A Maturity Model for Digital Literacies and Sustainable Development

Abstract

As the world becomes increasingly digitised, a key aspect of digitisation is the notion of “digital inclusion”; the empowerment of individuals through digital participation, as enabled through the functional, socio-economic and transformational dimensions of digital literacies. This chapter recounts the role of digital literacies in supporting participative, and therefore sustainable, development. Taking a historical, development perspective, this article describes a Digital Literacies Maturity Model (DLMM) to examine the relationship between knowledge societies, digital inclusion and digital literacies. This model combines the World Bank's four knowledge policy pillars with the four stages of digital development, to link digital policies with socio-economic wellbeing, and serves as a framework for the creation of sustainable knowledge societies.