Developing digital literaciesin disciplinary contexts

Helen Beetham, JISC and ALTYork meeting, July 2013

bit.ly/DLdisciplines

Two basic approaches:

-Developing subject-specific digital literacy profiles/frameworks (aspiration)-Embedding digital literacy activities into courses of study (development)

Developing digital literacy profiles:

•Do we need subject-specific profiles, or are generic profiles / attributes more powerful (i.e. is the University the right body to define)?Is it as simple as tweaking subject benchmarks (where required) and/or a dialogue with the QAA?

•Should let many examples develop (including different examples from the same subject area) and share them?

•Is this rather a process which needs to be owned by departments, whose outcomes are only locally relevant?

Developing digital literacy profiles:starting from a general model

Identity developmen

tSituated practices

Skills developmen

tFunctional access

'I am...'

'I do...'

'I can...'

'I have...'

specialisedenhancement

generalentitlementBeetham and Sharpe

2010

Developing digital literacy profiles:a subject-specific model (expert generated)

Developing digital literacy profiles:data collection model

How would you go about it?

Developing digital literacy profiles: what we have learned

Avoid over-specifying

‣On the other hand, don't stray out of scope – stick to the digital as method or context

‣Process over outcome

‣ Involve as wide a range of stakeholders as possible

‣Differences across broad subject areas are often less than you think: topic/specialism differences within subjects can be large

‣Subject-specific uses of generic technologies are as important as subject specialist technologies

Embedding digital literacy into the curriculum:the elements

‘capabilities that fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital

society’ICT/Computer Literacy: the ability to adopt, adapt and use digital devices, applications and services in pursuit of scholarly and educational goals.

Information Literacy: the ability to find, interpret, evaluate, manipulate, share and record information, especially scholarly and educational information

Media Literacy: the ability to critically read and creatively produce academic and professional communications in a range of media.

Communication and Collaboration: the ability to participate in digital networks and working groups of scholarship, research and learning

Learning Skills: the ability to study and learn effectively in technology-rich environments, formal and informal

Digital scholarship: the ability to participate in emerging academic, professional and research practices that depend on digital systems

Embedding digital literacy into the curriculum:the desired outcomes (skills -> practices)

Graduate Attribute Statementsa digitally literate learner is flexible and reflective, confident and capable of selecting appropriate tools and software for effective scholarship and research (University of Liverpool)a confident, agile adopter of a range of technologies for personal, academic and professional use (Oxford Brookes University)confident users of advanced technologies... exploiting the rich sources of connectivity digital working allows(Wolverhampton University)to be effective global citizens and interact in a networked society (Leeds Metropolitan University)

[graduates should be] reflective and critical, aware of the educational, social, and political assumptions involved in the restructuring of education, technology, and society currently under way

(Kahn and Kellner 2005)

questioning not only the usefulness of technologies for given ends, but the ends for which they are offered as means

Embedding digital literacy into the curriculum:the desired outcomes (confidence -> criticality)

Embedding digital literacies into the curriculum:the activities/experiences

‣ Activities must be meaningful in terms of the topic/practice

‣Students must know: what is assessed, what is at stake, what success looks like, how the task is relevant to them

‣ Staff modelling digital practice is powerful but not critical if there is (a) clarity about the educational goals (b) support from others

‣ Boundary-crossing experiences (e.g. public/private, research/learning) are powerful...

‣... but maintaining a safe, clearly designated and structured space for learning is critical at first

‣Specialist technologies: structured support, progressive practice

‣Generic technologies: choice, informal support, signed resources

‣Activities should be creative/productive as well as critical/assimilative

Developing teaching staff:a scholarly discourse, rooted in the subject

What questions is your subject asking

of digital technology?

What would you like technology to do that enhances your practices and values as an academic/educator?

What questions is digital technology asking of/in your

subject?

How are you having to adapt your methods and practices e.g. publishing,

data capture and analysis, collaboration, research communication,

writing, teaching?

bit.ly/DLdisciplinesChoose one staff development resource to reviewRead and or try out the resource, in pairs if you likeDiscussHow might you use this (when, with whom, in what setting)?What do you think the value might be?Do you see any drawbacks or problems? How could they be resolved (e.g. by repurposing/localising)How confident would you feel about using this resource in your subject community?

At your table, discuss:

What do members of your subject community staff really need to embed and support digital literacies?What would you like to see coming out of the programme that could support your project (better)?What is your project bringing to the table?

Feedback: over to you