Create to Learn: Digital Literacy in Higher Education

Renee HobbsProfessor of Communication StudiesDirector, Media Education LabUniversity of Rhode Island USATwitter: @reneehobbs

Create to Learn: Digital Literacy in Higher Education

Inaugural Digital Literacy Symposium University Libraries of Virginia TechNovember 2, 2017

@reneehobbs

@reneehobbs

www.mediaeducationlab.com

www.createtolearn.online

In order to advance digital literacy competencies, a mindset shift in higher education is needed that positions learners as digital authors

Higher levels of engagement, intellectual curiosity and deeper learning occur when students compose media to demonstrate knowledge, critical analysis and creativity

Empowering students as digital learners requires sensitivity to the dialectic between creative control and creative freedom

PREVIEW

@reneehobbs

Literacy is the sharing of meaning through symbols

#chariholearns @reneehobbs

@reneehobbs

Digital and Media Literacy: A Process

PEER-TO-PEER FILE SHARING

Communication & Education. Institutions of education and

communication are interconnected in ways that may support democracy.

Inquiry Learning. People develop intellectual curiosity by asking

questions about what they experience in daily life.

Critical Pedagogy. Awareness, analysis, and reflection enable people to

take action to make society more just and equitable.

Medium Theory. Media & technology are immersive cultural, political and

economic environments; media structures re-shape human perception &

values.

Active Audience Theory. Meaning-making is variable; lived experience

& social context shape practices of interpretation.

Theoretical Framework

Digital Literacy Competencies are Complex & Multifaceted

SOURCE: New Media Consortium (2017) Digital Literacy Impact Study: An NMC Horizon Project Strategic Brief.

Undergraduates Report More Focus on Analyzing Media

SOURCE: New Media Consortium (2017) Digital Literacy Impact Study: An NMC Horizon Project Strategic Brief.

Undergraduates ReportLittle Focus on Using Media to Create Content

SOURCE: Chatterji, P. (2016). Faculty Evolving Digital Needs. BePress Webinar. N = 550.

Faculty Report Issues Where Students Need Help

Traditional Learning Paradigm

in Higher Education

Hobbs,R. (2017) Create to Learn. NY: Wiley

The Instructor Controls Goals and Objectives Content, Information and Ideas Assignments and Assessments

THE TRANSFER PROBLEM

Everyone learns from everyone

From SIT AND GET

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

To CREATE TO LEARN

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

An explosion of free or low-cost digital tools enables anyone to create media

In order to advance digital literacy competencies, a mindset shift in higher education is needed that positions learners as digital authors

REVIEW

@reneehobbs

www.pathwright.com

A Student Annotates a Video

ANT Video Annotation

https://ant.umn.edu/

Kami PDF & Document Markup

http://chrome.google.com

A Student PDF Annotation

Flipgrid for Summarizing & Synthesizing

flipgrid.com

Zoom for Community Building

www.zoom.us

Twitter for Community Building

Activation of digital literacy competencies should promote transfer to a variety of real-world, lifelong learning contexts

As you watch, consider: What competencies are engaged by making a screencast?

Multimedia Authorship Combines Analysis & Creative Production

As you watch, consider: What competencies are engaged by making a screencast?

At any moment, the reader is ready to turn into a writer.

-Walter Benjamin

Media and information literacy helps to bridge the gap

between the classroom and the living room

In order to advance digital literacy competencies, a mindset shift in higher education that positions learners as digital authors is needed

Higher levels of engagement, intellectual curiosity and deeper learning occur when students create media to demonstrate knowledge, critical analysis and creativity

PREVIEW

@reneehobbs

CHOICEMATTERS

“How do I get started?”

Managing Student Creativity

“What is our topic?”

“When is it due?”

“How long should it be?”

“Do have to work with a partner?”

“How do I get an A?”

Creating with digital tools involves a process of messy engagement

TEACHERSTUDENT

FORMAT

CONTENT

DISTRIBUTION

PROCESS

Teachers Structure the Learning Experience through a Balance of Creative Freedom & Creative Control

WORKED EXAMPLEVisualizing Scholarship through Comparison - Contrast

FOCUS ON the Audience Problem: What makes a youth-produced video watchable or unwatchable? In what contexts do people become the audience for digital media produced by children and youth?

After reading, compare and contrast the two articles by creating a visual diagram or representation of some sort, including at least 2 relevant direct quotations from the works to capture key points of consensus and differences between these authors. Post your diagram to your blog and tweet a link using the #EDC 534 hashtag.

• Halverson, E. R., Gibbons, D., Copeland, S., Andrews, A., Llorens, B. H., & Bass, M. B. (2012). What makes a youth-produced film good? The youth audience perspective.Learning, Media and Technology, 39(3), 386–403.

• Levine, Peter. (2008). A public voice for youth: The audience problem in digital media and civic education. In L. Bennett (Ed.), Civic life online: Learning how digital media can engage youth (pp. 119 – 138). John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, MIT Press.

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

Comparing and contrasting using digital & visual design processes promotes the development of innovative ideas

A SOLUTION TO CUT-AND-PASTE CULTURE

CHOICE MATTERS

Hobbs, R. (2017). Create to Learn. NY: Wiley.

BLOGS VIDEO

PODCAST ANIMATION

INFOGRAPHIC

VLOGS & SCREENCAST

TEACHERSTUDENT

FORMAT

CONTENT

DISTRIBUTION

PROCESS

Teachers Structure the Learning Experience through a Balance of Creative Freedom & Creative Control

Choose Two Formats from the List Below

An academic essay, 8 – 12 pages in length, using APA citation with a Works Cited list

A podcast, uploaded to SoundCloud and no longer than 10 minutes in length

An infographic, with at least seven panels of original content

A screencast video, uploaded to YouTube and no longer than 5 minutes

Animation video, uploaded to YouTube and no longer than 5 minutes

Video, any format, uploaded to YouTube and no longer than 5 minutes

15 original memes (created by you), presented as a sequence of images with music

A social media Storify, presented as a sequence of 15 examples of social media content, sequenced and organized to present ideas and develop an argument

CHOICE MATTERSMultimedia Production for Summarizing & Synthesizing

SOURCE: Nikita Duke #COM416

SOURCE: Nikita Duke #COM416

SOURCE: Nikita Duke #COM416

How are students “creating to learn” at Virginia Tech?

How are you supporting the development of student autonomy and authority as authors?

How could your students use, analyze and create with digital texts and tools to experience the power of authorship?

In order to advance digital literacy competencies, a mindset shift in higher education that positions learners as digital authors is needed

Higher levels of engagement, intellectual curiosity and deeper learning occur when students create media to demonstrate knowledge, critical analysis and creativity

Empowering students as digital learners requires sensitivity to the dialectic between creative control and creative freedom

REVIEW

@reneehobbs

How does the public nature of the learning experience affect the quality of student work?

What is the learning progression in creating visual communication with easy-to-use digital tools?

How do templates support, shape or restrict creativity?

How does the cognitive load of using a new digital tool influence the learning process?

How does it affect the acquisition of content knowledge?

Does the create-to-learn pedagogy advance students’ visual design competencies even when formal instruction in visual composition is not emphasized? Why or why not?

Research Questions for Create-to-Learn Pedagogy

@reneehobbs @MedEduLab

CONTACT INFORMATION:Renee Hobbs Professor of Communication StudiesDirector, Media Education LabHarrington School of Communication & MediaUniversity of Rhode Island USAEmail: hobbs@uri.eduTwitter: @reneehobbs

LEARN MOREWeb: www.mediaeducationlab.com