Teaching essential digital literacy skills, and leveraging these skills to teach adult learners via distance learning (DL), are central to adult education. DL instruction developed quickly during the Covid pandemic, and continues to form a central pillar in instruction. 

Digital Literacy, a subset of DL, refers to the skills needed to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate information using various digital technologies. It ncludes many skills and modalities. These include both inside the classroom and at a distance: basic computer and mobile device skills; critical thinking and problem solving; independent, structured distance learning; and blended instruction, including HyFlex, which combines classroom and distance instruction. Common to all of these is the aim of leveraging technology to accelerate and maximize the knowledge gains of adult learners.

The job of the Supplemental Services DL Tech grant is to provide resources, guidance, and other assistance to practitioners statewide, helping them meet the needs of their learners.