jisc ddl eu competences
DESCRIPTION
Presentation on the JISC DDL programme for a meeting with members of the EU digital competences project team.TRANSCRIPT
Developing Digital Literacies in UK HE and FEwork funded by the JISC 2008-2012
Helen BeethamProgramme synthesis consultant
What do we mean by digital literacy?
By digital literacies we mean the sum of capabilities which
fit an individual for living, learning and working in a
digital society.
In HE/FE this might involve using digital tools: to undertake academic research; for writing
and critical thinking; to collect and analyse data; in professional
practices; in personal development planning; to
showcase achievements.
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academic and learning practices
information and media practices
socio-technical practices
slower changingcultural and institutional inertiaformal learninglifelong development
rapidly changingcommercial and social drivers
informal learningrapid obsolescence
What kind of capabilities?
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What kind of capabilities?
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
Identity development
What does higher and furtherlearning uniquely contribute?
Digital Literacy
2008 Learners' experiences of e-learning programme Students inhabit digitally-saturated personal/social worlds Technology choices are critical to identity and experience They expect 24/7 access to course informationBUT Students struggle to transpose digital skills to study tasks Academic staff skills/confidence and curriculum-based
activities are critical Even within programmes of study students vary widely
2008/10 Student expectations studies Prospective students unclear about the role technology could
play in learning at University Positive about using technology when educational benefits
are clear ICT access and facilities becoming a factor in student choice
Digital literacy as anaspect of the student experience
Digital Literacy
2009/10 Learning literacies in a digital age (LLiDA) studyPractices that underpin effective learning in a digital age:
are meaningful in the context of academic disciplines are an aspect of emerging identity require a confident but also a critical attitude to ICT are creative/productive as well as critical/assimilative are both formal and informal (and blur these boundaries) emerge in meaningful activities in which technologies support
the purpose authentically change continuously as values, practices and institutions of
knowledge change
Digital literacy as situated knowledge practices
www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida
Digital Literacy
Learners need meaningful learning experiences in which technology is intrinsic, including their own technologies
Different subject areas demand and support different kinds of digital capability
Support is fragmented Digital agendas are diverse and poorly defined, especially
'employability' Staff often lack
confidence tosupport studentseffectively
Entitlement vsenhancementagendas
Digital literacy as an institutional responsibility
www.academy.gcal.ac.uk/llida
Digital Literacy
Developing Digital Literacies #jiscdiglit
2011/13 funded programme promoting the development of coherent, inclusive and holistic institutional strategies and approaches for developing digital literacies 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
Plus ten sector bodies: ALDinHE, ALT, AUA, HEDG, ODHE, SCAP, SCONUL, SDF, SEDA, Vitae
www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/developingdigitalliteracies/
1. Institutional audit
1. Policy and strategy (public messages)2. Infrastructure (networks, buildings, spaces, hardware, software, data services, IT support)3. Support (professional services)
4. Practices (e.g. curriculum design, teaching, learning, research, KT, admin.)5. Expertise (courses, frameworks, IAG, sharing, development opps, recognition and reward)6. Culture (expectations, understanding, values, needs, attitudes, beliefs)
Findings: 'forward thinking institutions are'...
1. Joining up strategies2. Investing in infrastructure: mobile, data envmt, streaming media, cloud, VREs, BYOD3. Developing digital capabilities of teaching staff and professional services (professional services)
4. Innovating core processes: curriculum design, quality enhancement, RKT, teaching admin...5. Sharing expertise: recognising and rewarding pioneers including students6. Challenging expectations, understanding, values, needs, attitudes, beliefs
Motives for engaging in the DL agenda
Efficiency in core processesCapacity buildingGlobal marketsBorderless institutionsNew modes of participationPerceived vfm
EmployabilityGraduate attributesDigital reputationDigital capital/digital divide
New social practicesDigital media
Ubiquitous ICTStudent expectations
Digital scholarshipOpen publishing/open data
Digital academic mediaUbiquitous knowledge/data
Organisational priorities Educational digital practices
Personal digital practicesIndividual aspirations
2. Emerging themes
Digital literacies for further and higher education are: Multiple and complex Hybrid – academic practice + digital know-how Based in subject areas: disciplines, vocations,
professions Both generic and subject/role-specific Aspects of personal style – ownership, choice,
performance of identity Acquired and developed as needed – best practiced in
authentic contexts Often acquired from close peers if generic, but likely to require formal support if specialised
Digital capability is...
The claims of top departments to be pushing the boundaries of research require a sustained
engagement with digital scholarship. The claims of top teaching universities to offer a personal, relevant and engaging learning experience
demand sustained innovation in methods. Neither is possible unless universities rethink their offer... in terms of the digital experiences students have
and the digital practices they encounter (Beetham et al, 2009).
Further resources
JISC Developing Digital Literacies programme:
Developing Digital Literacies on the Design Studio
SEDA page on the Design Studio
Baselining Digital Literacies page
Learning Literacies in a Digital Age (original audit study)