Is osmosis a viable pedagogy for teaching web and internet skills to non-IT professionals?

It is assumed that increasing use of and exposure to the web, internet and other information and communications technology (ICT) will give rise to increased levels of overall ICT literacy. Although it is undoubtedly true that basic computer skills (file management, word processing, etc) are improving and use of email and the web is increasing, it is not clear that an understanding of ICT-related issues such as security, data integrity, privacy, and confidentiality is increasing to an appropriate level to allow non-IT graduates to evaluate ICT use in their discipline. Furthermore it is not clear how the mere use of and exposure to ICT will by some form of osmosis facilitate a deeper level knowledge of ICT as it relates to professional practice, nor how it might engender discussion of the broader social context of ICT use. There needs to be a clear articulation of what professional ICT literacy means, the strategy by which ICT literacy will be improved for students in non-IT programs, and how ICT literacy will be addressed in professional practice by some form of on-going professional development.