[3] The term is also used in businesses to refer to the information obtained through technologies and making use of them as an online marketing strategy[4][5] and intelligence in the context of cyber security such as that mapped out by Global Commission on Internet Governance.
[1] DQ does not merely refer to the skills needed to use technology more effectively or being aware of potential dangers for children who are constantly online.
The concept and structure was published by the World Economic Forum in 2016 and since then, the DQ framework has been widely used by organizations from a myriad of industries locally and internationally.
[23] IEEE SA adds, "a global standard that sets common indicators for more comprehensively and collectively understanding the existing challenges that digital skill-promoting efforts face and a common language is foundational to ensuring that digital literacy and competency efforts are coordinated globally and moving the right direction".
[26] The Institute is a multi-stakeholder consortium of organizations focused on increasing DQ in youth around the world and has been the driving force in launching the Coalition for Digital Intelligence (CDI).
[22] The goal is to help governments understand the level of digital citizenship among students and teachers and to help them develop their own DQ curriculum within three years.
[22] The DQ Institute has joined forces with some big organizations, including Google, Twitter and the United Nations children's charity UNICEF, and it has received government funding from Singapore and Mexico.
It makes use of an online gamified platform to educate and assess children with digital citizenship skills based on the DQ framework.
[33][34] The report was spearheaded by Dr Yuhyun Park and co-authored by Professor Douglas Gentile of Iowa State University.
[33][34] The OECD, the Forum, the World Bank, and the United Nations have all identified these digital competencies in the DQ framework as fundamental for future readiness.