Developing digital literacies in undergradrate students: experience of the SADL projct
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
3 likes•1,129 views
Presentation given at the Academic Practices with Technology conference at University of Greenwich - 8th July 2015
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to Developing digital literacies in undergradrate students: experience of the SADL projct
Similar to Developing digital literacies in undergradrate students: experience of the SADL projct (20)
More from Jane Secker
More from Jane Secker (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Developing digital literacies in undergradrate students: experience of the SADL projct
- 1. Developing digital literacies in undergraduate students: Experiences of the SADL project Jane Secker and Geraldine Foley LSE Learning Technology and Innovation (LTI)
- 2. Why digital literacy? JISC definition: “By digital literacy we mean those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society: for example, the skills to use digital tools to undertake academic research, writing and critical thinking; as part of personal development planning; and as a way of showcasing achievements.”
- 3. Students as ‘Change Agents’ • Key focus of Jisc Change Agents Network • Building student engagement • Students as partners • Students as producers
- 4. SADL Project aims • To understand students’ existing digital and information literacy (DIL) skills. • To explore how best to support students to improve their DIL skills and provide peer support.
- 5. • Doubled the cohort of UGs • Extended to 4 departments • 4 workshops in 2 terms • Introduced Seniors • Introduced group project SADL Year Two
- 6. SADL Senior Ambassadors • Worked alongside staff • Gave feedback on workshop content • Guided and worked with students in workshops • Gave feedback on sessions • Led student projects
- 7. Evaluation and impact study
- 8. What worked? • Recruitment and incentives • Email and face to face comms • Most workshop content & format • Senior ambassadors
- 9. What worked less well? • Request for more structure / clearer role • Blogging • Peer support for students beyond SADL • Group project
- 10. “there should be more incentive to write blogs” “Enjoyed getting hands on and going out to speak to the people. This is where I felt most like an ambassador”. “Prior to this workshop I had little exposure to using the Library catalogue or google scholar. Very insightful and have since gone on to use both resources”. “Senior was really good, always at meetings, answered questions, motivated us. Really got the ball rolling and got us working”. “The role is kinda blurry sometimes. We go to workshops and we tell people about it but no one really listens”. “I really enjoyed hearing what everyone else had to say, that was where I learnt the most”. The atmosphere was “like a community not like a classroom, all learning together”. The role of the student ambassador needs more work “Many students didn't know what it is, need more clarity on what it is, what digital literacy involves”. The course has taught me to be more structured in the essay writing process “I‘m now much more focused and I know what I'm doing” Findings from interviews to date
- 11. Student partnerships • Students can be empowered • Sharing experiences beyond their institution • Working with other students (not just Students’ Union) • A more ‘real’ student voice • Your champions! • Student partnership toolkit (from Jisc) • Tensions: freedom vs support, guidance and structure
- 12. Going forward “For partnership to be embedded and sustained beyond documents, projects and initiatives, it needs to become part of the culture and ethos of the institution” HEA framework for partnership in learning and teaching in higher education (2014)
- 13. Sustaining SADL….. • Our biggest challenges: – Reaching all undergraduate students at LSE – Developing the peer learning aspects of SADL – Keeping it student-led and student focused • Over to you……
- 14. Further reading • Bell, Maria and Moon, Darren and Secker, Jane (2012) Undergraduate support at LSE: the ANCIL report. The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/48058/ • HEA (2014) Framework for partnership in learning and teaching. York, Higher Education Academy. Available at: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/students-as- partners • LSE SADL Project website and resources (2014) Available at: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsesadl/resources • Secker, Jane, Karnad, Arun , Bell, Maria, Wilkinson, Ellen and Provencher, Claudine (2014) Student ambassadors for digital literacy (SADL): project final report. Learning Technology and Innovation , London, UK. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/59479/ • SEDA conference (November 2014) Opportunities and challenges for academic development in a post-digital age– Mark J.P.Kerrigan, Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Anglia Ruskin University keynote on behalf of the Change Agents Network.
Editor's Notes
- Jane LSE : specialist social science institution – world class library Highly ranked for research Cosmopolitan students - relatively small undergraduate population who rarely attend library training Traditional teaching and assessment
- Jane In the first workshop we gave the students 3 definitions for Digital Literacy and asked them to choose one. “the ‘savvyness’ that allows young people to participate meaningfully and safely as digital technology becomes ever more pervasive in society.” (Future lab) “By digital literacy we mean those capabilities which fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society; for example, the skills to use digital tools to undertake academic research, writing and critical thinking: as per personal development planning: and as a way of showcasing achievements.” (JISC) “Digital and information literacies are the skills, knowledge and understanding that underpin our ability to learn, undertake research and to teach in a digital age. It is vital that LSE students and staff develop critical, creative, discerning and safe practises when engaging with information in the academic environment.” (LSE definition) They chose the JISC one overwhelmingly
- Funding came from a HEA / Jisc initiative about embedding digital literacies into an institution and the literature review we did back in 2014 also highligted that strategies at the top level (the framework) only get you so far! Working from the ground up can also be effective – and these two together are powerful.
- Originally funded by the HEA as part of their Changing Learning Landscapes programme from Oct 2013 to July 2014. 2012 audit found UG student support for Information/digital literacy was patchy Staff assumed aspects of IL were covered by others or students would already know it – this is very dangerous given the diverse student population at LSE. Some students may be tech savvy – some are not – students may use Facebook, students are not experts in their discipline and scholarly practices Approach to transition was often sink or swim and help offered as remedial or targeted at specific groups such as students who’s first language is not English (this is probably half of them!) High achieving students also struggle Bit fish in a small pond – the brightest kid in school until they get to LSE! Where the pond is full of big fish!
- Project collaboration –Led by Library and LTI, Academic depts Volunteered - helped engagement, some quants some qual subjects 40 students (mainly first years) Four academic departments: International Relations, Law, Statistics, Social Policy Four senior ambassadors: involved in designing, delivering and evaluating Two hour workshops on: Finding information, Reading and research, Managing and sharing information, Managing your digital identity and the digital future Students worked on group projects and presented them at final event
- All participated in project in 2013/14 and keen to take part, paid for their time.
- Employed a research assistant – Masters student Data collected from: Student survey Interviews with: Students Academics from departments SU LTI and Library staff
- Overall positive – 100% said they would recommend to a friend to get involved
- Positive Students would recommend their friends get involved in the project. Students found the course helpful and they were able to apply the content their studies. Negative There was uncertainty about the role of the student ambassador and how to carry out the peer support role beyond their immediate friends. Limited impact & issues with scaling up project in it’s current form without more departmental/institutional support
- Empowered e.g. presenting at conferences with staff, developing new skills
- The students themselves recognised the need for departmental support and gave lots of suggestions as to how student ambassadors could gain more visibility, recognition and profile at the school particularly through the involvement in school wide events.
- “many children and young people will continue to require support in the creation and communication of content, with many still lacking the experience, confidence or motivation to be involved in the process of designing, implementing and evaluating self-created content” in Selwyn (2009). The role of learning technology in SADL is still fairly limited and could be changed from the traditional model of ‘acquisition’ to ‘participation’ by embedding it into the course design and providing activities in class where students are supported and encouraged to work in groups to producing content which is then disseminated out to students through departments. We are going to get you to try this out now!