. There is potential in having a really creative approach to this. We could take it on and get over and break down that divide if we had the commitment and the notion that we need to stop this catastrophe that is facing us. I am always surprised when people are surprised that it is facing us, but it is and we have to ask what are we going to do about it. This is the invitation to the State to come on side, get creative, think outside the box and let us get a new movement going.