2. WEB LITERACY THROUGH SOCIO-CONSTRUCTIVISM

2.3.1 Web literacy as skills in using the web

The various skills and strategies related to using the web in different definitions of web literacy were illustrated in the first section of Table 1 in the previous chapter (e.g. Sorapure et al. 1998, Warschauer 1999, Thoman 1999, Janks 2000, Ministry of Education 2000, Sutherland-Smith 2002, Karlsson 2002). These kinds of approaches to web literacy as sets of skills of being able to use the web may be the most accessible and understandable definition for web literacy. The concept of web literacy is often referred to by listing sets of skills related to the use of computer hardware, software and the web. Often the definitions also list more cognitive skills, which are needed on-line and take the definition to a more cognitive level. The skills and strategies approach to web literacy relates to the view of web literacy as a social practice, as many of the skills and strategies, such as storing information or navigating on the web, are based on shared conventions of web users. In this chapter we will take a closer look at these skills and strategies that a web literate person should have and introduce how this viewpoint to web literacy is presented in the learning space Netro.

In the light of the idea of Designing discussed in chapter 2.2.1, the skills and strategies refer to what one actually does with the Available Designs. At the most concrete level, this includes the basic ability to use technology, that is, the hardware and software, in order to access the contents on the web. (Sorapure et al. 1998, Warschauer 1999, Ministry of Education 2000). This can refer to a skill of accessing the web by using a computer, for instance, switching on the computer and using the mouse to open a browser. These skills listed above do not, however, make a web literate person. Furthermore, reading on the web is characterised through browsing, navigating and scanning which are often related to the activity of searching information (see eg. Warschauer 1999, Sutherland-Smith 2002). In addition, making personal meanings from the information found requires analysing and evaluation skills, that is, an ability to make judgements about the relevance of the content for each specific purpose (see eg. Ministry of Education 2000, Sutherland-Smith 2002). Also skills and strategies such as choosing and questioning are often mentioned when defining web literacy (see Table 1: eg. Sorapure et al. 1998, Sutherland-Smith 2002, Ministry of Education 2000). For example, one may be a skilled user of web browsers or search engines but lack the skills of selecting appropriate information for one's purposes. In other words, in addition to the technical skills presented in order to manage the web, there is a need for more cognitive skills of meaning making.

Besides reading related skills, web literacy involves skills connected to writing. Writing as a part of web literacy is seen in a broad sense to refer to production of information of any kind. Warschauer (1999), for instance, calls this skill making on-screen presentations, web authoring as well as hyper writing. Thus, producing on the web often involves visualising, dramaturgy and design (Ministry of Education 2000). On the most basic level this can refer to the techniques of typing and the use of word processors. In addition, web literacy is related to such skills as storing information and moving, adding and changing text (see Table 1: Sutherland-Smith 2002:663-665) as well as producing images (see Table 1: Ministry of Education 2000). These skills, in turn, require an ability to use, for example, file transfer software for storing information on a web server, word processors for writing and editing texts, and graphics software as well as html editors.

We will not focus on this perspective of mere skills and strategies on web literacy in more detail because for our purposes it is somewhat problematic. Firstly, the aspect of change in software and hardware results in problems of continuously up-dating one's technical skills. Then again, a mere skill of producing a web page does not tell us enough about what a web page actually is. Thirdly, through this kind of a skill and strategy approach to web literacy it becomes necessary to gain a lot of insight into the learners' skill levels. Thus, an attempt to teach a diverse group of students' web literacy skills tailored to support their individual needs is somewhat implausible.

Our aim in defining web literacy is in raising the learners' awareness on the concept. Therefore, it is not meaningful to once more state the obvious, that is, what has been said about web literacy as a set of skills all citizens should acquire. We argue that it is far more important to introduce aspects of web literacy that are more likely to provide new viewpoints to learners. In addition, teaching skills which can only be applied in the context of reading and writing on the web, such as using the html language to write on the web or using computer software, are not as important as are transferable skills such as knowing how texts are constructed or recognising text types, that can be applied to other media, too.

This can be achieved through changing the viewpoint from skills and strategies to what Wenden (2001:46) calls domain knowledge and metacognitive knowledge. By this we mean content knowledge of the web as a medium and knowledge of oneself as a user of this medium. We do not claim that this perspective is not present at all in earlier research, but rather argue for the importance of including these aspects of web literacy to our definition, which has a clear pedagogical goal. In other words, we need to define web literacy from all the viewpoints, yet what requires more attention and needs to be articulated more clearly is the content and metacognitive knowledge of web literacy.

The learning space Netro can be regarded as a space in which the learners need to use many of the web literacy related skills introduced in this chapter. However, the skills are not being taught as such. We provide the learners with some strategic information for using the web, but most importantly, we direct their attention to the content of the web. In the process of the Netro journey (see ch 4.4), individual web users may develop some technical skills, too. Yet, that is a by-product of the process, even though it is probably very beneficial for that web user. Having briefly introduced the concept of web literacy as a set of skills and strategies we will now move on to the actual focus of this study, on viewing web literacy as content knowledge of the medium and later on as metacognitive knowledge of oneself as a user of that medium.