21st Century Fluencies
The 21st Century Fluencies is a structured framework to model the critical skills that today's students need to succeed, both today and in the future and become digital citizen's. The Global Digital Citizen Foundation* divides digital fluency into five categories: Information, Solution, Creativity, Collaboration and Media. A syntheses of the elements involved in each fluency is detailed below. |
Information Fluency
Information Fluency is the ability to unconsciously and intuitively interpret information in all forms and formats in order to extract the essential knowledge, authenticate it, and perceive its meaning and significance.
Ask
Students need to be able to ask good questions, because without good questions, you won't get good answers.
Skills:
Acquire
Knowing the “How and Where” you can access this information. Having a balanced perspective doing your Research and finding varied references.
Skills:
Analyze
The Analyze stage is where you filter the information you gathered in Acquire, you ask yourself whether the information authentic and if there is a bias. You look to engage in deeper levels of meaning and understanding of the material.
Skills:
Apply
Here you take the filtered information and apply it to real world problems (or a simulation of one). This is where smaller pieces are joined together to find meaning.
Skills:
Assess
You must be able to look at both the product and the process. This is a parallel stage to Debrief in Solution Fluency.
Skills:
Information Fluency is the ability to unconsciously and intuitively interpret information in all forms and formats in order to extract the essential knowledge, authenticate it, and perceive its meaning and significance.
Ask
Students need to be able to ask good questions, because without good questions, you won't get good answers.
Skills:
- Understanding the problem to be solved.
- Identifying key words and then forming questions around them.
- Brainstorming and thinking laterally.
- Listening deeply, viewing wisely and speaking critically.
Acquire
Knowing the “How and Where” you can access this information. Having a balanced perspective doing your Research and finding varied references.
Skills:
- Search for information from various sources and media.
- Search for essential information that contributes to the overall solution.
- Search for information using both digital and non-digital media.
- Use information from multiple sources.
- Develop and utilize proper search research techniques and strategies.
- Triangulate information by cross-verification of two or more sources.
Analyze
The Analyze stage is where you filter the information you gathered in Acquire, you ask yourself whether the information authentic and if there is a bias. You look to engage in deeper levels of meaning and understanding of the material.
Skills:
- Incorporate and use information from multiple sources.
- Differentiate between fact and fiction.
- Critically analyze information to documents its reliability, accuracy and relevance.
- Build mechanisms to show your understanding.
- Analyze the information and create a meaningful explanations.
Apply
Here you take the filtered information and apply it to real world problems (or a simulation of one). This is where smaller pieces are joined together to find meaning.
Skills:
- Create a graph.
- Develop a report or write an essay.
- Complete an argument or participate in a debate.
- Make a presentation.
- Complete an experiment.
- Create a video or build a blog.
- Apply a solution.
Assess
You must be able to look at both the product and the process. This is a parallel stage to Debrief in Solution Fluency.
Skills:
- Reflect critically on the process.
- Act upon the assessments that you made.
- Critically analyze information to documents its reliability, accuracy and relevance.
Solution Fluency
Solution Fluency is the ability to think creatively to solve problems in real time by clearly defining the problem, designing an appropriate solution, delivering the solution and then evaluating the process and the outcome. This is about whole-brain thinking creativity and problem solving applied on-demand.
Define
Distinguish a clear problem-solving approach and avoid the classic “ready, fire, aim” problem solving.
Skills:
Discover
Here you analyze what decisions brought you to this point and what could have been done to create different outcomes/results. You might also want to look at when others have looked at this problem.
Skills:
Dream
This is the visioning process in which we not only imagine what is possible but also remain open to what is impossible.
Skills:
Design
Design becomes the process of gap analysis, breaking out all the necessary steps to get us from here to there. It is a Plan to guide us as we work is created during this stage.
Skills:
Deliver
Students need to produce: create a real world product or solution, and publish: the solution or product must be presented or delivered.
Skills:
Debrief
Debriefing allows students to develop ownership of the solution and a sense of accountability. This also allows students to look at the final product/process and determine what was done well and what could be improved upon.
Skills:
Solution Fluency is the ability to think creatively to solve problems in real time by clearly defining the problem, designing an appropriate solution, delivering the solution and then evaluating the process and the outcome. This is about whole-brain thinking creativity and problem solving applied on-demand.
Define
Distinguish a clear problem-solving approach and avoid the classic “ready, fire, aim” problem solving.
Skills:
- Be able to restate, reverse or rephrase the problem.
- Challenge assumptions.
- Chunk details into smaller, more manageable pieces.
- Challenge the problem from multiple perspectives.
Discover
Here you analyze what decisions brought you to this point and what could have been done to create different outcomes/results. You might also want to look at when others have looked at this problem.
Skills:
- Finding where the information is located.
- Skimming, scouring and scanning the information for background.
- Taking smart notes; authenticating, analyzing and arranging the materials.
- Know when you need to revisit Design.
Dream
This is the visioning process in which we not only imagine what is possible but also remain open to what is impossible.
Skills:
- Generate a wish list.
- Imagine best case scenarios.
- Visualize time machines that visit a perfect future where your solution has worked.
Design
Design becomes the process of gap analysis, breaking out all the necessary steps to get us from here to there. It is a Plan to guide us as we work is created during this stage.
Skills:
- Have a clear idea how to do the task.
- Starting with the end in mind and building steps backwards.
- Writing instructions in small increments that are easy to follow, positive and logical.
Deliver
Students need to produce: create a real world product or solution, and publish: the solution or product must be presented or delivered.
Skills:
- Identify the most appropriate format for presenting the information or solution.
- For example: Write a song then record it, Develop a script then perform the play, create a new product then deliver it to market.
Debrief
Debriefing allows students to develop ownership of the solution and a sense of accountability. This also allows students to look at the final product/process and determine what was done well and what could be improved upon.
Skills:
- Revisit each stage of the process and reflect upon the chosen pathways from Define to Deliver.
- Ask questions about the process used and the information obtained.
- Reflect critically on the process and product.
- Internalizing those new information and applying them to new and different circumstances.
Creative Fluency
Creativity Fluency is the process by which artistic proficiency adds meaning through design, art and storytelling. It is about using innovative design to add value to the function of a product through the form.
Identify
The Identify stage is where you ask yourself “What is my task and what do I need to create?” This is the synthesis of Define and Discovery from the Solution Fluency –it brings meaning and relevance to the problem, making it real.
Skills:
Inspire
Inspiration involves feeding your creative appetite. Inspiration can come from anywhere: from scanning remote memories, visualizing, flipping through magazines, going to a museum, looking at a colour photo book or websites, walking down a street, or listening to music.
Skills:
Interpolate
To interpolate means to find a pattern or meaning with known information. The brain often connects the dots by searching for patterns, alternate meaning and higher level abstractions.
Skills:
Imagine
Imagine is where the synthesis of Inspire and Interpolate unites in the birth of a new idea (the “AHA” moment.)
Skills:
Inspect
With our new idea imagined we have to now stand back and inspect. Does our idea meet the criteria we originally set out? Does it match our definition and is it feasible? Will it work? Can it be accomplished within the existing time and budget?
Skills:
Creativity Fluency is the process by which artistic proficiency adds meaning through design, art and storytelling. It is about using innovative design to add value to the function of a product through the form.
Identify
The Identify stage is where you ask yourself “What is my task and what do I need to create?” This is the synthesis of Define and Discovery from the Solution Fluency –it brings meaning and relevance to the problem, making it real.
Skills:
- Understand the problem to be solved.
- Identify keywords and form questions around them.
- Processes such as: brainstorming, thinking laterally, understanding ethical issues, listening deeply, viewing wisely, speaking critically, filtering information white noise, sharing personal knowledge and experiences are used here.
Inspire
Inspiration involves feeding your creative appetite. Inspiration can come from anywhere: from scanning remote memories, visualizing, flipping through magazines, going to a museum, looking at a colour photo book or websites, walking down a street, or listening to music.
Skills:
- Move beyond what is known.
- Using familiar and unfamiliar sources to motivate and inspire.
- Seeing new possibilities.
- Playing with ideas, experimenting and imagining.
Interpolate
To interpolate means to find a pattern or meaning with known information. The brain often connects the dots by searching for patterns, alternate meaning and higher level abstractions.
Skills:
- Pattern recognition.
- Being able to identify connections or relationships.
- Combining concepts or elements from different realms that would not normally be combined.
- Thinking laterally about existing knowledge.
Imagine
Imagine is where the synthesis of Inspire and Interpolate unites in the birth of a new idea (the “AHA” moment.)
Skills:
- Forming mental image, sensations and concepts when they are not perceived through sight, hearing or other senses.
- Providing meaning to experience and understanding to make sense of the world through stories, art, music, poetry, video and so forth.
Inspect
With our new idea imagined we have to now stand back and inspect. Does our idea meet the criteria we originally set out? Does it match our definition and is it feasible? Will it work? Can it be accomplished within the existing time and budget?
Skills:
- Examine and reflect the process undertaken and the product created.
- Visualize the idea as if completed, comparing and contrasting it with the original purpose.
- Using your reflections to internalize new ideas, revise the existing ones and apply them to future challenges.
Collaboration Fluency
Collaboration Fluency is team working proficiency that has reached the unconscious ability to work cooperatively with virtual and real partners in an online environment to solve problems and create original products.
Establish
The Establish stage is the foundation that the rest of the collaborative process rests upon. Organization and an understanding of ones role within the group are its defining characteristics.
Skills:
Envision
During the Envision stage the group collectively develops an agreement to what the outcome of the collaboration will be. Criteria for the outcome are also created in this stage.
Skills:
Engineer
In the Engineering stage, all the steps for a successful plan are laid out for the group. This is a parallel process to what is described in the Design component within the Solution fluency.
Skills:
Execute
Here the plan is put into action with a focus on the development of a tangible solution or product.
Skills:
Examine
Examine involves looking back at the process and determining if the group challenge was met. The group looks for areas of improvement, recognizes contributions and gives constructive feedback/criticism.
Skills:
Collaboration Fluency is team working proficiency that has reached the unconscious ability to work cooperatively with virtual and real partners in an online environment to solve problems and create original products.
Establish
The Establish stage is the foundation that the rest of the collaborative process rests upon. Organization and an understanding of ones role within the group are its defining characteristics.
Skills:
- Assemble a group and assign/describe roles for each member.
- Determining how communication will take place and how often members need to communicate with one another.
- Defining the scope of the project.
- Specify what information is available and what is still needed.
- State who is the leader(s) and what are their responsibilities.
- Establishing a group contract with performance expectations for each member.
Envision
During the Envision stage the group collectively develops an agreement to what the outcome of the collaboration will be. Criteria for the outcome are also created in this stage.
Skills:
- Define the problem.
- Define the current situation and the desired future.
- Specify what is needed (information, materials, etc…).
- Develop a written action plan: What how, where, when and who.
Engineer
In the Engineering stage, all the steps for a successful plan are laid out for the group. This is a parallel process to what is described in the Design component within the Solution fluency.
Skills:
- Delegate responsibilities to each member for the most efficient and engaging process.
- Create a plan to guide us through the work.
- Have discussions with the group and re-evaluate on an ongoing basis.
Execute
Here the plan is put into action with a focus on the development of a tangible solution or product.
Skills:
- Pressure test the solution –present your solution to an audience.
- Gauge the reaction of your audience.
- Collect feedback about the project both collectively and personally.
Examine
Examine involves looking back at the process and determining if the group challenge was met. The group looks for areas of improvement, recognizes contributions and gives constructive feedback/criticism.
Skills:
- Did the group members fulfilled their roles and responsibilities?
- Were the agree upon norms followed?
- How were the decisions were made?
- How were disagreements handled?
- How effective were matters communicated?
- Did the group meet deadlines and expectations?
Media Fluency
Media Fluency is the ability to look analytically at any communication to interpret the real message, and evaluate the efficacy of the chosen medium. As well as, creating original communications by aligning the message and audience though the most appropriate and effective medium.
Listen
Listening involves being able to decode the real message in the wide range of media available to the average individual.
Skills:
Leverage
Matching the medium to the message and the audience is the critical component of Leverage.
Skills:
Media Fluency is the ability to look analytically at any communication to interpret the real message, and evaluate the efficacy of the chosen medium. As well as, creating original communications by aligning the message and audience though the most appropriate and effective medium.
Listen
Listening involves being able to decode the real message in the wide range of media available to the average individual.
Skills:
- Understand how messages can be shaped, biased or even completely misrepresented.
- Verbalize the message clearly and concisely.
- Verify the message –Separate fact from opinion.
- Design elements to reflect the message and work together harmoniously (Form).
- Build a logical progression to your message from beginning to end (Flow).
- Consider the audience and the purpose of the communication (Alignment).
Leverage
Matching the medium to the message and the audience is the critical component of Leverage.
Skills:
- Consider the substance or content of your message.
- Craft your message to have the desired outcome.
- Consider your audience and determine the most appropriate medium.
- Create a list of possible mediums that you are able to use/create (Ability).
- Know your timelines, budget and limitations you and your message will face (Criteria).
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References
Crockett, L., Jukes, I., & Churches, A. (2011). Literacy is not enough: 21st century fluencies for the digital age. Corwin Press.
Jukes, I. (2015). Global Digital Citizen Foundation. 21st Century Fluencies. Retrieved from: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies.