📚 PMGDISHA – Basic Digital Literacy
Work & Livelihood – Digital Literacy Module
Advanced University‑Level Study Notes (MIT‑style)
Table of Contents
- Foundations of Digital Systems
1.1. Information Theory
1.2. Hardware & Software Abstractions
1.3. Communication Protocols - Core Digital Literacy Competencies
2.1. Device Literacy
2.2. Internet & Networking
2.3. Digital Content Creation
2.4. Data Literacy & Analytics
2.5. Security & Privacy
2.6. Ethics & Responsibility - Advanced Theoretical Insights
3.1. Computational Thinking in Daily Work
3.2. Human‑Computer Interaction (HCI) Principles
3.3. Accessibility & Universal Design
3.4. Automation & Digital Workflows
3.5. Emerging Tech: AI, IoT, Blockchain - Edge Cases & Special Considerations
4.1. Low‑Bandwidth & Offline Scenarios
4.2. Inclusive Design for Disabilities
4.3. Cultural & Linguistic Diversity
4.4. Digital Divide & Socio‑Economic Factors
4.5. Legal & Regulatory Framework - Challenging Problem
- Key Take‑aways & Further Reading
1. Foundations of Digital Systems
1.1 Information Theory
- Bits & Symbols: The elementary unit of digital information is the bit (0 or 1).
- Entropy (H):
[ H(X) = -\sum_{i} p(x_i) \log_2 p(x_i) ] Entropy quantifies the expected amount of information per symbol. - Channel Capacity (C): Shannon’s theorem
[ C = B \log_2(1+S/N) ] where B is bandwidth, S/N is signal‑to‑noise ratio. - Implication: Understanding limits on data transfer explains why compression, error‑correction, and efficient protocols matter in digital literacy.
1.2 Hardware & Software Abstractions
| Layer | Function | Example | Relevance to Literacy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Transmit electrical/optical signals | Ethernet, Wi‑Fi | Know when to use wired vs wireless |
| Logical | Addressing & routing | IP, MAC | Recognize IP addresses, subnet masks |
| Application | User‑facing functions | Browsers, Office | Basic productivity tools |
| Middleware | Services & APIs | Cloud APIs | Automate tasks, integrate services |
1.3 Communication Protocols
- TCP/IP Stack: Three‑way handshake, congestion control.
- HTTP/HTTPS: Stateless request/response, TLS handshake.
- DNS: Name resolution, recursive vs iterative queries.
- Edge Case: DNS over HTTPS (DoH)—conflicts with corporate firewalls.
2. Core Digital Literacy Competencies
2.1 Device Literacy
- Hardware Basics: CPU, RAM, storage, peripherals.
- Operating Systems: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.
- File Systems: NTFS, ext4, APFS; permissions, inode structure.
- Edge Case: Dual‑boot environments—how to manage data across OSes.
2.2 Internet & Networking
- URL Syntax:
scheme://host:port/path?query#fragment. - HTTP Methods: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, HEAD.
- REST vs GraphQL: Resource vs query‑centric APIs.
- Security: Understanding TLS certificates, HSTS, CORS.
2.3 Digital Content Creation
- Text, Image, Video