"By digital literacy we mean those capabilities which fit an individual for living,
learning and working in a digital society".
Digital Literacy Introduction - CTLs January 2015
Students arrive at college with a relatively high level of mobile device ownership but digital skills often more appropriate for games and popular social networking.
Up until now they have had less experience of applying this skillset to learning and employment.
This will change as students enter LR with more experience using digital devices in the classroom and for learning.
They will raise their expectations about the experience they will have at LR.
See Get Connected September 2014
Experience & Expectations
Feedback from universities is that students entering HE will need a high level of digital skills if they are not going to be digitally disadvantaged.
Digital literacy is becoming a key component of a student’s employability value.
Digital competence is not optional in today’s workforce as most employers offering higher level jobs require excellent digital skills now and in the future.
Digital literacy encourages students to develop a positive online identity and to understand more fully e-safety and e-respect.
Digital Literacy & Progression
Students often lack a clear sense of how technology can support their learning.
They are expected to handle information coming to them in a variety of formats and from a variety of sources.
They show immense diversity in their preferences for and experiences of technology.
“…By encouraging students to improve their digital literacy skills, we also aim to help them improve their higher order thinking and learning skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaborative skills.” (Jisc)
Academic Context
Digitally literate students require digitally literate teachers.
The decisions made by course teams about how they deliver the curriculum can play an essential role in shaping students’ technology use.
Appropriate use of digital technologies can enable a more flexible, dynamic and engaging mode of delivery, e.g. via the VLE, blended learning, flipped classroom.
Digitally Literate Course Teams
1. Digital Literacy Framework (DLF) based on the Beetham and Sharpe Digital Literacy pyramid (Jisc) and from a Learner’s perspective.
2. Extract from Get Connected September 2014 profiling the average LR student on enrolment and matched to the DLF
3. Activity focusing on the skills and opportunities offered by teachers to enable students to develop their digital literacy skillset.
Digital Literacy Framework
