Digital Literacy in Writing Instruction (revision)

PREFACEWhat follows is a draft of a presentation I was asked to puttogether in order to explain the role of digital literacy in writinginstruction to those outside the field.I’m also working on a shorter version, to be delivered in about15 minutes, and I’d appreciate feedback from colleagues onwhich points are most likely to be compelling to our targetaudience.You may contact me at: http://amygoodloe.com/contact

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW Understanding digital literacy Approaches to teaching digital literacy Learning goals and benefits Common concerns Recommendations for the PWR

UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL LITERACY

DEFINITION OF LITERACYIn the context of writinginstruction, literacy canbe defined as: the ability to effectively participate in a variety of conversations using current and emerging technologies for research, reading, and writing

“EFFECTIVELY PARTICIPATE”Includes the ability to:•find the conversations•read them closely and critically•evaluate different perspectives and forms of evidence•enter into the conversation through writing or other means of communicationin both print and digital environments

“CONVERSATIONS”Formal and informal exchanges ofideas among discoursecommunities, including academic,professional, and civic• Traditionally occurred only in print or face to face venues• Now also occur in digital environments

“TECHNOLOGIES”Literacy has always required knowing how touse technologies for research, reading, &writing The nature of literacy changes in response to changes in these technologies For most of our lives, the technologies of literacy enabled reading &writing in print formats Now the technologies of literacy enable reading &writing in digital formats as well

WHAT ABOUT “DIGITAL” LITERACY? The nature of literacy has changed to the extent that the digital is implied in today’s definitions of literacy. Here are a few more definitions…

“Literacy includes the ability to read and interpret media (text, sound, images), to reproduce data and images through digital manipulation, and to evaluate and apply new knowledge gained from digital environments.”Barbara R. Jones-Kavalier and Suzanne L. Flannigan.“Connecting the Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century,” EducauseQuarterly. http://goo.gl/GUA7k

“Literacy has always been a collection of cultural and communicative practices shared among members of particular groups. As society and technology change, so does literacy. Because technology has increased the intensity and complexity of literate environments, the twenty-first century demands that a literate person possess a wide range of abilities and competencies, many literacies. These literacies—from reading online newspapers to participating in virtual classrooms—are multiple, dynamic, and malleable.”“21st Century Literacies Framework.” National Council of Teachers of English. http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/21stcentframework

THE CHANGING NATURE OF LITERACY Research - Reading - Writing

RESEARCHWriting instruction has alwaysincluded helping students with How has thethe process of searching for, nature oflocating, managing, and researchevaluating information changed?

RESEARCH: NEW PROCESSESNotable portion of research time is now spent onsorting through vast number of sources Research can become social and collaborative, through social media sharing toolsSocial media tools allow us to build “personal learningnetworks” and customized information portals

RESEARCH:NEW OPPORTUNITIESDigital texts offer insight into how knowledgeis produced through refinements in thinking,in response to conversationsDigital environments give us greater accessto populations for primary research

RESEARCH: NEW CHALLENGESHarder to assess credibility• Difficulty identifying concepts like publication, publisher, author, editor• Confusion over who’s “screening” informationSheer volume of available information isoverwhelming

READINGWriting instruction has alwaysincluded an emphasis onreading:• Writing often emerges in How has the nature of response to readings reading changed?• Studying written texts gives insight into the craft• Effective writing must appeal to readers

READING: NEW DEFINITIONSReading now requires the ability tonavigate in hypertext environmentsReading also requires the ability tointerpret new media genres

Every technology for reading was new at some point… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ

READING: NEW EXPERIENCESAbility to move rapidly between multiple sources Option to customize a “feed” of readings based on interests Ability to easily search readings and carry a large collection with youAvailability of multiple tools for sharing what you’rereading

Social Nature of Reading

READING: NEW CHALLENGESIncreased opportunities for distractionTemptation to read quickly and shallowly

Typical pattern for reading on the web

WRITINGThe purpose of writinginstruction has alwaysbeen to help studentsmake effective use ofthe genres relevant to How has the naturetheir rhetorical situations of writing changed?• Includes academic, civic, public, and professional

WRITING: NEW DEFINITIONSWriting now includes composing in multiplemodalities, including hypertext, images,audio, and videoWriting also includes greater attention torhetorical principles for design and layout

WRITING: NEW OPPORTUNITIESto participate in civic and professionalconversations to compose in collaborative, interactive environmentsto publish writing “in progress”

WRITING:NEW RHETORICAL SITUATIONS Audiences might extend to communities beyond the class Purposes for writing are potentially immediate and practical New genres: blogs, wikis, web sites, email, social media, podcasts, photo essays, videos, animations

APPROACHES TO TEACHING DIGITAL LITERACY In Rhetoric & Composition Classes

APPROACHES - OVERVIEWDigital literacy as a topic• Discuss the changing nature of literacy• Engage in rhetorical analyses of digital compositionsDigital literacy as a practice• Experiment with current and emerging technologies for research, reading, and writing• Ask students to compose rhetorically compelling messages in digital environments and/or in digital media formats

EXAMPLES: ENGAGE IN RHETORICAL ANALYSISStudy the rhetorical • Blogs, wikis, or forums practices of an on topics related to the class online discourse • Discussions on community Wikipedia pages Study rhetorical • What is the rhetorical principles for purpose of interfacecommunicating via design?web and interface • How do navigational elements impact design readers?

Understanding the rhetorical purpose of blog layout

EXAMPLES:EXPLORE TECHNOLOGIES OF WRITINGExperiment with tools • Social bookmarkingthat enhance reading, • Google Docs • Tools to annotatewriting, collaboration, web pages andand peer review PDFsExperiment with • Blogsdifferent platforms for • Wikisweb publishing • Social media • Prezi • Glogster

Google Docs “comment” featureDiigo highlighterand sticky notes

EXAMPLES:COMPOSE IN DIGITAL ENVIRONMENTSContribute to a public blog or wiki built by the class• Class blog for students across multiple sections• Blog or wiki to showcase research to target audienceContribute to existing blog, wiki, forum, or other digitalenvironment• Posting comments that inspire a response• Editing a Wikipedia entry

Sample class research wiki

Class blog for threesections of my WRTG3020 in Fall 2011.Students posted atotal of 606 entriesand 1044 comments.

EXAMPLES: COMPOSE IN DIGITAL MEDIACompose a project for audiovisual delivery • Personal narrative (audio essay with photo slideshow) • Exploratory essay (“This I Believe” audio essay) • Mini-documentary research video • Prezi with text, images, and videoEngage in digital media critique • Strategic remix of digital media contentExplore “re-mediation” • Composing the same message in multiple modalities to study how the message changes

Sample mini- documentarySample audio essay

Sample research project on Prezi

BENEFITS OF INTEGRATING DIGITAL LITERACY

HELPS US MEET ESTABLISHED GOALS OF WRITING INSTRUCTIONComposing processesRhetorical knowledgeCritical thinkingDiscourse conventionsGoals established by WPA, NCTE, CCC, and CCHE

GOAL: COMPOSING PROCESSESAs readers in digital environments:• Students can more easily view how ideas emerge through a process of conversation and refinementAs writers:• Response from real world audiences leads to desire to revise• Digital media composition requires a multi-step process • Can’t produce a rhetorically powerful digital composition project the night before! • Requires planning, research, collaboration, problem- solving, drafting, feedback, revision

GOAL: RHETORICAL KNOWLEDGEAs readers in digital environments:• Easy availability of digital environments and genres allows students to study how writers respond to real rhetorical situations and employ rhetorical strategiesAs writers:• Gives students opportunities to compose for real audiences and purposes, using contemporary genres and publishing platforms

GOAL: CRITICAL THINKINGAs readers in digital environments:• Allows us to study how arguments work in action: types of evidence, persuasive strategies, impact on readers, nature of dialogue and disagreementAs writers:• Gain deeper insight into the rhetorical strategies and appeals used in digital formats by composing in them • As composers, students start to recognize subtle strategies for establishing credibility and persuading audiences

GOAL: DISCOURSE CONVENTIONSAs readers in digital environments:• Reading digital texts helps to raise awareness of the role of conventions in both print and digital genresAs writers:• Gives students practice at adapting conventions based on their target discourse community• Provides insight into the purpose of conventions that students often struggle with in print writing • Structural elements, such as introductions, transitions, “units” of thought, coherent progression of ideas

ADDITIONAL BENEFITSReinforces traditional writing skillsImproves digital literacy skillsValidates multimodal literaciesInspires greater student engagementPrepares students for the future of writing

REINFORCES TRADITIONAL WRITING SKILLSIn their research into the pedagogical benefits of digitalstorytelling for college students, Oppermann and Coventry(2011) found that: Being asked to communicate in the „new language‟ of multimedia brings students a greater awareness of the component parts of traditional writing. Digital storytelling helps students develop a stronger voice and helps students more accurately and firmly place themselves in relationship to the arguments of others.

IMPROVES DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLSToday’s college students don’t have the digital literacy skills theyneed to compete against today’s high school students • But many don’t realize it, as they’ve been told they’re “digital natives”Digital composition projects enable students to: • Identify deficiencies in their digital literacy skills • Remedy them while working on a project they find meaningful

VALIDATES MULTIMODAL LITERACYLiteracy researchers have long emphasized the value of multiplemodalities in human communication (text, sound, visuals) • Age of print: printed text is easiest to produce and distribute (multimedia is for pros only) • Digital age: relatively easy and inexpensive to produce and distribute text, audio, images, and videoAssigning multimodal composition projects validates the rhetoricalpower of multiple modalities

IMPROVES STUDENT ENGAGEMENTComposing for real audiences and purposes inspiresgreater investment• Students have a genuine interest in conveying a meaningful messageRelevance of assignments spurs greater effort• Helps students see writing as having a legitimate purpose beyond “term papers”

Opperman and Coventry (2011) found that digitalcomposition projects allow students to: • work on authentic assignments • develop their personal and academic voice • represent knowledge to a community of learners • receive situated feedback from their peers Due to their affective involvement with this process and the novelty effect of the medium, students are more engaged than in traditional assignments.

PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE OF WRITINGToday, elementary school students are producingmultimedia research projects• What kind of research projects will they expect to do in college?• What kind of projects will employers expect all college graduates to be capable of producing?What will count as “good communication skills” in thefuture?

COMMON CONCERNS

WHATS “DIGITAL” ABOUT ACADEMIC WRITING?• The nature of academic writing and research are changing in response to digital tools and environments• Important and relevant academic conversations now take place in digital environments• Consider the push to change the nature of academic publishing to accommodate digital environments and media

I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR DIGITAL LITERACY!• Don’t treat digital literacy as an “add on.” Instead, consider: • How might digital literacy activities help you accomplish current learning goals? • How might your existing lesson plans benefit from some attention to digital tools or genres?

I’M NOT DIGITALLY SAVVY ENOUGH• Professionals in nearly every occupation have to constantly adapt to changes in their field• Literacy professionals must also adapt to the changing nature of literacy • Pursue opportunities for professional development • Become familiar with pedagogy and scholarship • Use campus resources to support technology training• Digital literacy is now part of the job description for most positions in rhetoric and composition.

STUDENTS ARE ALREADY DIGITAL NATIVES• Simply growing up in a digital culture does not lead students to become critical and rhetorically aware users of these tools• Most of us grew up in a print culture, but we still had to undergo years of schooling to learn to be “print literate”• Our students are eager for informed guidance through the landscape of digital composition

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PWR

BASIC PREMISE Writing instruction has always been about teaching literacyThe nature of literacy is changing as we shift to a digital culture The nature of writing instruction has also changedTo remain relevant to our students and to our discipline, we too must change

RECOMMENDATIONS - INTROWhat role should digital literacy play in the PWR?I have recommendations regarding:• Acknowledgement• Support• Class activities

RECOMMENDATION - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThe role of digital literacy in writing instruction shouldbe acknowledged throughout the program, in:• Curricular goals• Hiring and reappointment criteria• Mission statement• Relevant committees and initiatives• New course proposals

RECOMMENDATION - SUPPORTIntegrating digital literacy should be supportedeffectively through:• Digital Composition Coordinator• Digital Composition Committee• Connections with campus resources• Opportunities for professional development • workshops, peer mentoring, going to conferences

RECOMMENDATION - CLASS ACTIVITIESAll classes should provide some exposure to: • Current and emerging technologies for writing • The rhetorical nature of digital composition • (even if only for 30 minutes once during the semester)All classes should offer students the opportunity tocompose in a digital genre • Ranging from a short activity to a project assignment

RESOURCES COMING SOON!We’re working on assembling resources to help faculty integratedigital literacy into their pedagogy and practice, such as: • Readings on scholarship and pedagogy • Sample assignments and activities • Instructions and tutorials for faculty and studentsResources, along with a longer Strategic Plan that fleshes out theconcepts in this presentation, will be published on the PWRTeaching Writing with Technology blog http://www.pwrfaculty.net/technology

http://techcommdesign.net	238
http://digitalwriting101.net	47
http://www.pwrfaculty.net	34
http://paper.li	1

Digital Literacy in Writing Instruction (revision)

by Amy Goodloe on Feb 04, 2012

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

4 Embeds 320

Statistics

Digital Literacy in Writing Instruction (revision) — Presentation Transcript