Digital Literacy in the 21st Century: Implications for Teaching

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Digital Literacy in the 21st Century
Implications for Teaching Learning

• Audrey Byrne
• ICT Conference 2009

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OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Context
• Methodology
• Main Results
• Conclusions The Way Forward?

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1. INTRODUCTION

• Audrey Byrne MSc ICT
• Recently completed a study on the digital
  literacy levels of Irish teenagers (15-17 yrs
  old)

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2. CONTEXT

• Despite widespread consensus about the need for
  digital literacy among students, there is little
  information available to tell us the dimensions
  of the need or what might be done to address it.
• The need for digital literacy is fast becoming
  a growing concern among educators and
  policy-makers in many countries. To date,
  however, most discussions of digital literacy
  have been confined to a fairly functional
  approach the emphasis is on mastering basic
  skills in using technology, with some limited
  attention to evaluating the reliability or
  credibility of online sources (Buckingham, D.
  2008 p17)

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Digital Literacy Goals

• Digital Literacy is a fundamental learning
  objective for all OECD (2001), Schooling for
  Tomorrow, Learning to Change ICT in Schools. P
  15
• EU member states have made visible progress in
  connecting schools to the Internet and in
  developing the ICT skills of teachers. However,
  more progress needs to be made regarding digital
  literacy (NCCA, 2004)

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How are students using technology inside the
classroom?

• Research found students predominately use the
  following applications
• MS Word
• Internet (For school projects)

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How are students using technology Outside the
classroom?

• In a more social setting, research found that
  students use the following applications
• Social Networks (e.g. Bebo, My Space, Face Book)
• Creating Flashbox for social networking homepage
• Internet (looking up favourite sites/ Online
  gaming)
• You Tube (uploading / downloading videos)
• MSN (Instant Messaging)
• i tunes
• Limewire
• Windows Movie Maker
• Photo Shop
• Uploading/Downloading (Music, Photos Video) on
  phone/MP3
• E mail
• Audacity
• E Bay
• Windows Media Player

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This dichotomy in personal and school use raised
the following questions...

• How digitally literate are the students? (not
  just in a school based environment, but in their
  lives)
• How do they acquire these skills/abilities?
• What do they use technology for?
• What are the implications for teaching and
  learning in the 21st century?

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Defining Digital Literacy...

• In 2004, Eshet-Alkalai published a 5-skill
  holistic conceptual model for digital literacy,
  Eshet-Alkalai, Y.
  (2004). Digital literacy A conceptual framework
  for survival skills in the digital era.
• This framework comprises five types of literacy
  skills
• (a) photo-visual literacy
• (b) reproduction literacy
• (c) information literacy
• (d) branching literacy
• (e) socio-emotional literacy.

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Photo Visual Literacy

• This unique form of digital literacy helps users
  to intuitively and freely read and understand
  instructions and messages that are displayed in a
  visual-graphical form.Examples
• deciphering of graphic user interfaces (e.g.
  Screen icons, mobile phone menus)
• playing modern computer games, in which most of
  the instructions are provided by means of
  graphical representation by symbols and icons

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Reproduction Literacy.

• The ability to take an existing piece of text,
  graphic, music or other media, and to create
  something new from it.
• Examples
• Editing Photos
• Re mixing music
• Editing text to create a new piece of work
  Digital reproduction literacy is defined as the
  ability to create new meanings or new
  interpretations by combining pre-existing,
  independent shreds of information in any form of
  media text, graphic, or sound. (Gilster, P.
  1997)

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Information Literacy.

• The ability of information consumers to make
  educated, smart, information assessments.
• Examples
• To assess validity of website
• The ability to cross reference information
  Information literacy acts as a filter it
  identifies false, irrelevant, or biased
  information, and avoids its penetration into the
  learners cognition. Information-literate
  consumers are critical thinkers people who
  always question information, and never take it
  for granted (Mardis, 2002).

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Branching Literacy

• Mainly associated with surfing the internet.
• Students with this skill seldom get lost in
  cyber space and have the ability to move away
  from linear thinking into rich-associative
  lateral thinking.
• Branching-literate scholars are characterized by
  good multidimensional spatial orientation - the
  ability to remain oriented and avoid getting lost
  in hyperspace while navigating through complex
  knowledge domains, despite the intricate
  navigation paths they may take (Daniels et al.
  2002).

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Socio-Emotional Literacy.

• These skills include the ability not only to
  share formal knowledge, but also to share
  emotions by means of digital communication, to
  identify pretentious people in chat rooms, and to
  avoid Internet traps, such as hoaxes and
  malicious Internet viruses.
• the highest-level and most complex one. It
  requires users to be highly critical and
  analytical, very mature, and have a good command
  of information, branching, and photo-visual
  literacy skills. (Eshet-Alkalai , 2004)

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3. METHODOLOGY

• Research Project 50 students aged between 15-17
  years old
• Qualitative instruments
• Focus group interviews with students
• Quantitative instruments
• Student Questionnaires (online and offline)

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Photo-Visual Literacy
• 92 of students stated that they preferred to use
  instructions that contained a combination of
  pictures and text, while only 8 stated that
  they would read instructions which were entirely
  text based.
• Students tend to have a negative response to
  instructions that are solely text based.

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Photo-Visual Literacy...contd
• 86 of students had an MSN account and regularly
  engaged in Instant Messaging.
• 88 of the students stated that they would use
  and understand visual graphics, (icons and
  emoticons) in their conversations online with
  others.

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Reproduction Literacy
• 100 of students had uploaded video, photo or
  music onto their computer.
• 82 stated they had edited media in some way,
  e.g.
• Edit video (add music, titles, photos etc)
• Create playlist for MP3 etc
• Edit Photos (crop, remove red eye, add text etc)
• Create new media e.g. flashbox etc

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Information Literacy
• 100 of the participants had used the internet to
  search for information
• Students were aware of the concept of quotation
  marks and of the Boolean search rules AND or
  OR.
• 78 of students said they would not look further
  than the first 3 pages of results.
• 98 of students were very aware of the fact that
  not all information contained on a website may be
  true.
• 86 said they would cross reference information
  found with other websites, however on no occasion
  did they state they would use a book or ask a
  teacher when checking validity of information.

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Branching Literacy
• 94 of students were familiar with the concepts
  of links on a webpage and have used them.
• Multi tasking 90 of students used multiple tabs
  or maximized / minimized webpages as they needed
• Only 16 of students stated that they sometimes
  lost track of where they were in hyperspace.

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Socio Emotional Literacy
• 100 of the participants had used an online chat
  facility.
• 56 of students admitted to having an online
  conversation with someone they didnt know, (this
  consisted of 60 of males and 40 of females).
• Many students found it difficult to differentiate
  between different forms of Social Networking
  sites.
• e.g. 42 never give out personal information
  online
• 100 stated they had name, age etc on bebo
  page

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4. MAIN RESULTS

• Socio Emotional Literacy..contd
• Students were aware of malicious websites,
  viruses and Trojans contained on them, e.g.
  Limewire, bearshare etc
• Students aware of malicious emails and phishing

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Main Results

• The students possess the following seven
  characteristics
• Ability to read visual images they are intuitive
  visual communicators
• Visual-spatial skills they can integrate the
  virtual and physical.
• Inductive discovery they learn better through
  discovery than by being told.

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Main Results

• Multi-Tasking they are able to shift their
  attention rapidly from one task to another, and
  may choose not to pay attention to things that
  don't interest them.
• Prolific communicators They work well and groups
  and actively engage in peer to peer learning.
• Fast response time they are able to respond
  quickly and expect rapid responses in return.
• High expectations for learning They want to use
  ICT in the classroom but not all day everyday.

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Main Results

• Based on the results from the research, it is
  clear that students do have digital literacy
  skills. Although the depth or level of these
  skills varied between students.

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How did the students acquire these skills?

• They teach themselves how to use technology or
  learn it from peers.
• Students in the study preferred to learn by
  doing
• When confronted by a piece of technology students
  adopted a click and see approach
• No fear of using technology
• Yeah its the same when theyre older
  people on a computer as well, theyre all like
  Oh I better not press that button cos I might
  break something like they just dont seem to get
  the idea that you cant really break anything by
  just pressing buttons ya know like just click on
  stuff and see what happens.

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How did the students acquire these skills?

• Mod Ok, so what would be the worst way that
  someone could teach you to do something?
• A Just telling you, like not showing you, just
  saying like this is how to do whatever on a
  computer and then you get on the computer and
  your like what did she just say? like. I just
  prefer to be on the computer myself and like just
  learn as Im doing it like
• S Yeah, and I dont like when they do it for you
  without showing you, they like say oh Ill do
  it without showing you what theyre actually
  doing cos then when they go, you dont know what
  they did.
• Audio Transcript 2 Lines 165 172

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What are students using technology for?

• Two major themes emerged from the research. The
  students use technology for
• Communication
• Entertainment

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Communication

• Prolific communicators, the students gravitate
  toward activities that promote and reinforce
  social interactionwhether Instant Messaging
  friends, teaming up in an Internet game,
  blogging, texting, using social networking sites
  (bebo, face book etc) or forwarding joke e-mails
• While teenagers are driven by a range of motives
  in their technology use, a major factor in the
  rapid growth of online activity is simply the
  desire to connect with others. (Van 't Hooft,
  2007)

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Entertainment

• Examples
• Social Networks (e.g. Bebo, My Space, Face Book)
• Creating Flashbox for social networking homepage
• Internet (looking up favourite sites/ Online
  gaming)
• You Tube (uploading / downloading videos)
• MSN (Instant Messaging)
• i tunes
• Limewire
• Windows Movie Maker
• Photo Shop
• Uploading/Downloading (Music, Photos Video) on
  phone/MP3
• E mail
• Audacity
• E Bay
• Windows Media Player

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What are the implications for teaching and
learning in the 21st century?

• Student expectations regarding technology use in
  the classroom are closely linked to teacher
  knowledge and skill.
• Students do not want to be completely immersed in
  the use of technology all day everyday in the
  classroom. They would prefer a more balanced
  approach. (50-50)

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What are the implications for teaching and
learning in the 21st century?

• To effectively capitalize on students digital
  literacy skills, a paradigm shift is required.
• Instead of teaching about ICT, educators need to
  embrace the concepts of teaching with and through
  ICT.

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What are the implications for teaching and
learning in the 21st century?

• For the education system to successfully
  incorporate ICT into the curriculum the following
  recommendations are proposed
• A review of the content, rationale and mode of
  training for teachers
• A review of how funds are located nationally and
  regionally (equipment/computers, maintenance,
  support encouragement to use ICT)
• A major review of how learning and teaching can
  utilise the skills of the students.

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Recomendations

• A review of the content, rationale and mode of
  training for teachers
• If they teachers lack confidence in ICT, they
  will not use ICT and pupils will miss out. The
  Impact of Schools IT2000 (2001) p.13
• The current cohort of students wants to learn
  using technology and they expect teachers to use
  technology effectively in the classroom.
• Mod But what if some teachers dont know how to
  use technology?
• SN Well, teachers should be trained how to use
  them.
• S Yeah they should be
• Audio Transcript 3 Lines 476 479

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Recommendations

• International recognition that the professional
  development of teachers is the primary factor in
  achieving ICT integration. (IT2000)
• Greater levels of collaboration among teachers in
  schools, allowing the uninitiated to learn from
  the early adopters of ICT in teaching.
• Students should be involved in the process, to
  mentor teachers (Role Reversal)

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Recommendations

• A review of how funds are located nationally and
  regionally
• 49 of school principals in Ireland believe that
  instruction is hindered by a shortage of ICT
  resources. (PISA 2006 p99)
• The 2005 census report published by the NCTE
  shows that over half of computer facilities in
  schools are now unusable while one fifth of
  computers are over six years old.

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Recommendations

• The Department of Education and Science (DES)
  must provide adequate, additional and separate
  funding to schools for the maintenance, repair
  and renewal of school ICT equipment on an annual
  basis.
• ICT co-ordinating teachers be employed in schools
  to help colleagues integrate information
  technology successfully into their teaching
  methodologies.

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Recommendations

• A major review of how learning and teaching can
  utilise the skills of the students.
• The present generation of students are
  effectively being asked to power down at the
  school gates. Students should be encouraged to
  bring their knowledge and skills using digital
  technologies into the classroom
• Why prohibit the use of MP3s, Mobile Phones etc
  in the classroom? Perhaps instead of banning
  these items students should be encouraged to use
  them constructively, effectively and responsibly
  in the classroom.

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• Mobile/handheld devices are used in the following
  areas to support teaching/learning
• Students have instant access to a variety of
  applications
• Students record their own works e.g. oral
  examination, oral report, presentation, group
  discussion, etc. for tutor evaluation, peer
  evaluation, and self-evaluation.
• Students listen to authentic audio materials e.g.
  music, speech, interview, vocabulary, audio book,
  poem, etc.
• Students access multimedia materials e.g. movie,
  painting, photograph, documentary, visual
  glossary, etc.
• Students refer to preloaded information in a
  field trip or field study.
• Students produce their multimedia presentation,
  assignment, and project.
• 
  (Beyond Distance Research Alliance, 2006)

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• The DES has made some progress using mobile
  devices in education.
• In 2007 a pilot program known as the Fon
  Project The Teaching of
• Gaeilge at Post Primary began.
• The program involved the use of mobile technology
  to help students learn Gaeilge .
• The DES is to be commended on this innovative
  vision involving Irish language education and
  encouraged to expand project nationwide.

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Moving Forward

• The existing education system in Ireland has
  served us well for a long time, and Ireland can
  be justly proud of our international reputation
  as a well-educated people. But if we are to make
  a successful transition to a knowledge economy,
  we must surely transform our schools as well.
  (Ahern, D. Minister for Trade, Enterprise
  Employment, 2008)

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Moving Forward

• "Ireland's continuing development as an advanced
  knowledge society will rely on the skills of our
  young people.  The development of strong ICT
  literacy in all of our children will be an
  essential life skill for them as they look to
  participate in the opportunities of the global
  knowledge society.   It is imperative that our
  schools provide opportunities for all of our
  children to develop to their full potential in
  that regard".   (Hannifin, M. Minster for Science
  and Education, 2007)