Global Digital Literacy
Course Overview
Digital Competence Foundations is the entry-level course in the QWFN Academy Hub Bridge Program. It is designed to take women from basic awareness of digital tools to confident, safe, and purposeful navigation of online environments. The course covers the full spectrum of digital competence — not as a technical checklist, but as a lived capability that directly supports participation in remote work, AI-focused learning pathways.
The structure is intentionally short and modular. Each unit builds on the last without requiring prior specialist knowledge. The assumption is that participants already have basic internet access and some familiarity with smartphones or computers, but may not have had formal training in how to use digital spaces safely, productively, or professionally.
Why This Course Matters
Most digital literacy programmes focus narrowly on tool proficiency — how to use a browser, how to send an email. This course goes further by addressing the five recognised areas of digital competence: data literacy, online communication, content creation, digital safety, and problem-solving. These five areas are drawn from widely adopted digital competence frameworks and represent the minimum foundation for anyone entering remote or digital workspaces.
Expected Learning Outcome
By the end of Digital Competence Foundations, a participant should be able to navigate the internet safely, communicate with clarity and professionalism across digital platforms, create basic digital content that serves a clear purpose, protect her personal data, and approach technical problems with a troubleshooting mindset rather than avoidance. She is, in short, ready to participate meaningfully in remote teams and to access the Academy’s more advanced resources with confidence rather than anxiety.
Alignment with the Bridge Program
Digital Competence Foundations sits at the entry point of the QWFN Academy Hub’s Bridge Program. It serves as the first structured learning experience participants encounter after onboarding, and it is designed to accomplish two things simultaneously: build genuine capability and build confidence capital.
If digital competence is not secured early, the emotional cost compounds. Conversely, a participant who moves through digital spaces safely and confidently is better positioned to engage with the Academy’s AI training pathways, contribute to collaborative projects, and ultimately transition into Mpowa internship roles with the self-assurance those roles demand.
This course is not peripheral. It is the foundation on which everything else in the programme rests.
Target audiences
- Earn to Upgrade Pilot
Requirements
- 2-5hrs
- Completion- 60points
Curriculum
- 2 Sections
- 10 Lessons
- 1 Week
Expand all sectionsCollapse all sections
- Key Concepts in Exploring Digital Literacy5
- 1.1After completing this module, you will be able to: Define digital literacy. Describe the importance of global digital literacy. Recognize the DigComp Digital literacy framework. List the components within digital literacy. Identify examples of digital literacy. Match digital skills to real-world examples.
- 1.2What is Digital Literacy? Traditional literacy means being able to read and write. Digital Literacy is defined as ‘the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information’. This includes everything from using social media on your smartphone to using the internet for your daily work. Global Digital Literacy is the use of these digital literacy skills to create positive change in society. Global Digital Literacy 101 will introduce you to these skills and knowledge.
- 1.3Communication Explained Communication is a powerful tool. It can build communities, foster ideas, and settle conflicts. It can be defined as the transmission of information from one person to another. This may be one person connecting to one other, or even one person talking to the world. Communication can also be reciprocated as a single response back or a dialogue back and forth.
- 1.4Digital Safety Digital tools are very powerful and can create significant positive change in the world. Unfortunately, these same tools can also be used for harm. Safety awareness and actions are essential when using the Internet. Examples of safety considerations include: Protecting data and privacy Protecting devices Awareness of misinformation Being aware of and implementing digital safe practices can significantly reduce these risks.
- 1.5Lesson Summary The main points covered in the module are: Digital Literacy is the ability to access, interpret, evaluate, communicate, and create content safely and effectively on the Internet. Digital Literacy applies to content on digital sources, such as the Internet. In the digital world, we need to be aware of and know how to navigate challenges, such as digital deception, information overload, and navigating facts & misinformation. Digital deception can be a threat for those using the web as people can hide their real identities and purposes behind fake photographs, descriptions, and text. The Internet is an extensive library with approximately 1,200 petabytes (1.2 million terabytes) of information. While there is a lot of information available on the Internet, not all is accurate information. Anyone can publish information through text, images, video, and audio on the Internet. Digital literacy involves three skills: 1) technical skills, to operate the technologies, 2) cognitive skills, using the brain to evaluate, critique, and apply knowledge, and 3) social skills, knowing how to interact with others. The European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) has five competencies, information and digital literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, & problem-solving. Synchronous communication is when collaboration happens in real-time. Asynchronous communication occurs when collaboration does not happen in real-time, and there is a lag between the discussions. Digital safety considerations include protecting data and privacy, protecting devices, and awareness of misinformation.
- Using Digital Literacy for Positive Change5
- 2.1Learning Outcomes After completing this module, you will be able to: Identify strategies for digital safety. Evaluate digital safety practices. List the six steps to digital content creation. Recognize examples of digital literacy in developed and developing contexts. Recognize tools for creating content on the web. Select the digital tools to match the digital skills. Material Notes: For security reasons, Alison does not host hyperlinks. Where web links are provided, please copy and paste the URL into your browser to access the webpage.
- 2.2Digital Content Creation Digital content creation is developing a digital product through online tools. This can be done using various media, such as audio, video, images, and text. It can involve creating a website, or something as simple as writing a blog post.
- 2.3Global Change This course is titled ‘Global Digital Literacy’ as the intent of this course is to prepare you to become proficient in using the internet and then to use those skills and knowledge to make positive changes around the globe. Global Change can involve a wide variety of issues, including those that focus on: Environmental health, in ensuring that we move toward a healthy world including climate, land productivity, atmosphere, water sources, and ecological systems. Inclusion, to ensure that no one is left behind or on the side for reasons of gender, culture, disability, or finance.
- 2.4Problem Solving The final digital literacy skill in this course is problem-solving. In the digital space, this covers two areas: Solving technical problems Creatively using digital tools to solve problems
- 2.5The main points covered in the module are: Digital content creation is developing a digital product through online tools. This digital product can be created using various media, such as audio, video, images, and text. Many ‘digital creators’ are self-taught using their data literacy skills to find how-to information from the internet. To be an effective digital content creator you will 1) determine your purpose, 2) consider your audience, 3) select the medium, 4) develop the content, 5) promote content, and 6) monitor and evaluate your content. Sharing your digital creations can have rapid and extensive reach to the wide world. Digital content creation can be used to make a positive difference in the world. There are a variety of tools for content creation, including Canva, eMaze, and ARIS. Problem-solving in the digital space is twofold: Solving technical problems and creatively using digital tools to solve problems. Solving technical problems involves being able to troubleshoot technical issues you may run into while using digital tools. Creatively using digital tools to solve problems is the way you can use digital literacy skills to make positive changes in the world, such as collaborating with others to join forces to tackle a problem or creating content that can provide information on or spotlight a problem. Digital literacy skills can be used to make global changes that include advocacy and activism to address issues such as climate change and inclusion.
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Featured Review
The course is well-positioned, well-scoped, and grounded in something real. It's not flashy, and that's the point — it's the kind of unglamorous foundational work that actually determines whether everything downstream holds up.
Featured Courses
Featured Review
The course is well-positioned, well-scoped, and grounded in something real. It's not flashy, and that's the point — it's the kind of unglamorous foundational work that actually determines whether everything downstream holds up.