C A R O L I N E KU H N B AT H S PA U N I V E R S I T Y

DO WE NEED TO ENGAGE YOUNG STUDENTS

CRITICALLY WITH DIGITAL LITERACIES?

Or are they digital natives ?

MOOCs

Formal education

YouTube

Professional Development

Personal Learning Environments

OER

New Media Consortium Horizon Report

WHAT IS IN THE LITERATURE?

• The Digital Student Project (JISC 2014):• Students do not have clear ideas when they arrive about

how digital technologies can support their studies or how they may be important in their lives beyond university.

• Students are eager to be co-creators, not only of content, but also of their digital environment –context (PLE?)Being consulted about is not enough

• Students need a flexible environment that allows them to experiment, tinker with new tools, learn from each other and create their own blend.

• The ed+social impact of tech (Davies, et al., 2008): • The fact that students use technologies for their lives does

not imply they do the same in their academic lives

*• Hunch: • They are not digitally literate in academic settings

• How can they co-create their learning environments? • How can I engage them to participate in such a

project? • Exploring their current digital practice in and

outside their academic space and hear their needs, expectations, and experience regarding their digital practice at the university

DANGEROUS!

•The inherent risk when the university’s philosophy is grounded in such flawed assumptions around digital natives and educational technology, as they might presuppose there is no need to educate their students digitally

WHAT IS MY PROPOSAL? EXPLORE THE STATE OF THE ACTUAL

•How do undergraduates in educational studies engage with the Internet? •What tools do they use to mediate their activities in and outside the university? •What are their expectations, vision and perceived needs in relation regarding their digital practice at university?

MAPPING AND NOT TRACING AS A MEANS TO ENQUIRY

DELEUZE & GUATARI (1987)RHIZOMATIC CONCEPT OF MAPPING

• Ontology of becoming and not being• Becoming Discloses potential• The nature of becoming is rhizomatics • Reality is a continuum process of flux• It engages with movements of social change thus

change is POSSIBLE!• Includes analysis of relationships between their

actors and their metaphorical construction of space and place • Place as a sense of being present with other

Antihierarchical in its structure

Ever growing horizontal networks

The structure is composed of

multiple lines + connections

No points of position

Celebrates multiplicity +

diversity

THE MANY POSSIBILITIES OF MAPS

ALL A BOARD

VISITOR & RESIDENT CONCEPT TO MAP STUDENTS’ DIGITAL PRACTICE

ResidentVisitor

Institutional

Personal

Expansive learning

QUOTES FOCUS GROUP + STUDENTS’ CONFERENCE• Raised awareness regarding their digital practice otherwise invisible to

them. “Self-consciousness must precede horizontal development (Engestorm, 2001)”

• They are keen to explore but their perception is that they lack the skills to do so and they do not feel capable of doing it without guidance and support

• “It seems like overwhelming once you are out there”• “ I will not risk my grades”• “The web is too big”• “I don’t need more than what I use”• “Why bother if I have to write an essay or do a presentation”• “It seems to me there are many tools that do the same thing, how can

I choose?”• “We are the forgotten generation!”• “Uni needs to guide us and give us support to start”

J I S C D I G I TA L P R O F I L E S U RV E Y

TECHNOLOGY USE IN STUDENTS’ DAILY LIFE

Q U A N T I : 6 6 S T U D E N T S = 4 3 ( 1 9 - 2 6 ) + 3 ( 2 6 - 2 9 ) + 1 0 ( 3 8 - 5 4 )

USE ELECTRONIC LIBRARY OR PORTAL

47%53%

Don't use an electronic library or portal (Wikipedia, subject-based resource) Using an electronic library or portal (Wikipedia, subject-based resource)

PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE DISCUSSION

88%

12%

Don't participate in on-line discussion groupsparticipate in online discussion groups

USE OF WIKI-BLOG-ONLINE NETWORK

71%

29%

Don't use wiki/blog/on-lline networkUse wiki/blob/online network

95%

5%

Don't maintain my own blog or websiteMaintain my own blog or website

I MAINTAIN MY OWN BLOG OR WEBSITE

DOWNLOADING PODCASTS

83%

17%

Don't download podcast download podcast

USE VIDEO OR AUDIO CONFERENCE

83%

17%

Don't use video or audio conferencingDoes use video or audio conferencing

LEARN VIA MOBILE PHONES OF TABLET

85%

15%

Not learning via mobil phones or tabletLearning via mobil phones of tablet

WHAT CAN I SEE?

•More consumers• Less producing and sharing what they know or want to know•Creating a network of people is hard

*•How will higher education advance digital environments that drive innovation with students that are not digital fluent in their academic context?

•Digital literacies are relevant

A TOPOLOGY OF SPACEProperties that are preserved through deformation

personal + digital connecting + social motivational + emotional creative + experiential open + reflective flexible + dynamic self-organised +

knowledge manager

Mol&Law+Jenkins+IFF+JRC+IPTS+EC

DIGITAL PRACTICE UNDER A SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITY THEORY LENS

R cDL

S DLearningP

IDEAS

•Questions•Suggestions