Pathways To Participation In The Digital World

Pathways to participation in the Digital World: What happens when people with literacy difficulties begin to use ICT for the first time? Leo Casey, NALA ALO Forum 23rd of April, 2009

What is a basic literacy? Digital literacy as a basic literacy Insights from learning for digital literacy How should educators respond?

Literacy
… as Skills
Individual have/have not
Specific to technology/software
Measured by tests
Quantitative research
… as Social Practice
Associated with situations
Shared meaning
Emphasis on tasks and activities
Qualitative research

Digital Literacy Print Literacy Computer Literacy Information Literacy Media Literacy Literacy and Literacies

What do we mean by a ‘basic’ literacy The question is why we describe some practices, such as using digital technologies, or using numbers in everyday situations, as basic literacies and not others?

A basic literacy is...
Associated with a situation or practice not with an individual
Such a practice has significant social or economic value
The practice is pervasive – difficult to avoid
Digital Literacy is a basic literacy

The Digital World

Across the 25 EU Member States
37% of people aged 16 - 74 lack basic computer skills
61% of people over 55 years of age have never used a computer
80% of the over 55s with lower-levels of education have never used a computer
Source: Eurostat - Statistics in Focus, 2006, No. 17. European Commission

Interview Participants

BEN Ben is 48 years old Works in transport Connects with the office for dockets Sees others using computers Feels left out and alienated Wants to be competent - do his own dockets and participate - book holidays on the Internet, send e-mails

Adult Learners
Learn what they want to learn and what they perceive as useful and they integrate new learning with past experience
Tusting, K. and Barton, D. (2003) Models of adult learning: a literature review,
National Research and Development Centre for adult literacy and numeracy. Institute of Education, UK .

From the student’s perspective...
Three significant concepts influencing learning for basic computer skills:
Competence Desire
The Digital World
Learning Identity

Competence Desire General Competence Desire Specific Competence Desire

The Digital World
I am outside the Digital World
The Digital World is to be respected even feared
Mary: I just felt that I was left out of it I mean I tried to use it a few times and he [her son] nearly …died because he knew I couldn’t use it properly.
Mary: I was too afraid because as you get older in life technology … you kind of fear it because you didn’t grow up with it, really … and I was a bit scared of it

The Digital World
I did not always have a need to be part of the Digital World but I do now
The Digital World is up there.
Marie: … being left out of it? I think yes probably. As I get older I think it’s something that I would use more and more (because it connects you?) yes with people, family and friends.
Mary: I mean, I drive a car I passed my test I didn’t [ fail]…but for some reason, that… didn’t seem as big as actually … using a computer isn’t it funny! It was more manual, it was more hands on … where computers are kind of up there you know .

Learning Identity

Mary, the 53-year-old retail worker The reason I decided to participate in the course was as there was a computer in my home that my son used and he was very good at. I just felt that I was left out of it I mean I tried to use it a few times and he nearly … died because he knew I couldn’t use it properly.

Mary, the 53-year-old retail worker (continued) And to be honest even to go on the Internet and look up things or even write a letter or e-mail I always felt excluded and at this moment in life everyone’s talking about e-mails, everyone’s talking about Internet and I was totally out of that , because I didn’t know how to use it properly

Ben, 48 year old dockland worker It’s just that I worked around computers that I never went near them ... in the last job I was in. What I didn’t learn from...them, what I could have learned, and I’m just ignorant passing by them every day knowing that ‘here could you print me this’ or ‘do this on it’ and all that

Ben, 48 year old dockland worker I remember the teacher saying this’ll do you a world of good. Yeh right! Just give me a shovel and I’ll dig a hole .… what do I need a computer for to dig a hole but now-a-day if you see people digging a hole they have to take measurements … it’s all back, all paperwork’s back into computers

Ben, 48 year old dockland worker .... broadband or whatever that is but it’s a new word for me. So what is that? It’s not like I just learn the word . I know the word broadband but you have to learn ... tell me what it is, even though I know the name I don’t know what it means or what it is.

Tim -65 year old recent retiree Dear Gerry, I would like to make a suggesting as the people have no trust in the Government. As we have seen what people power can do would it not be better if all the sporting people of the country got behind the Garda. And used the a credential email address to the garda of any thing that could be helpful or any other About this case thing they see if we are to put a stop to all of the murders …. this could happing again to any of us if we are in the wrong place at the wrong time Please don't mention my name.

A Grounded Theory

How should educators respond? The challenge and the opportunity

The Digital World – Narrow the Gap Pedagogic strategies need to deal with the Digital World. Non-users should to be invited in; to explore in confidence and without risk. This may be achieved by means of stories of role models, people like themselves, who are now active with ICT.

Competence Desire – Get Specific
Competence Desire is a powerful pro-disposition to support adult students as they begin to use new technologies
By focusing on specific tasks and outcomes, learners can avail of the immediate advantages of their actions
Competence desires may be harnessed as a means of setting goals for adult learning

Competence Desire – Get Specific
Learning is best supported by a close connection between the usage and learning context
simulated environments for task completion,
safe zones for exploration without risk
choice and agency
In contrast, a generalised competence desire is less useful and may even reinforce feelings of inadequacy

Learning Identity
Experiences of school still loom large
Age and technology – older people are not expected to be good with technology.
Risk of learning - the potential pitfalls are
shame
fear of failure
wasted effort
and an expectation of school-like situations.

Learning Identity
Pedagogic strategies to help adult basic skills learners to reconstruct their Learning Identities will focus on:
self-esteem
re-appraisal of school experiences
planning for learning
experience of learning

Thank You

Pathways To Participation In The Digital World

by Leo Casey on Apr 22, 2009

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Pathways To Participation In The Digital World — Presentation Transcript