Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ)
Digital Intelligence (DQ) is the sum of social, emotional, and cognitive abilities that enable individuals to face the challenges and adapt to the demands of digital life. In the same way as Intelligence quotient (IQ) and Emotional intelligence (EQ) measure general and emotional intelligence, Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ) can be further constructed by 8 key components: Digital identity, Digital rights, Digital literacy, Digital use, Digital communication, Digital safety, Digital emotional intelligence, Digital security. DQ is originally initiated by Dr. Yuhyun Park, an NTU-based Researcher and a mother of two children. Besides the DQ education framework and assessment, Dr. Park is also the founder of DQ Institute - a think tank that works to improve digital education, culture and innovation and developed DQ world.net, an online digital citizenship education program, which enables children to self-learn DQ.
As of July 2017, the company reported the DQ World programme has been tried and tested by 500,000 students and poised to launch in 17 countries.
Levels of Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ)
There are 3 levels of Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ).
- Level 1 - DQ Citizenship: the ability to use digital technology in effective and responsible ways
- Level 2 - Digital Creativity: Learn to co- create new IDeaS and turn them into a reality and help them become a part of the digital eco-system by using new technologies and media
- Level 3 - Digital Entrepreneurship: the ability to bring a change and solve problems.
In addition to that, DQ further suggests there are 8 key topics of Digital citizenship, including Digital Citizen Identity, Screen Time Management, Digital Footprint Management, Cyber Bullying Management, Digital Empathy, Privacy Management, Cyber Security Management.
History
The DQ project was initiated since 2010 as infollution ZERO, a non-profit organization that focused on raising public awareness of information pollution by Dr. Yuhyun Park. She was affected by an Internet report of an 8-year-old girl raped by a middle-aged child-[...] addict in South Korea which spurred her to be an advocate of child empowerment and education. In 2011, the inaugural iZ HERO exhibition held in Korea and attracted over 1,000 children per day. In March 2013, the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Singapore hosted the next-generation iZ HERO Adventure, including a web game, online portal and comic book in addition to an interactive digital exhibition. Moreover, this initiative has been integrated into Singapore’s cyber-wellness infrastructure. In March 2017, Dr. Park started #DQEveryChild movement, a new global alliance which aims to arm kids with digital citizen skills and keep them safe as they navigate the digital world. The movement hopes to reach 20 million kids aged between eight to 12 in over 100 countries by 2020.
In association with the World Economic Forum, DQ Institute will explore the integration of a Global DQ Index, which will be measuring the average DQ across participating countries within one of the Forum’s main annual reports.
Product
DQ World.net (previously called iZHERO) is a digital game-based learning platform which is designed for 8–12 years old children with 20 lessons over 10 hours. By running through a sequence of game stations, participating children can enter the storyline plot and ultimately become iZ HEROs who defeat infollmons, i.e. infollution monsters which pollute the digital world. At the end of the each session, every child will have his/her own digital intelligence competency score assessed through a DQ profile. The score is based on a range of criteria, such as sharing personal data, meeting online strangers, online [...] behaviours, exposure to violent content, cyberbullying and game addiction with the average DQ score set at 100. The score profile will show their strengths and weaknesses. Meanwhile, it reveals whether the kid has a tendency to engage in risky behavior in real time.
Research and impact
Recent research shows that the programme was successful in improving students’ attitudes toward offline meetings, attitudes toward playing games instead of doing homework, and cyberbullying. In addition to the existing application of DQ, the World Economic Forum also correlate digital media literacy with Digital Intelligence Quotient (DQ). One of World Economic Forum studies shows that the higher DQ has been proven to result in more active and self-aware digital engagement on platforms and to increase the trust that these end users have in their service providers and brands. Moreover, higher DQ can contribute to increased information and content veracity, a reduction of harmful cyber behaviour such as internet trolling, cyberbullying and the spread of extremist views, and improved personal data management and privacy.
Awards
In 2012 and 2013, DQ World.net was awarded two UNESCO prizes.