aldinhe 2013, know your digital literacies

1www.technologyenhancedlearning.net

Know Your Digital Literacies

Professor Neil Witt Dr Anne McDermott

Rob Stillwell

The influence of digital technologies in creating a new context for Higher Education


It’s not just ‘digital’


Optimal Educational Value

It’s not just ‘digital’


Optimal Educational Value ?

Impact of technology?

• Students willing to use, and expect their devices to be used to support their learning experience.

• An urgency in developing services that meets the students’ needs and expectations.

• Assume that academic staff can/will support their use of technology


Impact of technology?

• Expectation Management?• How to meet these digital needs?• How to engage and support ALL staff?• How to embed into practice?


Change via a JISC project?

• Builds on 2011 BCUP project• Audit of systems, policies,

infrastructure and data• Views from academic and

support staff on use of, and practice with, existing software and hardware systems.

• Recommending Institutional change on DL issues around:• Infrastructure• Support• Curriculum Design



What Is SEEDPoD?

• Investigating digital literacies at Plymouth University

• Funded under the JISC’s Developing Digital Literacies Programme– National Programme 2011-2013– 12 HEIs– 11 sector bodies and professional associations– http://www.jisc.ac.uk/developingdigitalliteracies/

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/developingdigitalliteracies/

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/developingdigitalliteracies/


What Are Digital Literacies?

In the 21st century IT competence needed by– learners– teachers– professionals– everybody (>90% jobs require IT competence of some degree)

Seven separate ‘literacies’ contribute to 3 areas– Content Production– Content Consumption– Professional and Academic Practice


The Digital Literacies


Digital Literacies

• ICT / Computer LiteracyRanges from basic keyboard skills to the ability to explore, understand and evaluate new technologies

• Information LiteracyFind, interpret, evaluate, organise, manipulate, share and record information

e.g.•working with documents, presentations and spreadsheets•choosing and using cloud services

e.g.•understanding issues of authority, reliability, provenance•knowledge of IPR, plagiarism, citation


And …..

• Media LiteracyConsumption and production of high quality media outputs needs a sophisticated understanding of audience, creator, message and technology

• Communication and CollaborationDigital networks for sharing and collaboration in support of knowledge, scholarship, research and learning

e.g.•Selecting transmission means most suited to target audience•Use of text, video and audio editing software

e.g.•Email, online forums, chat rooms, social networks, webinar•Collaborating in online documents & interactive events


Not forgetting …..

• Digital ScholarshipOpen publishing is beginning to redefine what is meant by the term ‘scholarly’

• Learning SkillsThe ability to study and learn effectively in technology-rich environments.

e.g.•An academic’s blog might have 1000s of followers•Academic debates in an online community of practice•Mandates for Open Access Publishing

e.g.•Think critically, academic writing, referencing, managing tasks•Receive assessment and acting on feedback in digital formats


And finally ……

• Being a Professional• Also known as Life Planning, this puts digital

literacies into a distinct framework in support of an individual’s employability.

• Having the knowledge and skills to act ethically, responsibly and safely in the digital world are vital aspects of this element.

e.g.• Digital tools, services, social networks can be used,

to aid reflection and build an ePortfolio.• Online promotion through blogs, Twitter, Facebook,

website• Knowing what others can find out about you on the

Internet• Use digital tools to support PDP and CPD.


So, what’s important


The Digital Strategy

Opportunity 1 – inputting into Strategy

•Key theme 1 - Digital People•Key theme 2 - Digital teaching, learning and research•Key theme 3 - Digital services•Key theme 4 - Digital Infrastructure and Capability


The way ahead – Digital Strategy

Theme 1: To develop the digital literacy of our staff and students to promote and develop the University’s reputation, our research and our student experience.

Professional Support Staff•Develop the digital literacy skills and confidence of our professional services staff to enable them to develop and deliver efficient services, communicate effectively and promote the reputation of the University

Academic Staff•Develop the digital literacy skills and confidence of our academic staff to embed technology in their learning approach, to communicate effectively and support the delivery of their curriculum.

Students•Develop digitally literate students who are able to appropriately choose, use and personalise technologies and digital content to suit their own needs. •They will be skilled users of digital information able to act ethically, responsibility and securely in a fast-moving digital environment


Performance Development Review

Opportunity 2 – using new processes

Embed in PDREmbed in PDR

Embracing Change

Opportunity 3 – use Restructuring


An opportunity to recommend Institutional change:• Infrastructure• Support


Joining it all up

Embed in the curriculumEmbed in the curriculum


• Benchmark and gather evidence

• Take every available opportunity

• Influence then operationalise strategy

• Embed into Staff Development

• Embed into processes (e.g. Curriculum Design)


Find Out More

Visit www.seedpod.org.uk

http://www.seedpod.org.uk/

aldinhe 2013, know your digital literacies

Education

digital infrastructure

digital needs

digital teaching

digital world

digital formats

digital literacy skills

digital strategy theme

collaboration digital