In a presentation for the CCK09 ‘Net Pedagogy’ Conference Stephen Downes presents his three theses on Digital Literacy for the 21st Century. Thesis One: Stephen asserts that within ‘the Real Internet’ words are taken literally and they are not simply metaphors. The novel languages of the Internet do not constitute static linear coherent pictures of the world. Stephen asserts that people are using non-linguistic artefacts in the languages of the Internet which are not based upon logic. People may see patterns withing these Internet languages. Thesis Two:  Stephen argues against a world view that is text-based. In particular, his frame for understanding the world includes consideration of  1) Syntax 2) Semantics 3) Pragmatics 4) Cognition 5) Context and 6) Change. Thesis Three: as outlined within this  CCK09 presentation includes that ‘fluency of these languages constitutes 21st Century learning’.

Reference: [http://www.downes.ca/presentation/232]