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• In 2010 significant cuts to HE (40%) and FE (25%)
• Digital Literacy is an agenda item that aligns well with the need for economic recovery
• 'digital literacy defines those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital  age'
• 'literacy' means: Foundation for Other Capabilities; Critical to an individuals life chances; essential to the making/sharing of culturally significant meanings; a society wide entitlement to these capabilitities at some level
• UK Government recognised a RIGHT to some level of functioning access to digital media and networks as constitutiveof citizenship
• 3 Developments Stages - COMPETENCE - USE - TRANSFORMATION (Martin and Grudzieki)
• Web 2.0 has created a model of knowledge in constant circulation (produce - circulate - enrich - reproduce)
• The pace of change in knowledge is increasing so increased need for lifelong learning
• Good evidence that learners' experience and confident with technology in learning is critically dependant on teaching staff
• Martha Lane Fox launched 'Networked Nation' menifesto in July 2010 with aim of getting EVERY working person in the UK onlin by 2015
• Part of this aim was through research that indicated that 90% of all new jobs require basic internet skills.  Much more than 90% proportion of graduate jobs require internet skills
• 'Digital Literacy is a great ENABLER of social mobility' and 'is a power weapon against poverty'
• The digital (technology and content) sector employs directly 2.5 million in the UK and has been described as 'the biggest single economic opportunity the UK has at the moment'
• Leitch report highlighted need of 40% of adults being qualified to Level 4 and above (degree level equivalent qualifications) by 2020
• Students have high expectations of staff confidence and capabilitiy in technology
• Learners experiences of tech-supported learning were largely determined by staff e-learning skills
• The UK sells more brainpower per capita that anywhere else in the world (a quater of UK exports are knowledge-related services)
• Digital literacy is central to strategies for exploiting new markets
• ICT can enable students to overcome physical and situational barriers to accessing educational opportunity - therefore digital inclusion can support other social justice agendas
• Web 2.0 technologies opens up a completely new space for and style of learning - colloborative knowledge building and shared assets
• Still need for institutions to help learners bridge the gap between their informal knowledge practices and demands of study (wikis, tagging, reviewing etc.)
• Some learners have had positive learning experiences of face-to-face and therefore are not pursuaded of the case for change to technology-enhanced learning
• 2008 Survey of 3001 8-16 year olds 'National Literacy Trust' found the following results: 82% wrote a text at least once/month; 52% send hand-written notes to other people in a month; 56% said they had a profile on a social networking site; 24% had their own blog; 89% agreed that computers help them with correcting spelling mistakes; 76% felt computers allow them to present ideas clearly and 60% believe that computers allow them to be creative, concentrate more and encourage them to write more
• Among students there is evidence of a shift of attention from print to screen
• Digital Practices have potential to provide aggregation and continuity
• In 2010 most users of Open Content are university staff and university students
• Students are increasingly making use of a variety of e-tools (mobile phones, emails, MSN, digial cameras, game consules and social networking sites) to support their informal learning within formalised educational settings

References:

Review and Scoping for a cross-JISC Learning and Digital Literacies Programme: Sept 2010 (Helen Beetham)