From Competent to Confident, One Skill at a Time
Digital Fluency
Digital fluency is more than just knowing how to use technology. At Humber, it means building confidence and skills to think critically, collaborate effectively, and make ethical decisions in digital environments. Whether you are teaching, learning, or working in a support role, digital fluency helps you navigate and succeed in a technology-enabled world. It is not about becoming an expert in every tool. It is about knowing how to choose and use the right tools, adapting to change, and understanding how technology influences people, work, and society. This is where the Digital Fluency Framework (DFF) comes in.
The Digital Fluency Framework (DFF)
The DFF is Humber’s guide to developing digital skills across the institution. It reflects the needs of our entire community and offers a clear path to growth from foundational competence to confident leadership in digital spaces.
The framework is meant to be flexible. Everyone’s learning path will be different, and that is part of the process.
framework
The framework can support:
- Setting individual or team development goals
- Planning professional learning
- Designing initiatives that meet specific teaching or institutional needs
Three Levels of Growth
No matter where you begin, you can build your digital fluency over time. The DFF describes three stages of ability:
Competent
You are able to understand and use basic digital tools and practices in your work and/or learning. You follow best practices and make informed choices.
Proficient
You are able to understand digital tools with greater ease, communicate effectively across platforms, and begin to support others in digital environments.
Leader
You make thoughtful, strategic decisions, guide colleagues, and advocate for ethical, inclusive, and innovative uses of technology.
What Digital Fluency Looks Like
The framework is organized around four behaviours that support digital success at Humber:
Indicator 1. Using Digital Tools Ethically and Appropriately
This involves recognizing bias, respecting privacy, promoting accessibility, and modelling responsible use of technology for others.
Indicator 2. Adapting to Change and New Technologies
Digital fluency includes adjusting to different work modes, choosing the right technology for the task, and knowing when simpler tools are more effective.
Indicator 3. Engaging Thoughtfully with Information
This behaviour focuses on finding reliable information, analyzing its source and context, and using or creating content that supports learning and engagement.
Indicator 4. Solving Problems in Real Time
Being digitally fluent also means knowing how to troubleshoot, stay resourceful when issues arise, and help others improve their confidence with digital tools.
Take Your Next Step
Enhance your digital fluency today. Begin by focusing on Competent-level skills. Many of these are already part of your daily work. Then, challenge yourself to elevate your digital skills by exploring new strategies and tools at the Proficient and Leader levels. You do not need to learn everything at once. By taking small, intentional steps, you will improve your own digital abilities and help contribute to a more innovative, inclusive, and adaptable Humber. To begin, check out the Competent-level learning available on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS) LEARN or speak to your manager about creating a development plan on digital fluency.