What is the DQ Framework?

Individuals understand the basic vocabulary needed for discussing the media landscapes in which they are embedded; the social and multicultural nature of digital media and technologies; the construction of their self-image and persona in the digital environment; and the impact that technology may have on their self-image and values (e.g., body images, gender stereotypes that may be idealized in digital media such as video game or advertising, and racial stereotypes that may be embedded in the system), and how personal use of digital media may have professional implications.

Individuals are able to demonstrate ethical and considerate behavior and netiquette when using technology across different audiences, to control and shape their own digital identity by creating and curating their online identities to tell their stories while engaging with others from different cultures and possessing global awareness in a way that demonstrates non-discriminatory and culturally sensitive behavior.

Individuals exhibit coherency and integrity across online and offline behaviors, honesty when using technology, and demonstrate self-efficacy by finding ways to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them online.

Individuals understand the nature and impact of technology use (e.g., excessive screen time, multi-tasking) on their health, work productivity, well-being, and lifestyles, and have appropriate knowledge to deal with these impacts.

Individuals are able to assess health risks and reduce technology-related issues to better self-regulate their technology usage; in doing so, they become able to develop the time and resource management skills to more successfully perform tasks and more safely enjoy entertainment.

By using technology with purpose-driven intentions, individuals exhibit integrity by adhering to goals in terms of screen time and technology usage, and develop positive relationships with others through the self-regulated use of technology.

Individuals understand the different types of behavioral cyber risks (e.g., cyberbullying, harassment, and stalking), how they might encounter these risks, how these risks might affect them, and how they can formulate strategies for dealing with them.

Individuals are able to develop the appropriate technical, socio-cognitive, communicative, and decision-making skills to address behavioral cyber risk incidents as they occur, whether as a bystander or victim, and gain valuable coping tools to address these negative online experiences.

Individuals exhibit kindness when online, know the supportive framework in place to address risks, and are able to manage their online behavior as part of contributing to positive and supportive online communities.

Individuals understand their personal online risk profiles and how to identify different types of cyber-threats (e.g., hacking, scams, and malware), and also identify available strategies and tools they can use to avoid such threats.

Individuals are able to identify cyber threats, use relevant cyber security practices (e.g., secure passwords, firewalls, and anti-malware applications), and use technology without compromising their data and devices.

Individuals exhibit resilience and vigilance against careless or negligent behaviors that may compromise their own or others' data and device security, and have confidence about what to do when there is a problem.

Individuals understand how their online interactions might affect others' feelings, and recognise how others may be influenced by their online interactions (e.g., effects of online trolls).

Individuals develop socio-emotional skills by becoming sensitive to and respecting others' perspectives and emotions through synchronous and asynchronous interactions online and are able to regulate and respond accordingly.

Individuals demonstrate an awareness and compassion for the feelings, needs, and concerns of others online.

Individuals understand the concept of digital footprints, the consequences that such trails of information and corresponding meta-data may have on their reputation and others, and the possible uses of such information when shared online.

Individuals are able to manage their digital footprints and use technology in a manner that contributes to a positive reputation both for themselves and the organization they belong to.

Individuals exhibit mindful care, prudence and responsibility online, with the goal of actively managing the types of information that may be shared, tagged, released, gathered, and collected by themselves and others across multiple platforms throughout time.

Individuals understand the basic structure of the digital media, how the use of digital media influences knowledge and information acquisition and management, the distinct and varied reasons for the construction of specific media messages, and the reasons behind campaigns of disinformation and misinformation online.

Individuals have proficient computer operation skills and are able to use productivity software or applications that enable them to gather and organise digital content. Moreover, individuals are they are able to articulate their information and content needs, effectively navigate, critically evaluate and synthesise the information and content they encounter online.

Individuals are careful and critical of the information that they encounter when online, exhibiting discernment in their evaluation of the reliability and credibility of online information.

Individuals understand privacy as a human right, what personal information is, and how it can be used, stored, processed, and shared in digital platforms, along with strategies and tools that help them keep their personal information private and secure.

Individuals are able to develop behavioral and technical strategies to limit privacy violations, and are able to make good decisions around creating and sharing information and content of their own as well as that of others'.

Individuals show respect for their own and other's privacy and personal information, treating these as valuable and personal assets worth protecting.

Individuals understand how to keep up with advancements in information and communication technology as well as integrate digital technologies into their everyday lives in a way that is complementary and productive rather than disruptive. In turn, they learn to be open to experimenting with new technology and when to reject them. In doing so, they can seek out co-creation opportunities (e.g., new models of products or services) borne from these technological progressions in the digital ecosystem.

With a healthy identity as a co-creator of the digital ecosystem, individuals are able to explore and identify present-day problems and issues. They develop and build higher-order thinking and reasoning skills that further aid their capacity and connect with others. In turn, they build on existing ideas and further co-develop new ideas to solve them using technology. As lifelong learners, they continuously learn and generate new ideas to solve problems efficiently

Individuals express self-motivation and resourcefulness when using technology-whether by taking initiative or by knowing when and how to deploy and allocate their time, efforts, and resources.

Individuals understand the contexts that shape discourses about the impact of technology on their well-being, and are able to discern how to effectively use technology for their own benefit.

Individuals are able to use technology ergonomically. Physiological awareness helps users identify safe, comfortable practices and equipment for mentally and physically beneficial work processes.

Individuals value mental and physical health and actively self-regulate their use of technology in a healthy way.

Individuals understand content cyber risks that they face online (e.g., harmful user-generated content such as racist, hateful, discriminatory content/images, or image-based abuse), and the strategies involved in dealing with them.

Individuals become better equipped to develop and use conflict management techniques to mitigate such risks, whether through avoiding or confronting individuals or groups involved in the creation of such content, reporting incidents to platform administrators, or other appropriate processes.

Individuals exhibit resilience and fortify themselves against content that may be hurtful or derogatory while proactively contributing to a healthy, open, and supportive online community.

Individuals understand cyber threats specific to cloud networks and collaborative digital environments that may compromise their data, devices, and systems, and the options available to them for ensuring appropriate levels of protection, confidentiality, and privacy.

Individuals are able to predict and identify weaknesses and risks in their networks that leave them vulnerable to possible cyber threats. They evaluate vulnerabilities, quantify associated risks (e.g., business loss), employ tools, strategies, and protocols to ensure and improve the confidentiality and security of their collaborative work. Additionally, they monitor their networks and systems and implement support systems to allow for optimum productivity and performance. If individuals belong to an organization, their security tools and strategies are aligned with their organization's security framework, guidelines, and technical requirements to ensure minimal impact to their business.

Individuals continuously take the initiative to stay up-to-date about evolving cyber threats, risk profiles, and network vulnerabilities when using technology.

Individuals understand how their own value systems influence and are influenced by their digital environments, and are able to explain how their moods may affect others.

Individuals are able to identify and explain their emotions, reflect on how their feelings may be influenced by their digital experiences, and manage their moods and impulses accordingly with active self-regulation. In addition, they are able to stay aware of their own level of digital competence and actively work to manage and update their skillset. They manage their emotions as well as competencies to foster cooperation and positive interactions between internal and external stakeholders in order to fulfill their goals.

Individuals exhibit an awareness of their own moods and are actively able to manage their impulses accordingly, thereby respecting others during online communication.

Individuals understand different types of peer-to-peer communication and collaboration strategies, tools, and formats, and decide which methods are most effective for individual or collaborative goals. In addition, they understand the various social and market pressures that may encourage or discourage communication and/or collaboration across certain groups.

Individuals are able to develop socio-emotional, interpersonal, and cognitive skills that support their communication and collaborative efforts. These skills include the capacity to interact and collaborate with an online community of peers and experts for the construction and co-creation of knowledge. They are also able to leverage on their technical skills to efficiently exchange ideas and work together even at a distance through utilizing a variety of different communication channels.

Individuals exhibit initiative and positive attitudes towards technology use that enable and support collaboration and productivity. They also exhibit an inclusive attitude that fosters positive collaboration culture and teamwork while achieving organizational goals (e.g., helping others build positive digital reputations through skill endorsements or reviews).

Individuals understand the theory of digital content creation and computational thinking and possess algorithmic literacy such as programming and digital modelling.

Individuals are able to conceptualize, build on, organize, create, adapt, and share knowledge, digital content, and technology. They access needs, synthesize knowledge and ideas across a variety of disciplines to make decisions and cooperate with others, identify and use data digital media tools and technology to solve problems, and adjust and customize digital environments to suit personal, organizational, and community needs. They are able to share information and knowledge and create and execute plans for the design of digital creations (e.g., content, software or hardware) based on needs as well as practicality, efficiency, and functionality. Moreover, they exhibit computational thinking - selection and application of algorithms, interpretation of data, and usage of advanced computational methods to achieve desired results, tasks and/or address specific issues or requirements. Furthermore, they develop applications in line with a specified design as well as existing development and security standards and are able to analyze components and reuse, improve, reconfigure, add, or integrate as needed. They also ensure a seamless user experience of their digital creation by prioritizing ease of usage, including visual, technical, and functional elements in the interface design as well as configuring their end creations to efficiently deploy releases to different platforms and operating systems.

Individuals exhibit an active and constant willingness to engage with evolving and advancing digital technology, becoming motivated to adopt such advances and learn the skills required for lifelong learning and their own development.

Individuals understand legislation and rights around ownership and remixing of online content (e.g., digital rights management technologies, plagiarism, copyright, fair use, licensing), and are able to distinguish between creative use and appropriation of others' work.

Individuals distinguish between digital creations that can be legally downloaded and that which must be paid for. They utilize strategies (such as trademarks, creative commons, and copyrights) for protecting their own and others' digital creations-in addition to content created collaboratively-through a variety of tools and legislation. Moreover, they track and manage changes in their digital creations in order to protect their own/organizational assets from unauthorized change, use, and deviation.

Individuals build trust, exhibit responsibility, self respect, and respect for others by protecting their own digital creations and crediting others' creations when appropriate.

Individuals understand general and emerging trends within digital environments, how the use of technology shapes and is shaped by globalization and interdependent networks, and the need to recognize emerging problems that technology can create and address. They identify and evaluate innovative business or social impact opportunities provided by new technology advances.

Individuals develop higher order thinking skills by extending their thinking beyond the individual scale to integrate digital networks and tools in response to broader social and economic issues. They monitor and integrate emerging technology trends and developments, structured data gathering for the identification of new and emerging technological products/services identifying the potential value add to the business, and in doing so, become better equipped to manage and complete projects that address such issues and to develop a business strategy for sustainability and profitability.

Individuals exhibit professionalism and self-worth, curiosity, and awareness of existing gaps in their digital competencies with evolving technology and are comfortable in exploring and exploiting technology for self-development and further business growth.

Individuals understand the importance of community engagement and civic participation that meet the quality expectations and standards that are aligned with the individuals' and/or organizational values and business objectives and the well-being of their local, national, and global communities

Individuals are able to organize and rally a group online or know how to participate in an organized online group for effecting change that they aim to create. In doing so, they are better equipped to engage with individuals or groups through various digital media, to develop and review procedures, to participate in synchronous and asynchronous discussions, to create shared values, and to positively influence their communities through appropriate technologies.

Individuals exhibit a belief in and respect for civic engagement and are willing to become involved in their communities for the betterment of their own organizations and/or society.

Individuals understand different types of commercial or community cyber risks (e.g., embedded marketing, online propaganda, and gambling), their contextual exposure to such risks as members of specific communities and groups, and demonstrate depth and currency of knowledge about legal and ethical issues related to commercial and community cyber risks.

Individuals become familiar with the strategies involved in dealing with these risks. They are able to identify and/or develop strategies and tools (e.g., ad blockers and Web extensions) to mitigate and manage exposure to risks and enhance quality of life. They detect and report incidents, identify affected systems and user groups, and trigger alerts and announcements to relevant stakeholders and efficient resolution of the solution. They manage the lifecycle of problems to prevent problems and incidents from occurring, eliminate recurring incidents, and minimize the impact of unavoidable incidents.

Individuals exhibit caution and vigilance when online, understand where and when strategies for dealing with risks may be available to them, and devise creative ways to handle and avoid the dangers associated with these risks.

Individuals understand support architectures, policies, practices, and procedures that enable the organizations to manage threats, including anti-malware software related to organizational data/devices/systems. They have knowledge about proper handling, usage, and storage of an organization's IT assets to limit potential business or legal risks and are able to develop and implement their own digital resiliency plans.

Individuals develop cognitive and technical skills for improving their organization's cyber security systems, which impact the operation and profitability of the business. They forecast and assess existing and potential security risks, and develop and implement intervention strategies to proactively protect and optimize an organization's IT assets in alignment with internal policies and processes on relevant legislation and business strategies. They further enable the prompt recovery of critical IT infrastructure and systems following a crisis or disaster. They develop and disseminate corporate security policies, frameworks, and guidelines to ensure that day-to-day business operations guard or are well protected against risks, threats, and vulnerabilities.

Individuals value cyber security and proactively advocate it in their organization by providing advice and guidance on potential risks, mitigation strategies, and best practices. This includes development of communication strategies for organizations and communities to ensure adoption and adherence to security policies and standards that enable viable secure conditions for work and living.

Individuals understand and manage different contexts of social interaction in online communities to achieve mutual consensus and outcomes. They understand how different behavioral norms and emotional reactions may vary depending on the platform and context.

Individuals develop interpersonal skills that enable them to engage effectively and communicate and negotiate with and influence stakeholders in an intercultural online dialogue. They manage, maintain, and grow relationships with a specific group based on individual or organizational needs (e.g., in-depth customer engagement, relationship-building and provision of quality solutions and service to address customer needs). They build cooperative partnerships with inter-organizational and external stakeholders and leverage relations to meet organizational objectives. They can also manage various expectations and needs by building rapport, planning of actions to effectively communicate with, and negotiating with and influencing stakeholders.

Individuals exhibit self-motivation and a commitment to provide an inclusive culture that cultivates tolerance to one another and teamwork towards building and growing positive communities online. They are committed to exceeding both internal and external stakeholders' needs by demonstrating diplomacy, and a willingness to identify others' needs first and to consider a diverse set of opinions before making sound decisions.

Individuals understand how different online platforms, digital environments, cultures, and policies may aid or restrict the dissemination of ideas and messages and how ethical and legal underpinnings shape the spread of ideas and messages online.

Individuals communicate their ideas and messages through digital media and technology that are available to them (e.g., setting up a crowdfunding initiative, participating in a social movement online, or launching a digital marketing campaign). They conceptualize digital storyboards, optimize content delivery and their messages, develop dissemination strategies on and across various channels and platforms, and track audience response and communication effectiveness. They engage audiences in a dialogue utilizing various digital tools including search engine optimization and/or marketing strategies, and monitoring data analytics to strategically boost engagement online. They co-create an organization's projected brand and reputation by developing and implementing branding campaigns, public relations, and reputation management strategies. They plan and conduct research to understand overall trends (e.g., market, customer, and competitor) to extract useful insights and optimization efforts.

Individuals exhibit an attitude towards collaborative technology use that is ethical, purposeful, and principled to engage in a productive discourse with their digital communities.

Individuals understand the theory of data analysis, statistics, and AI-related mathematical concepts and computer programming. They understand how data are generated, to process data based on statistical understanding, and to create and/or use AI algorithms (e.g., machine learning, neural networks, deep learning) to recognise significant patterns and to improve decision-making processes. They understand concepts across multiple disciplines and identify the benefits, limits, and risks brought about through big data, AI, and related technology.

Individuals develop efficient and stable processes to collect, store, extract, transform, load, and integrate data at various stages in the data pipeline. They read, manage, analyze, and process data from a variety of sources, and prepare data in a structure that is easily accessed and analyzed according to specific requirements. They create and build knowledge by analyzing data, communicate its meaning to others with various data visualization tools (e.g., infographics, dynamic, illustrative, and interactive graphics), and present patterns, trends, analytical insights from data or new concepts in a strategic manner for the intended audience. In turn, they communicate the limitations of data by telling when data is being manipulated to support a limited or false narrative. With understanding of AI, they develop, select, and apply relevant algorithms and advanced computational methods to enable systems or software agents to learn, improve, adapt, and produce desired outcomes or tasks. They use it as a tool to enhance efficiency in creative processes, and develop strategies on how they utilise it in optimizing their own work performance (e.g., predictive behavior analytics, pattern recognition, and decision-making processes). They understand how data and AI may affect one's perception and reasoning. Individuals are also able to leverage AI to augment their own intelligence while remaining aware of how human value judgements play into the applications of big data and AI in society.

Individuals are confident in pursuing innovative and analytical careers. They are also proactive in applying their knowledge of data and AI into evaluating whether broader systems are acting in ways aligned with community values that promote well-being.

Individuals understand their rights as digital citizens and consumers (e.g.,right to personal data protection, right to freedom of expression, or to be forgotten), and why opportunities for online participation are unevenly distributed across social groups (e.g., due to differences in socioeconomic status, (dis)ability, physical location).

Individuals become equipped to develop cognitive and meta-cognitive skills for synthesizing existing legislation with their own practices to ensure that digital rights are upheld and respected online; they also develop complex system-level thinking for upholding individual and community rights to online participation as they monitor and improve systems and hold contradictory ideas and ideals in tension.

Individuals exhibit proactive thinking, grounded in respect for democratic ideals, the rule of law, human rights. They take responsibility for managing technology to promote the public good of society and the environment.