Transferable Skills Case Study
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is the ability to confidently use digital tools to find, evaluate, create and share information. It involves knowing how to choose the right technologies, assess the reliability of online information and communicate effectively in digital environments.
In practice, digital literacy includes using online databases, managing data, creating digital content, collaborating through digital platforms and understanding how technologies such as AI can support learning and problem-solving.
Where can I find this in the skills language?
Collection > Research processes, scoping and management
Cognition > Use methods, techniques and processes > Apply methods, techniques and processes
Communication > Communicating through content > Communication style
Why does this skill matter?
Digital literacy helps you study, work and communicate more effectively in a technology-driven world. At university, it allows you to research information efficiently, use specialist tools, and present ideas using digital platforms.
Beyond university, workplaces increasingly rely on digital tools, data and AI-assisted technologies. Employers value graduates who can use technology confidently, think critically about digital information and adapt as new tools emerge.
Developing digital literacy means not just knowing how to use technology but also understanding when to use it, how to evaluate outputs and how to use it responsibly.
Where will you use this skill at university and beyond?
… as part of your degree
You practise digital literacy when using online databases for research, analysing data with specialist software, collaborating through shared platforms, or presenting work using digital tools.
… as part of the wider student experience
Digital literacy develops through running social media for societies, creating digital content for student projects, organising events using online platforms, or learning new tools during internships or part-time work.
… as a professional in the future
In the workplace, digital literacy helps you work with data, communicate through digital platforms, evaluate online information and use technologies such as AI responsibly to support decision-making and productivity.
Student insight
“I have had the opportunity to use a variety of resources in my research such as online translations, archives on archaeological material as well as information from heritage sites and organisations in my work. The emphasis on learning about the ethics of technology in learning, particularly from AI and archives has helped me consider the ethics of the technology I use in both my research and everyday life. It has also allowed me to become more aware of possible bias and discrimination within digital information.”
~ Student from the School of Humanities
How can you evidence this skill?
You might be able to evidence this skill through:
- Using digital databases to locate and evaluate academic sources
- Working with data using specialist or statistical software
- Managing shared documents and collaborating through digital platforms in group projects
- Creating digital content or running social media channels
- Using AI tools to explore ideas or summarise information while critically evaluating the outputs
How else might employers describe this skill?
You might also hear this skill described as…
- Digital capability
- Information literacy
- Technical proficiency
- Digital communication
- AI literacy
- Being tech-savvy
What are some example interview questions that feature this skill?
- Can you describe a time when you had to learn a new digital tool or software quickly? How did you approach it
- Tell us about a time when you used digital tools to collaborate with others on a project.
- Have you ever used AI or automated tools to support your learning or work? How did you check the outputs were accurate?
- Can you give an example of when you had to decide whether online information was reliable? What did you do?
What does a good response look like?
Question
Can you give an example of when you had to decide whether online information was reliable? What did you do?
Response
Situation: For my first university presentation, I needed strong academic quotes to support my points, but I struggled to find reliable sources.
Task: When I finally came across a quote that seemed perfect, I realised I didn’t recognise the website it came from, and it didn’t look academically accredited.
Action: To check whether the information was reliable, I tried tracing the quote through the document’s bibliography, but it didn’t lead anywhere. I then emailed my lecturer to ask if they recognised the author or the publication, and they confirmed they didn’t. With no way to verify the source, I decided not to use the quote, even though it fit well, because it could have weakened my work or affected my grade.
Result: The experience taught me to always double check online information and prioritise credible, traceable sources in my academic work.