Digital Literacies and the Student Experience

Helen Beetham and Sarah Knight15th November 2011

#JISCDIGLIT

http://bit.ly/jiscdiglit

What is digital literacy?Digital Literacy

“digital literacy expresses the sum of capabilities an individual needs to live,

learn and work in a digital society”

2008 Learners' experiences of e-learning programmeStudents inhabit digitally-saturated personal/social worldsTechnology choices are critical to identity and experienceThey expect 24/7 access to course information

BUTStudents struggle to transpose digital skills to study tasksAcademic staff skills/confidence critical to +ve experiencesStudy preferences and needs are very different

2008/10 Student expectations studiesProspective students unclear about the role technology could play in learning at UniversityStudents feel positive about using technology when educational benefits are clearICT access and facilities becoming a factor in student choice

How does digital literacyimpact on the student experience?

www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida

Digital Literacy

How can digital literacyenhance the student experience?

www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida

Digital Literacy

Being able to learn fluently across technologies and contexts

Building academic/professional digital identity

Getting access tolearning opportunities

Integrating diverseliving/learning experiences

Having critical judgementin relation to digital means and media

Knowing what I need to know, and how to express it

Being a participant in the digital learning community

www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida

Digital Literacy Is digital literacyessential to the student experience?

And, if so, what are our responsibilities?

What challenges do your students facein becoming digitally literate learners?

2009/10 Learning literacies in a digital age studyLearners need high-value, meaningful experiences in which technology is intrinsicDifferent subject areas demand different kinds of digital capabilitySupport is fragmented; staff often lack confidence in this area

How does digital literacydevelop through University study?

www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida

Digital Literacy

Identity development

How does digital literacydevelop through University study?

Digital Literacy

How will we manage multiple identities in a world where public and private are being redefined?

How will we act safely and responsibility in hybrid spaces?

Digital LiteracyHow does digital literacy

develop through University study?

How does this relate tograduate attributes?

Digital Literacy

Sense making

Social intelligence

Adaptive thinking

Cross-cultural competency

Virtual collaboration

Computational thinking

New media literacy

Cognitive load management

Transdisciplinarity

Design mindset

Davies, A., Fidler, D., Gorbis, M. (2011) Future Work Skills 2020. Institute for the Future, for the University of Phoenix Research Institute. University of Phoenix.

How does this relate tograduate attributes?

Digital Literacy

Digital literacy one of five graduate attributes at Oxford Brookes University, defined as…

The functional access, skills and practices necessary to become . . .

a confident, agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use

https://wiki.brookes.ac.uk/display/slidacases/Oxford+Brookes

What kinds of experiencedo your students need to have...

(a) in the curriculum?(b) in the co-curriculum?

… to develop authentic digital capabilities and relevant graduate attributes?

How do institutions need to change?

2010 Supporting Learners in a Digital Age (SLIDA)9 institutions studied in depth9 critical questions, including:

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

Q5. In what ways can digital policies and practices be student driven?

Q8. How are institutions making use of effective digital learners to benefit other learners?

wiki.brookes.ac.uk/display/slida

How do institutions need to change?

Involve learners in shaping their ownexperience with technology

www.jisc.ac.uk/digiemerge

2009/12 Curriculum Design & Delivery

Students as active curriculum partners

Harnessing student skills

Creating collaborative cultures

'Engaged students – the leaders of tomorrow – are encouraged to see how their own ideas can lead to collaborative change … If institutions can embrace passionate student advocates, they will be in a good position to drive forward innovation and to make a real and genuine difference to the services they provide.'Dale Potter, Students’ Project Coordinator, University of Exeter

Integrate technologiesinto learning places and spaces

University of Edinburgh SLIDA case study (2010)New teaching studio: collaboration and personal devices 'designed in'Informal group study spaces with wifi, sockets, projectors:

library pods, bookable rooms, common areasMain library refurbishment: flexible spaces for different kinds of study

Integrate technologiesinto learning places and spaces

We really, really struggled to be in the computing lab, and there'd be ...six of you trying to sit around one monitor...

We ended up doing it in separate sections and putting it all together... It

really wasn't suited at all to group work. Kate Slaughter, student

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I don't know how you did without them, honestly, because just every single group would book those rooms. Marsali Wallace, student

Prepare learners for learningwith technology

Student consultation: positively evaluated: continuously updatedhttps://wiki.brookes.ac.uk/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=36208955

Abingdon and Witney College SLIDA case study

● Extensive student consultation● Lack of digital and learning skills● Developed online package:

Digital and Learning Literacies Induction (DALLI)

● Reusable, updated regularly● All students undergo formative

assessment for IT skills ● One hour digital literacy

induction sessions using DALLI● Revision/review any time

University of BradfordOnline pre-induction support

● Expectations survey and first year experience qu'aire

● Students struggle with transition to university study

● Use familiar social software environment

● Pre-induction students ask questions of student mentors

● Meet other students pre-arrival● Links to 'Develop Me!' skills and

induction material

Integrate Digital Literacies #jiscdiglit

Developing Digital Literacies 2011/13 A sector-wide programme promoting the development of

coherent, inclusive and holistic institutional strategies and organisational approaches for developing digital literacies for staff and students in UK further and higher education

University of Greenwich University of the Arts London

University of Exeter Coleg Llandrillo

University of Plymouth University of Reading

University of Bath University College London

Oxford Brookes University Cardiff University

Worcester College Institute of Education

www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/developingdigitalliteracies/

What could your institution be doing?

- to enhance the experience of learning with technology?

- to offer digitally rich experiences in and beyond the curriculum?

- to ensure all students have access to digital devices, networks, skills?

- to recognise and respond to students' digital preferences?

- to develop as a learning organisation in the digital age?

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Materials from the Developing Digital Literacies Programme #jiscdiglit

Working across the sector

JISC is working in collaboration with sector bodies and professional associations to:

Gather information and user requirements

Develop professional frameworks and practices

Synthesise and validate outcomes from the programme

Raise awareness and consult widely with stakeholders

Organisations we are working with initially include:ALDinHE | ALT | AUA | HEDG | LSIS | NUS

ODHE | SCAP | SDF | SEDA | SCONUL | Vitae

Opportunities to involve and engage others will follow.