Glossary

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a process of imitating human intelligence based on the creation and application of algorithms run in a dynamic computing environment. Its goal is to enable computers to think and act like human beings. AI and autonomous systems enable the creation of assistive technologies and user-centred solutions.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) covers all human means and tools which enable a person with communication difficulties to communicate by replacing oral language if it is absent and by improving insufficient communication.

Assistive technologies are equipment, devices or software which adapt technologies for the use of elderly or disabled people. Assistive technologies focus on innovating and improving the quality and availability of assistive devices in order to overcome or compensate for functional limitations and their impact.

Basic digital skills define the set of minimum skills for people to be able to engage online in order to manage information, communicate, process, solve problems and surf safely.

Broadband Internet has a minimum download speed of 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and a minimum upload speed of 3 Mbps.

The term "cloud" refers to servers accessible over the Internet, and the software and databases which run on those servers. The servers in the cloud are hosted in data centres around the world.

Coding is the creation of computer programming codes by which people communicate and give instructions to computers.

Computer literacy is the ability to use ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) to search and create content and to interact with the world, which requires cognitive and technical skills. Computer-literate persons can decide when to use specific technologies and are able to apply their digital skills to improve their learning, preparation for work or daily life.

Connectivity is the access people have to the Internet and the necessary technology.

Cybersecurity encompasses all means for ensuring the protection and integrity of data, both sensitive and non-sensitive, within a digital infrastructure. It is a speciality within information systems professions. Cybersecurity ensures that data is managed in optimum and secure conditions. It enables the protection of information systems and data in circulation against so-called cybercriminals.

Digital accessibility is the capability of a website, mobile application or electronic document to be easily accessed and understood by a wide range of users, including users with visual, hearing, motor or cognitive impairments. Digital accessibility aims to overcome barriers and make online services accessible to people with disabilities, i.e. to make them perceivable, usable, understandable and robust.

The digital age, also known as the information age, is defined as the period beginning in the 1970s with the introduction of the personal computer and the introduction of subsequent technology which allows information to be transferred freely and quickly.

Digital assistance describes a range of developments, strategies and actions designed to ensure that no one is left behind in digital economies.

Digital awareness refers to training in online activities, i.e. digital issues, digital uses and online security.

Digital capability is defined as the skills and/or competences required to live, learn and work in a digital society.

Digital citizenship consists of education and skills acquisition for learning and active participation in the digital society.

The ability to communicate and collaborate with others using digital technologies and media.

The digital divide is the gap between people who have affordable access, skills and support to engage effectively online and those without such access, skills and support. The digital divide often affects some population groups more than others. The eclectic nature of society and the disparity of citizens’ needs and expectations, depending on their level of digital vulnerability, are aspects which make the situation more complex.

The digital economy is the global network of economic activities enabled by ICT. It can also be defined more simply as an economy based on digital technologies.

Digital empowerment maximises citizens’ potential through digital technology by empowering them in their efforts to access rights and public services and in their use of digital technologies, services and media.

Digital engagement uses digital tools and techniques to find, listen to and mobilise a community around an issue. Digital engagement is about directing, sharing and encouraging best practice around emerging technologies and information in order to provide quality online services which are adapted to the public.

Digital equality means universal access to the Internet by making it accessible to all.

Digital equity is a condition in which all individuals and communities have the digital skills necessary for full participation in our society, democracy and economy. Digital equity is the ultimate goal and digital inclusion helps us achieve digital equity.

Digital exclusion is the set of disadvantages that accompany an inability or unwillingness to use digital technologies. Digital exclusion takes two forms: equipment exclusion and skills exclusion.

This is the higher level of digital skills required by people who are expected to use digital technologies in their daily work.

Digital footprint refers to the trace or "footprint" which a person leaves every time he or she logs on.

Digital identity is about the ability to create and manage one’s identity and reputation online. This includes being aware of one’s online persona and managing the short and long-term impact of one’s online presence.

Digital inclusion aims to give every individual equal opportunities to participate in the digital society. Digitally-included people have access to affordable and accessible digital devices and services at a time and place convenient to them, as well as the motivation, skills and confidence to use the Internet to pursue and achieve social and economic goals.

The set of social, emotional and cognitive skills, which enable individuals to take up challenges, relate well to others and adapt to the demands of digital life.

The ability to locate, evaluate, use and create information effectively and critically using a range of digital technologies.

The expression "digital media" generally refers to technologies used to access digital content, e.g. smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs.

Digital motivation is an individual’s ability and willingness to understand how digital technologies could be relevant and beneficial to them.

The digital nation refers to nations that consider themselves digitally competent as well as to new cross-border Internet-connected "nations" such as Bit Nation or the Estonian e-Residency.

Digital children or digital natives are the generations who have grown up with digital technologies and are therefore instinctively more capable of understanding and using digital technologies.

Digital participation means making a cultivated use of technology and digital media in one's own life. It means recognising how technology and media provide opportunities for people to participate in new kinds of social activities, civic life, learning and work, and it also means recognising that technology and media need to be challenged and questioned rather than passively accepted.

Digital rights are the human rights and legal rights which allow individuals to access, use, create and publish digital media or to access and use computers, other electronic devices and telecommunications networks.

Digital skills are the abilities required to use digital devices such as smartphones, computers and the Internet. They are the specific skills needed to engage online, connect, manage information, communicate, carry out transactions, create, solve problems and surf safely. A digitally skilled person is able to understand, select and use technologies.

A digital society is a modern and progressive society, which is formed as a result of the adoption and integration of information and communication technologies in the home, at work and in education and leisure activities.

Digital transformation generally refers to the acceleration of activities, processes, skills and business models in order to take full advantage of the changes and opportunities afforded by digital technologies. The expression is also used to refer to changes in society as a whole.

Digital trust is the belief that an individual has that he or she will be safe and competent in the use of digital technologies, e.g. in determining the reliability of online information and in protecting personal information.

This refers to the usability of user interfaces when interacting with digital systems. It also takes account of the needs of users, in particular people with disabilities, by ensuring the digital accessibility of the digital system.

E-government can be defined as the use of ICT to deliver government services more efficiently and effectively to citizens and businesses. It is the application of ICT in government operations, achieving public ends through digital means.

E-learning refers to all solutions and means of learning by electronic means. E-learning includes educational websites, tele-training, telematic teaching, e-training, etc. Online learning and education illustrate the new dimensions opened up by ICT in terms of instruction and methodologies.

Gerontechnology refers to a set of technologies, most often innovative, designed to improve the lives of senior citizens and their careers and to facilitate their daily lives in a wide range of areas. The way in which such systems can be designed for people who are not familiar with technology is also part of this topic.

The homework gap occurs when students assigned homework requiring Internet access do not have access to the Internet at home.

ICT designates information and communication technologies, i.e. computer, audiovisual, multimedia, Internet and telecommunications techniques, which enable users to communicate, access information sources and store, manipulate, produce and transmit information in different forms.

The Internet of things describes physical objects with embedded sensors, processing capability, software and other technologies which connect and exchange data with other devices and systems via the Internet or other communication networks.

Media literacy is the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, create and act using all forms of communication. Media literacy enables people to be critical thinkers and decision-makers, effective communicators and active citizens.

The ability to detect cyberthreats, e.g. hacking, scams, malware and phishing attacks, to understand best practice and to use appropriate security tools for data protection. Online security is also about the ability to manage online risks, e.g. cyberbullying, grooming and radicalisation, together with problematic content, e.g. violence and obscenity, and to avoid and limit those risks.

At the heart of very high-speed internet, optical fibre is based on the transmission of data in the form of light pulses.

The idea that accessibility and usability standards should be combined to create technology that can be used by all. The universal design or also referred to as design for all of websites, applications or digital services emphasises the proactive application of principles, methods and tools to meet the requirements of the widest possible group of users, including people with disabilities.

User-centred design or user-oriented design of websites or digital services is a design philosophy and approach mainly present in computer ergonomics, where the needs, expectations and characteristics of end-users are taken into account at each stage of the product development process. User-centred design and user participation emphasise the importance of involving different end-user groups in all stages of the development process in order to develop a product or service which is inclusive for all user groups.

User-friendliness and ergonomics focus on the everyday use of accessible systems and services, and their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility of use for users and their environment.