Digital literacy

Digital literacy

Being able to use computers, from a smartphone to a desktop, is essential to study and later to be employable. As a student, you will use it constantly: to write/compile assignments, to do research and to communicate. If you have never done it, don’t worry, everyone has to learn at some point and it’s actually really easy. The companies behind the programs want you to use it, so they make it really easy. And once you know how to access them, YouTube and Google will become your best friends. A search for “how to use a computer”, for example, will bring up dozens of short videos and clear explanations which make learning easy and fun.

A few pointers:

  • Spend time with the computer. The only way to learn is by doing – and making mistakes!
  • Be patient with yourself. All beginnings are hard.
  • Don’t be scared. You always have an UNDO button, or a simple DELETE or BACKSPACE.
  • Ask someone for help if you get stuck.
  • The main programs you will use are WORD, EXCEL and POWERPOINT. Start with WORD. Ask someone to show you how to open a new document and use that to get to know the keyboard.
  • Next, find and open the web browser, probably Edge, Google Chrome or Firefox. Search for “how to use WORD”, or as we said above, “how to use a computer”. That way you will kill two birds with one stone: you will get to know the search function while learning to use computer programs.
  • Just keep working at it. The computer will in time become the most helpful tool you’ve ever had.

Finding stuff

The internet is a treasure house of information, and it’s really easy to find. Until very recently, you would simply open Google in your browser and type your query in the search box. Google would then present you with a list of books and articles which you can open in turn to find the information you need. Lately, you have another option: to use artificial intelligence or AI.

What is AI?

Artificial intelligence simply consists of the computer pulling together enormous amounts of information, more than you and I can even imagine, to find an answer to whatever query or “prompt” it is presented with. This is how an AI bot can beat a chess master. Interactive maps employ AI to find the best route depending on traffic and weather patterns. Computer vision, another form of AI, can be used in self-driving cars and facial recognition.

Some of the most significant recent developments in AI are in the field of NLP, natural language processing. Having been trained on every possible form of human communication from songs and poems to academic treatises, novels and news articles, AI has learnt to understand the language humans speak and to respond as if it were another human being. This opens enormous possibilities, many of which we cannot yet imagine. Some, however, are already very useful for you as a student.

Every week brings a new AI platform, like ChatGPT, CoPilot and Gemini. Find one you like. They will all ask you for a “message” or “prompt”. This is simply another word for a question or a query. You type in your question, and it responds in ordinary language, having found all the relevant information and putting it into a coherent whole. One could say that Google will put a stack of books and articles on your desk for you to read, while AI has done the reading for you and written a summary.

One very important red flag

Because it has learnt from the very best writers, the answers you will get from AI sound impressive and believable. Do not treat it as an expert. Rather see it as a very good, very new research assistant who has put everything it could possibly find into one answer. For example, if you ask Gemini to write a biography of your best friend, it may tell you the person is dead – because there may be someone else with the same name who has indeed died. AI has no way of knowing the difference.

Fact checking AI responses

Before you use the AI response to your research question in an assignment, go back to Google and enter some of the key phrases into the search box. See if you can find supporting evidence. Check the work of your “research assistant” by going back to source documents. You can also ask the AI itself for the source of the information and then go and check it: Is it credible? Who wrote it? When?

Writing prompts for AI

The better your questions or “prompts”, the better the answers you will get.

  • Be clear and specific. Instead of asking, “Write me a poem”, you could say, “Write me a poem about love that is both sad and hopeful.” If you have a style in mind, add that: “… in the style of Maya Angelou.”
  • Add context.
    • If you’re looking for information on labour law in this country, add “South Africa”.
    • If you’re asking how we can make buildings more sustainable, add “for the South African climate”.
    • If you want to know how accounting standards should be applied, add “in an international company” or “in an NGO”.
  • Ask open-ended questions. “Is coffee good for you?” will only get you a yes or no answer. Rather say, “Explain the benefits and drawbacks of drinking coffee.”
  • Check for grammar and spelling mistakes. AI cannot interpret what you really meant. It gets confused by spelling and grammar mistakes.
  • AI quickly learns what you personally want and will always give you more of that, in the same way that a music app learns your taste and suggests similar clips. Make a point of asking for information that may contradict your own views. Say, for example, your assignment is on labour law in South Africa. You believe that companies always discriminate against women. If you ask, “Give examples of discrimination against women,” you will get a long list supporting your preconceived idea. If, however, you ask a more neutral question like, “Give examples of rules governing the employment of women,” the answer will cover a wider range.

Evaluating information

A very important part of digital literacy is the ability to evaluate information – from every source, not only AI. Don’t believe everything you read. Don’t fall for every conspiracy theory. Use the internet and social media intelligently. Even apparently trustworthy articles can contain wrong or misleading information. How does one know?

Police officers and journalists are taught the ABC: Assume nothing. Believe no one. Check everything. Do not assume an article signed by Prof. XYZ is proof of what you’re researching – check his information against at least one other article. Do not assume the person who wrote an article actually spoke to the person she’s quoting – people make things up. Do not believe the caption below a sensational picture is true and correct. Do not believe a sensational WhatsApp message just because it comes from your best mate. Check.