Digital Learning and Digital Literacy: Conceptual Distinctions, Theoretical Frameworks, and Educational Implications Across the Educational Continuum

Authors

• Simone Elias, Abilene Christian UniversityFollow
• Linda Wilson-Jones, Fayetteville State UniversityFollow
• Richard Brutti, Brandeis University

Abstract

The terms digital learning and digital literacy recur frequently in educational policy and institutional discourse. Yet peer-reviewed scholarship shows they are conceptually distinct constructs operating at fundamentally different levels of analysis. This article examines the theoretical foundations, definitional genealogies, empirical interdependencies, and grade-band and postsecondary manifestations of both constructs across the full educational continuum, from kindergarten through Grade 12 and into undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education. Drawing on literature across leading educational technology journals, the article argues that digital learning constitutes a pedagogical modality, the structured, technology-mediated environment through which instruction is delivered.

In contrast, digital literacy is a multidimensional individual competency that enables critical, ethical, and effective participation in digital environments. Seminal frameworks by Eshet-Alkalai (2004, 2012), Bawden (2008), Calvani et al. (2008), and Mishra and Koehler (2006), alongside recent empirical studies and meta-analyses, are used to map conceptual boundaries and mediating mechanisms. A critical analysis of the significance of digital literacy in advancing artificial intelligence (AI) is incorporated throughout, establishing that digital literacy, including emergent AI literacy competencies, is an irreducible prerequisite for equitable and meaningful participation in 21st-century digital learning environments.

Recommended Citation

Elias, Simone; Wilson-Jones, Linda; and Brutti, Richard (2026) "Digital Learning and Digital Literacy: Conceptual Distinctions, Theoretical Frameworks, and Educational Implications Across the Educational Continuum," Journal of Research Initiatives: Vol. 9: Iss. 3, Article 14.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/jri/vol9/iss3/14