Digital Literacy

The online course in Digital Literacy offered by HSE University was designed to help the students acquire various competencies that will enable them to safely and effectively use digital technologies and Internet resources in an academic and professional context.

The Digital Literacy course is a step-by-step guide covering various topics that will help you find your way around in the digital environment. We did our best to include the most essential insights and skills that can guarantee your success in the world of information technology. And we packed them all into one course. This course highlights some aspects that may seem simple but far from self-evident, like the parameters to keep in mind when looking for a new computer, the right ways to prevent online data theft, the inner workings of the Internet, and the laws that govern online activities. It also covers the basics of handling data and provides essential skills required for working with information sources, customizing table design, and doing simple analytics. You will find this extremely helpful not only for your time spent at the university but also at your future job.

To take part in the course, you will need a computer with Internet access and some free memory to install the required software, a Google account, and a pre-installed MS Office package.

• Introductory module
• Media literacy
• In this module we discuss media literacy. After this week students will be able to manage privacy, screen time and digital footprints, publish and communicate information via social media, collect reliable information from diverse sources. They will also be aware of being a digital citizen and the value of traditional tools in conjunction with networked media and social networks. And last but not least, students will master information search which is coupled with critical thinking.
• Computer literacy
• This module aims to introduce students to key digital concepts that will help them master more advanced topics. In the first week students will learn what a computer is as a physical device; to choose right format for different data, to work with information on the computer and to organize it; to maintain the software life cycle.
• Computer security
• In this week we try to cover the main threats that can be met online, their consequences and reliable means of protecting. After this module students will be able to identify the different threats and protect their home network.
• Internet literacy
• In this module we cover the basics of the Internet and how it works. We also discuss the history of the Internet and its future, the development of TCP/IP and Internet of Things.
• Technical literacy: Text documents and clouds
• This module is devoted to the first part of our section about technical literacy: managing documents online. After this module students should be able to create, edit and format documents, use collaborative editing for group projects. Students will also learn about the benefits and usage of cloud document storage.
• Technical literacy: Data analysis basics
• In this week we discuss the second part of our section about technical literacy: data analysis basics. Students will be able to perform basic data processing and basic data analysis. They will also learn to aggregate data and create simple visualisations.
• Technical literacy: Presentations
• This is our last part of the section about technical literacy which is dedicated to creating an academic presentation. During this week students will learn to draft presentation structure with accordance to its goal, to avoid mistakes which are common for academic presentations and to use built-in PowerPoint tools to craft creative slides.
• Academic literacy
• In this week we discuss academic literacy. Students will understand how to work with scientific literature, how to find and sort information for scientific purposes and how to work with references.
• Data literacy
• This module is devoted to Data Processing and Machine Learning. During this week students will learn what big data and open data are, understand basic concepts of Machine Learning and how Machine Learning methods are used in everyday life.
• Legal literacy on the Web
• In the last week we discuss legal literacy on the Web. Students will learn requirements for processing personal data on the Web, how to legally use IP objects on the Web, how to protect intellectual property on the Web and understand legal challenges in the era of Artificial Intelligence.