The document discusses the development of digital literacies within academic disciplines, presenting two main approaches: creating subject-specific digital literacy profiles and embedding digital literacy activities into the curriculum. It emphasizes the importance of stakeholder involvement and the need for meaningful activities that are aligned with educational goals. The document also highlights the desired outcomes for graduate attributes and the roles of teaching staff in integrating digital competencies into their practices.

1. Developing digital literacies
in disciplinary contexts
Helen Beetham, JISC and ALT
York meeting, July 2013
bit.ly/DLdisciplines

2. Two basic approaches:
-Developing subject-specific digital literacy
profiles/frameworks (aspiration)
-Embedding digital literacy activities into
courses of study (development)

3. Developing digital literacy profiles:
•Do we need subject-specific profiles, or are generic
profiles / attributes more powerful (i.e. is the University the
right body to define)?Is it as simple as tweaking subject
benchmarks (where required) and/or a dialogue with the
QAA?
•Should let many examples develop (including different
examples from the same subject area) and share them?
•Is this rather a process which needs to be owned by
departments, whose outcomes are only locally relevant?

4. Developing digital literacy profiles:
starting from a general model
starting from a general model
Identity
development
Situated
practices
Skills
development
Functional access
'I am...'
'I do...'
'I can...'
'I have...'
specialised
enhancement
general
entitlement
Beetham and Sharpe 2010

5. Developing digital literacy profiles:
a subject-specific model (expert generated)

6. Developing digital literacy profiles:
data collection model

7. How would you go about it?

8. Developing digital literacy profiles:
what we have learned
Avoid over-specifying
‣On the other hand, don't stray out of scope – stick to the digital as
method or context
‣Process over outcome
‣ Involve as wide a range of stakeholders as possible
‣Differences across broad subject areas are often less than you
think: topic/specialism differences within subjects can be large
‣Subject-specific uses of generic technologies are as important as
subject specialist technologies

9. Embedding digital literacy into the
curriculum:
the elements
‘capabilities that fit an individual
for living, learning and working in a digital society’
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

10. Embedding digital literacy into the
curriculum:
the desired outcomes (skills -> practices)

11. Graduate Attribute Statements
a digitally literate learner is flexible
and reflective, confident and capable
of selecting appropriate tools and
software for effective scholarship and
research (University of Liverpool)
a confident, agile adopter of a range
of technologies for personal,
academic and professional use
(Oxford Brookes University)
confident users of advanced
technologies... exploiting the rich
sources of connectivity digital
working allows
(Wolverhampton University)
to be effective global citizens and
interact in a networked society (Leeds
[graduates should be]
reflective and critical, aware of
the educational, social, and
political assumptions involved
in the restructuring of
education, technology, and
society currently under way
(Kahn and Kellner 2005)
questioning not only the
usefulness of technologies for
given ends, but the ends for
which they are offered as
means
Embedding digital literacy into the
curriculum:the desired outcomes
(confidence -> criticality)

12. Embedding digital literacies into the
curriculum:
the activities/experiences
‣ Activities must be meaningful in terms of the topic/practice
‣Students must know: what is assessed, what is at stake, what
success looks like, how the task is relevant to them
‣ Staff modelling digital practice is powerful but not critical if there
is (a) clarity about the educational goals (b) support from others
‣ Boundary-crossing experiences (e.g. public/private,
research/learning) are powerful...
‣... but maintaining a safe, clearly designated and structured space
for learning is critical at first
‣Specialist technologies: structured support, progressive practice
‣Generic technologies: choice, informal support, signed resources
‣Activities should be creative/productive as well as
critical/assimilative

13. Developing teaching staff:
a scholarly discourse, rooted in the subject
What questions is your subject asking
of digital technology?
What would you like technology to do that
enhances your practices and values as an
academic/educator?
What questions is digital technology
asking of/in your subject?
How are you having to adapt your
methods and practices e.g. publishing,
data capture and analysis, collaboration,
research communication, writing,
teaching?

14. bit.ly/DLdisciplines
Choose one staff development resource to review
Read and or try out the resource, in pairs if you like
Discuss
How might you use this (when, with whom, in what
setting)?
What do you think the value might be?
Do you see any drawbacks or problems? How could
they be resolved (e.g. by repurposing/localising)
How confident would you feel about using this
resource in your subject community?

15. At your table, discuss:
What do members of your subject community
staff really need to embed and support digital
literacies?
What would you like to see coming out of the
programme that could support your project
(better)?
What is your project bringing to the table?

16. Feedback: over to you