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Digital literacy introduction for academic staff

Open Education Resources for the Inclusive Curriculum (ORIC) Project

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What does digital literacy mean to you? What are digital literacy / literacies? –

discussions from literature Our role in supporting digital literacies in

our students, resources for students. Case studies / examples

Outline

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• What do you understand by the term literacy?

• Write a short definition of ‘digital literacy’ and how it links to literacy.

• You might want to watch an interesting 40 minute discussion on digital literacy on The Agenda with Steve Paikin to inform your thoughts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka3ImmG54Po

What does literacy and therefore digital literacy mean to you?

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Gilster (1997)– introduced the concept of digital literacy - a contested term?

Is it literacies and not literacy? Related concepts: ‘computer literacy’ led to

‘information literacy’ e.g. SCONUL “seven pillars” model (used by academic librarians), ‘media literacy’.

Digital literacy: Some key themes

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“Digital Literacy is the awareness, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, analyse and synthesize digital resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others, in the context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process.” Martin (2005:135)

Digital literacy: How can we understand it

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• From Martin’s definition what are the key features of digital literacy?

• Construct a diagram, mind map or concept map to summarise this definition.

Digital literacy: in other words

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Digital literacy: mind map

Here is one possible interpretation. Yours may be very different.

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• Digital literacy seems to cover or subsume a wide range of different skills.

• These might include ideas like IT literacy, information literacy, media literacy and other life skills.

So digital literacy / literacies is a broad term.

Literacies not literacy?

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Related concepts - Information Literacy: SCONUL “seven pillars”

Features of this model:• Underpinned by basic

library and IT skills.• 7 “skill” areas• Different levels: novice

expertCan be summarised into three elements (Markless & Streatfield, 2007):• connecting with information• interacting with information• making use of information

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• An information literate person:◦ engages in independent self-directed learning◦ uses information processes◦ uses a variety of information technologies and

systems◦ has internalized values that promote information

use◦ has a sound knowledge of the world of information◦ approaches information critically◦ has a personal information style

Information literacy: Bruce (1997)

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Bawden (2008) – four components:• Underpinnings• Background Knowledge• Central Competencies• Attitudes and Perspectives

The key themes that emerge

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Underpinnings:• Literacy (i.e. the ability to read and write)• ICT literacy (i.e. the ability to use computing

devices) Background Knowledge:

◦ the world of information◦ nature of information resources

Underpinnings and Background Knowledge

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Could include the following:◦ reading and understanding digital and non-digital

formats◦ creating and communicating digital information◦ evaluation of information◦ knowledge assembly◦ information literacy◦ media literacy

Central Competencies

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• independent learning • moral / social literacy “…the attitudes and perspectives reflect the

idea that the ultimate purpose of digital literacy is to help each person learn what is necessary for their particular situation. “Moral / social literacy” reflects the need for an understanding of sensible and correct behavior in the digital environment and may include issues of privacy and security.” (Bawden 2008:30)

Attitudes and Perspectives

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Think about your own modules and your own teaching and answer the following:

• Are there module learning outcomes on our courses that reflect aspects of digital literacy?

• How much of the four components do you / we take for granted, in terms of expecting students to already have these knowledge, skills and attitudes?

• What do you, personally, do to support these components of digital literacy?

• What other services / staff support these components of digital literacy?

How do we support digital literacy?

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Academic librarians support information literacy

Computer skills may be supported by IT training services for students.

Literacies such as academic writing, critical thinking and so on may be supported by learning development type services

What is the role of the academic member of staff?

Services supporting digital literacy

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How has an institutional focus on listening to students influenced policies relating to learning for a digital age? University of Glamorgan

How do research-informed approaches to learning and teaching support and develop learners in technology-rich environments? Oxford Brookes University

How can digital literacy help provide the building blocks for lifelong learning? University of Salford

Case Studies – some examples

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The Supporting Literacies in a Digital Age (SLiDA) project identified nine key questions for institutions to consider in supporting digital literacy, (https://wiki.brookes.ac.uk/display/slidacases/SLiDA+Home)

Perhaps those most relevant for inclusive curriculum design are:◦ Q1. What strategies, policies and practices can be used to support

learners to develop digital literacies relevant for professional and lifelong working?

◦ Q3. How can the development of digital literacies and learning support be successfully embedded into the curriculum?

◦ Q4. How can the development of effective learners be supported in individual, personalised ways?

Read the relevant case studies and consider how your own institution would answer these questions.

In the context of your own modules, how would you answer these questions?

Case Studies: Activity

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• Do you feel you have the required computing skills for learning at university?

• Do you feel you have the required communication skills? E.g. To give presentations, to work effectively in groups.

• Do you feel able to work effectively as an independent learner? What support do you need from academics to develop further?

• Do you feel you have the required information literacy skills to find high quality material for your assignments?

• How can we best support you?

Some key questions to ask our students

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How do we integrate into our teaching, learning and assessment / Embed digital literacy into our courses?

• Include digital literacy related learning outcomes in modules.

• Provide opportunities to practice the skills in the subject context.

• Explicitly assess aspects of digital literacy.

Conclusion

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For students: ‘What is information literacy?’http://campus.queens.edu/everett/M2.html

Internet detective: http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/

Resources

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Bawden, D. (2008) 'Origins and Concepts of Digital Literacy' in Lankshear, C. & Knobel, M. (eds.) Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices, New York: Peter Lang

Bruce, C. (1997) The seven faces of information literacy. Adelaide: Auslib Press

Gilster, P. (1997) Digital literacy. New York: Wiley. Markless, S.,& Streatfield, D. (2007) Three decades of information

literacy: redefining the parameters, in S. Andretta (Ed.), Change and challenge: information literacy for the 21st century, Adelaide: Auslb Press.

Martin, A. (2005) ‘DigEuLit – a European Framework for Digital Literacy: a Progress Report’, Journal of eLiteracy, Vol 2 pp.130-136

References

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