'I link, therefore I am': Network literacy as a core digital literacy

Abstract

Networks have emerged as the dominant organizational structures of our time. In the networked era, social networks underpinned by the internet are crucial to obtaining and filtering information as well as reaching audiences and collaborators. To remain relevant in this era, educational institutions must foster network literacy, teaching students about and through networks, and helping them to establish and manage personal learning networks. This will ensure that all students, and not just the elite, are able to capitalize on the benefits and avoid the pitfalls of the networks which will be an integral part of their social and professional futures.