This document discusses digital literacy and how it can be supported in academic contexts. It defines digital literacy as having awareness, attitude, and ability to use digital tools to find, evaluate, analyze, and communicate information to enable social action. The document outlines key components of digital literacy including underlying skills, background knowledge, central competencies, and attitudes. It provides examples of how universities support digital literacy development through services, embedding it in curricula, and getting student perspectives on needed support. Case studies demonstrate research-informed approaches to fostering digital literacy.

1. Digital literacy introduction for academic staffOpen Education Resources for the Inclusive Curriculum (ORIC) Project1

2. What does digital literacy mean to you?

3. What are digital literacy / literacies? – discussions from literature

4. Our role in supporting digital literacies in our students, resources for students.

5. Case studies / examplesOutline2

6. What do you understand by the term literacy?

7. Write a short definition of ‘digital literacy’ and how it links to literacy.

8. You might want to watch an interesting 40 minute discussion on digital literacy on The Agenda with Steve Paikin to inform your thoughts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka3ImmG54PoWhat does literacy and therefore digital literacy mean to you?3

9. Gilster (1997)– introduced the concept of digital literacy - a contested term?

10. Is it literacies and not literacy?

11. Related concepts: ‘computer literacy’ led to ‘information literacy’ e.g. SCONUL “seven pillars” model (used by academic librarians), ‘media literacy’.Digital literacy: Some key themes4

12. “Digital Literacy is the awareness, attitude and ability of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, analyse and synthesize digital resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others, in the context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process.” Martin (2005:135)Digital literacy: How can we understand it5

13. From Martin’s definition what are the key features of digital literacy?

14. Construct a diagram, mind map or concept map to summarise this definition.Digital literacy: in other words6

15. Digital literacy: mind mapHere is one possible interpretation. Yours may be very different.7

16. Digital literacy seems to cover or subsume a wide range of different skills.

17. These might include ideas like IT literacy, information literacy, media literacy and other life skills.So digital literacy / literacies is a broad term.Literacies not literacy?8

18. Related concepts - Information Literacy: SCONUL “seven pillars”Features of this model:Underpinned by basic library and IT skills.

19. 7 “skill” areas

20. Different levels: novice  expertCan be summarised into three elements (Markless & Streatfield, 2007):• connecting with information• interacting with information• making use of information 9

21. An information literate person:engages in independent self-directed learninguses information processesuses a variety of information technologies and systemshas internalized values that promote information usehas a sound knowledge of the world of informationapproaches information criticallyhas a personal information styleInformation literacy: Bruce (1997)10

22. Bawden (2008) – four components:Underpinnings

23. Background Knowledge

24. Central Competencies

25. Attitudes and PerspectivesThe key themes that emerge11

26. Underpinnings:Literacy (i.e. the ability to read and write)

27. ICT literacy (i.e. the ability to use computing devices)Background Knowledge:the world of informationnature of information resourcesUnderpinnings and Background Knowledge12

28. Could include the following:reading and understanding digital and non-digital formatscreating and communicating digital informationevaluation of informationknowledge assemblyinformation literacymedia literacyCentral Competencies13

29. • independent learning• moral / social literacy“…the attitudes and perspectives reflect the idea that the ultimate purpose of digital literacy is to help each person learn what is necessary for their particular situation. “Moral / social literacy” reflects the need for an understanding of sensible and correct behavior in the digital environment and may include issues of privacy and security.” (Bawden 2008:30)Attitudes and Perspectives14

30. Think about your own modules and your own teaching and answer the following:Are there module learning outcomes on our courses that reflect aspects of digital literacy?

31. How much of the four components do you / we take for granted, in terms of expecting students to already have these knowledge, skills and attitudes?

32. What do you, personally, do to support these components of digital literacy?

33. What other services / staff support these components of digital literacy?How do we support digital literacy?15

34. Academic librarians support information literacyComputer skills may be supported by IT training services for students.Literacies such as academic writing, critical thinking and so on may be supported by learning development type servicesWhat is the role of the academic member of staff?Services supporting digital literacy16

35. How has an institutional focus on listening to students influenced policies relating to learning for a digital age? University of GlamorganHow do research-informed approaches to learning and teaching support and develop learners in technology-rich environments? Oxford Brookes UniversityHow can digital literacy help provide the building blocks for lifelong learning? University of SalfordCase Studies – some examples17

36. The Supporting Literacies in a Digital Age (SLiDA) project identified nine key questions for institutions to consider in supporting digital literacy, (https://wiki.brookes.ac.uk/display/slidacases/SLiDA+Home)Perhaps those most relevant for inclusive curriculum design are:Q1. What strategies, policies and practices can be used to support learners to develop digital literacies relevant for professional and lifelong working?Q3. How can the development of digital literacies and learning support be successfully embedded into the curriculum?Q4. How can the development of effective learners be supported in individual, personalised ways?Read the relevant case studies and consider how your own institution would answer these questions.In the context of your own modules, how would you answer these questions?Case Studies: Activity18

37. Do you feel you have the required computing skills for learning at university?

38. Do you feel you have the required communication skills? E.g. To give presentations, to work effectively in groups.

39. Do you feel able to work effectively as an independent learner? What support do you need from academics to develop further?

40. Do you feel you have the required information literacy skills to find high quality material for your assignments?

41. How can we best support you?Some key questions to ask our students19

42. How do we integrate into our teaching, learning and assessment / Embed digital literacy into our courses?Include digital literacy related learning outcomes in modules.

43. Provide opportunities to practice the skills in the subject context.

44. Explicitly assess aspects of digital literacy.Conclusion20

45. For students: ‘What is information literacy?’http://campus.queens.edu/everett/M2.htmlInternet detective: http://www.vts.intute.ac.uk/detective/Resources21

46. Bawden, D. (2008) 'Origins and Concepts of Digital Literacy' in Lankshear, C. & Knobel, M. (eds.) Digital Literacies: Concepts, Policies and Practices, New York: Peter LangBruce, C. (1997) The seven faces of information literacy. Adelaide: Auslib PressGilster, P. (1997) Digital literacy. New York: Wiley.Markless, S.,& Streatfield, D. (2007) Three decades of information literacy: redefining the parameters, in S. Andretta (Ed.), Change and challenge: information literacy for the 21st century, Adelaide: Auslb Press.Martin, A. (2005) ‘DigEuLit – a European Framework for Digital Literacy: a Progress Report’, Journal of eLiteracy, Vol 2 pp.130-136References22