Digital literacy – what, why, how?

Jens Jørgen Hansen, Ph.D. Associate Professor jjh@sdu.dk

Institute of Design and Communication

University of Southern Denmark

Open University, CARLG Seminar, march 5. 2015

Agenda

History of Literacy Analysing frameworks of Literacy Case: Literacy at OU Discussions--------------------Project: Developing digital literacy in schoolsLiteracy as learning methods and participation in educational

practice(Design Based Research)

Literacy – a brief history

TraditionalThe ability to read and write and participate in society

Both cognitive and cultural development

Media literacy

Teaching mass media communication

Interpretation of media product

Critical approach

Productive use of media

Information literacy

Basic computer skillsInternet as a resource for

learningCompetence framework

Concepts of digital literacy- Set of skills, tool, technique – to be certified –

literacy as an “it” – functional literacy- Set of competences that can be applied in

divers context and put of a range of uses and applications – task based literacy

- Social practice – ways of making meaning: meaning is not a function of some skill – but a function of social practice, social context ”myriad social practices and conceptions of engaging in meaning making mediated by texts that are produced, received, distributed, exchanged etc. via digital codification” Knobel & Lankshear, 2006, 17) – Literacy as social practice

Digital literacy as an institutional dimension

Strategic thinking and leadership around digital literacy (JISC)

Developing a strategic vision underpinned by institutional values and effective leadership

Translating the vision into different strategies, policies and processes and taking a joined up approach

Providing support services and opportunities which enable students and staff to develop their digital capabilities

Enabling a supportive IT infrastructure which supports diverse digital practices and flexibility

Promoting a culture of innovation and change where staff and students at all levels are involved in strategic conversations around digital literacies and a range of engagement models are supported

Reviewing current policies, processes and practices to better understand existing support for digital literacy and help prioritise areas for development

http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/digital-literacies/

Reading the digital literacy frameworks

Analytical framework

Vision - ideological position in the discourse of technology Epistemology - semantic reach Taxonomy - operational framework Strategy - organizational setting

Case: Digital and information literacy framework at OU

Digital and information literacy framework at OU

Digital literacy includes the ability to find and use information (otherwise known as information literacy) but goes beyond this to encompass communication, collaboration and teamwork, social awareness in the digital environment, understanding of e-safety and creation of new information. Both digital and information literacy are underpinned by critical thinking and evaluation.

Ideological position:

Front stage: information literacy, media literacy, communication & collaboration, ICT literacyBackstage: Digital scholarship, Career & Identity Management, Learning Skills

Competences in Digital and information literacy framework (OU)1. Understand and engage in digital practices2. Find information3. Critically evaluate information, online interactions and online tools4. Manage and communicate information5. Collaborate and share digital content

Competence approachSocial practice approach? Study as social practice

Learning activity taxonomy Activity planner

Assimilative (attending to and understanding content), Information handling (e.g. gathering and classifying

resources or manipulating data), Adaptive (use of modelling or simulation software), Communicative (dialogic activities, e.g. pair dialogues or

group-based discussions), Productive (construction of an artefact such as a written

essay, new chemical compound or a sculpture) and Experiential (practising skills in a particular context or

undertaking an investigation).  In addition the tool looks at the spread of assessment

across the course or sequence of learning activities.

Operational framework – taxonomy – levels and stages

Stages LevelAccess Level 0

Foundation digital practice stage Level 1

Interactive and co-operative digital practical stage Level 2

Personalised and collaborative digital practice stage Level 3

Professional and digital stage Masters

OU: Digital and information literacy framework

Organizational setting - strategy

The purpose is to provide a common reference point for module, programme, and qualification teams to use in determining markers of progression in digital literacy that can be integrated with other learning outcomes and student attributes.

Communication tool (module, programme, qualification teams)Planning toolEvaluation tool-----------------------Learning tool?Tool for developing students empowerment?

Discussions Digital literacy in policy, research, curriculum, university, social

practice - in formal learning - every day live

1. Is digital literacy an “it” – or larger frame that resist operational techniques?

2. Shall we focuses on mobilising and building on what learners acquire and know from their wider cultural participation and affinities (Lankshear & Knobel)?

3. How are learners involved in decisions about ICT?4. What does the concept of digital literacy “add to our

understanding of teaching and learning?” (Goodfellow 2011)5. Are digital literacy transforming university? – moving

pedagogy away from a focus on disciplinary knowledge to a more “contingent culture of participation in digital-mediated professional lifelong learning communities” (Goodfellow 2011)

What are learning activities in pedagogical institutions about?

Reading texts and handling information? Doing tasks and making assignments Participate in learning situations?

Yes – all 3!

Digital literacy

Learner identity

Practice

Skills

Knowledge

Reading Strategies Genre repertoires Learning methods

Confidence in own worth - empowermentEngaged in learning situations and included in the school's learning communityIndependent, creative, critical and controlled management of learning challenges

Reading strategies as integrated in reading and using text

Genre repertoires is integrated in doing task and making assignments

Learning methods is integrated in learning situations

Using reading strategies

Using genre in learning and writing

Using learning methods

Strategies of reading and texts

Different school genre

Learning methods

Learning methods

ScaffoldedStudent directed

Flexible Social

ClassroomsNegotiate opinion, present and participate in debates

Listener Presenter Commentator

debatelistenarguetellpresentevaluate

Study roomSystematic build academic knowledge and skills

Academic readerNote taker, Assignment solver

readingrememberunderstandapplyanalyseassesscreate

Exercise roomAcquire basic knowledge and skills

Trainer

practice testsimulatevisualizing 

Project roomFormulate hypothesis and examining issues

Project makerResearcher Commentator

problematizeformulate hypothesiscollectcategorizeconcludediscussevaluate

WorkshopDevelop ideas, design and create products

Creator Designer Innovator

develop ideasdesign collectproducerevise present evaluate

Design Based Research

Addressing complex problems in real contexts in collaboration with practitioners,

Integrating known and hypothetical design-principles with technological affordances to render plausible solutions to these complex problems

Conducting rigorous and reflective inquiry to test and refine innovative learning environments as well as to define new design-principles.

Method where teachers, teacher educators and researchers collaborate to develop and test new teaching methods

Inquiry of intervention: when it works, how it works and for who it works.

Innovation model

Design experiment

Part of case study: see the design experiment in an learning ecology - understand the complex interactions between actors, actions and activities.

Intervention in real world. It aims to develop new knowledge and new methods and not only understand how teaching takes place.

Utility oriented: develop new theory, methods and guide a practice: The theory must do real work (Cobb 2003, 10).

Iterative: commute between study, workshop, experiment, conceptualization to constantly improve and develop the didactic concept.

Thank you!

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