The document summarizes a 2-year digital literacy project between Leicester City Council and De Montfort University. The project aimed to develop digital literacy skills among secondary school staff through a self-evaluation framework. Key objectives were to define digital literacy, identify current skill levels, and support staff development. A survey found most staff confident overall but lowest in collaboration skills. Recommendations included promoting best practices, increasing skills in open educational resources, and online professional development. Lessons highlighted the importance of community involvement, supporting technology enhancement of teaching, and sharing practices.

1. DigiLit Leicester
Lucy Atkins - Digital Literacy Research Associate
Richard Hall – Head of CELT

2. A bit of context…
2 year Knowledge Exchange Project:
• Richard Hall – De Montfort University
• Josie Fraser – Leicester City Council
• 23 Leicester City BSF schools
• Developing secondary school staff digital
literacy, through the implementation of a
self-evaluation framework.

3. A bit of context…
The project has three key objectives:
• To investigate and define digital literacy, in
the context of secondary school based
practice;
• To identify current school staff confidence
levels, and what the strengths and gaps
across city schools are, in relation to this
definition;
• To support staff in developing their digital
literacy skills and knowledge - raising
baseline skills and confidence levels across
the city, and promoting existing effective
and innovative practice.

4. Defining Digital Literacy
In the context of secondary teaching practice

5. DigiLit Definition
‘To be digitally literate, educators must be
able to utilise technology to enhance and
transform classroom practices, and to
enrich their own professional
development and identity. The digitally
literate educator will be able to think
critically about why, how and when
technology supplements learning and
teaching.’

7. Framework Strands
Finding, Evaluating and Organising
Creating and Sharing

8. Framework Strands
Assessment and Feedback
Communication, Collaboration and Participation

9. Framework Strands
E-Safety and Online Identity
Technology supported Professional Development

10. Framework Levels
Entry
Core
Developer
Pioneer

11. Identifying current confidence
Strengths and areas for further support

12. 2013 DigiLit Survey
• Online survey
• Open between April and July 2013
• All staff who support learning school leadership, teachers,
classroom assistants and library staff
• 24% completion rate across city - 450
staff out of the total cohort of 1912

13. 2013 Headline Findings
• High overall confidence
• 52% Pioneer
• 26% Entry
• Highest confidence: E-Safety and
Online Identity
• Lowest confidence: Communication,
Collaboration and Participation

14. Supporting Staff Development
Raising baseline skills and confidence

15. 2013 Recommendations
• Sharing and promoting pioneer practice
• Supporting entry-level staff in raising skills
and confidence
• Strengthening links between E-Safety and
Online Identity and Communication,
Collaboration and Participation practices
• Increasing knowledge and confidence in OER
use and creation
• Encouraging engagement with CPD online –
particularly through the development of
Personal Learning Networks

16. Project Activity
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School Workshops
Innovation projects
TeachMeet DL14
Website Resources
Autism and E-Safety project
OER project
Twitter workshops

17. DMU DigiLit
Knowledge exchange

18. Staff Digital Literacy Plan
• A new Enhancing Learning through
Technology strategy
• Emerges as a strand from a new ELT
Programme (organisational
development)

19. Staff Digital Literacy Plan
• Sukhtinder Kaur – ELT Officer
• Recontextualising DigiLit for H.E.
• Involvement of community
• Mapping plan to existing support and
resources
• Linking to external schemes like the
UKPSF

20. Staff Digital Literacy Plan
“Digital Literacy refers to and necessitates various
digital capabilities, knowledge and skills in engaging
with digital information and digital communities. In the
context of higher education and teaching practitioners,
digital literacy refers to the way in which one is able to
utilise technology to enhance teaching practices,
transform participation and engagement for students,
and enrich ones own professional development
through sharing effective practices and building
knowledge networks. Being digitally literate is being
able to make informed decisions about the appropriate
situative use of technology in all areas of ones
professional and personal activities.”

21. Key Lessons Learnt
To support the digital education plan

22. • Importance of involving community in
each stage of the project
• Importance of building and maintaining
relationships with the community
• Importance of supporting staff in
understanding how technology can be
used to enhance their practice
• Importance in committing to openness
– supporting the sharing of practice
• Professionalism and radical collegiality

23. Resources
The Project Website:
http://www.digilitleic.com/
Project Reports:
http://www.digilitleic.com/?page_id=261
Lucy’s blog:
http://latkin00.our.dmu.ac.uk/
The CELT Hub @ DMU:
http://celt.our.dmu.ac.uk/

24. Digilit Leicester is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.