In today’s educational context, characterised by a constant flow of data, interactive digital environments and technologies that mediate our perceptions, it is essential to rethink how computer science is taught and how digital literacy is developed in general education. The approach adopted by Digital First is based on the study of language functions proposed by M.A.K. Halliday (https://digitalfirstnetwork.eu/digital-first-and-aimvet-transforming-the-teaching-of-computer-science-and-robotics-under-a-functionalist-approach/). In this article, we focus particularly on the representational function to provide clear insights about the relevance of such proposed functions.
Representational Function and Media Literacy
The representational function is aimed at communicating facts, transmitting knowledge and describing the world. For instance, when a child says “the sky is blue”, they convey an objective observation of the world. In the current digital realm, this function is fundamental: every computational system that models a phenomenon, every chart that visualizes data, every search engine that returns results is, essentially, representing the world.
From this perspective, teaching computer science means training students in the creation and interpretation of digital representations, from data maps to simulation models, audiovisual productions or interactive environments. These representations are not neutral: they are constructed, contextual and intentional. Therefore, helping students understand how digital artefactsdescribe or simulate aspects of reality is essential not only for developing computational thinking but also for promoting digital literacy in its fullest sense.
This is where the representational function directly intersects with the concept of media and information literacy (MIL). To “read” a media message, whether it is a video, infographic, dataset or algorithm, is to decode how the world is being represented through that medium.
Global Frameworks and Tools to Foster Media Literacy
The MIL Framework, developed by UNESCO, explicitly addresses this need: it empowers learners to understand not only what messages say, but how and why they are constructed. Hence, one of the MIL’s fundamental principles is the understanding that all messages are constructed and should be analysed in terms of their form, content, purpose and context. In this way, representational competence becomes the foundation for analysing meaning, bias, perspective and intent across digital media.
In addition to the MIL framework, other valuable international initiatives complement and operationalise how to face the representational function in the scope of our project. One example is the set of principles developed by NAMLE (National Association for Media Literacy Education), which emphasises that media literacy is an active and inclusive process.
Likewise, the “25 Essential Media Literacy Lessons” from the Center for Media Literacy (CML) provide concrete classroom resources organized around five key concepts and five core skills.
A tangible way to integrate these frameworks into the classroom is through the development of competencies such as critical information evaluation. A useful tool in this context is the SIFT protocol, which helps students learn how to navigate complex digital environments. SIFT proposes four strategic moves:
These types of skills, rooted in the representational function and framed by principles like those of the MIL, promote critical thinking and empower students to engage actively in a globalised digital culture. More importantly, they enable people to become not just consumers but also creators of ethical, responsible and meaningful digital representations.
A key component of digital learning
In short, teaching computer science from a functional and critical perspective means placing the representational function at the core of digital learning. It means teaching students to construct knowledge, analyse media, evaluate sources and express ideas across multiple languages. And above all, it means preparing them to meaningfully inhabit a world that is increasingly represented and redefined through digital technologies.
