What exactly is digital literacy? There seem to be quite a few variations on the exact definition of this term. However, doesn’t digital literacy boil down to people effectively using various forms of technology (hardware and software) to convey their thoughts. Simple, right?
Unfortunately, digital literacy is not a simple topic. The exponential growth in the capabilities of technology and available apps took everyone by surprise and far outpaced the ability for education to keep up. But we are getting there.  Educational leaders realised the need for response to support future ready students.
Students and teachers are at various levels of understanding when we look at this literacy. As defined by a 2016 Pew Research Center’s study, the digital divide was once defined by the ownership of technology, but now the divide is marked by the individual’s fluency in using the technology and the multitude of available apps. (Alexander, Adams, & Cummins, 2016) The research continues by exploring the definition of digital literacy, sometimes blurring the line into informational literacies, and emphasizing the why and when to use technology is just as important as the how.
Digital literacy is also confused with availability of technology in classrooms. In an article researching student technology use during teacher instruction, the point was made concerning the fact students continue their own vernacular practices in an absence of relevant and effective technology education.(Blikstad-Balas, 2015) In other words, teachers cannot just put a chromebook on a student desk and expect them to automatically use the technology as an academic tool and not to watch the latest greatest youtube channel. As with any other modeling to meet expectations, students must “learn how to engage in literacy practices revolving around teaching sequences using digital support.” (Blikstad-Balas, 2015)
As the fourth literacy, study results reflect the fact exposure does not necessarily equal understanding as students interact with digital technologies. (Murray & Pérez, 2014) Unfortunately, research has shown digital literacy was taken for granted and did not readily earn the same level of importance as literacies in reading, writing and arithmetic. (2014)
As online and blended learning continue to rise in use, student ability to effectively use technology to deliver critical analysis is as important as ever. Tang and Chaw explored the importance of instructors to understand the levels of digital literacy with their students for blended learning to be successful.(Tang & Chaw, 2016) They suggest the incorporation of additional exercises and tutorials as an aid for students to increase their digital literacy which ultimately increase positive attitudes and peer engagement.
The ‘Time is Now’ article opens with this motivational excerpt from the U.S. Department of Education:
Schools should be able to rely on teacher preparation programs to ensure that new teachers come to them prepared to use technology in meaningful ways. No new teacher exiting a preparation program should require remediation by his or her hiring school or district. Instead, every new teacher should be prepared to model how to select and use the most appropriate apps and tools to support learning and evaluate these tools against basic privacy and security standards...This expertise does not come through the completion of one educational technology course separate from other methods courses but through the inclusion of experiences with educational technology in all courses modeled by the faculty in teacher preparation programs.
(U.S. Department of Education, OET, 2016, p. 32)
Their goal with the paper was to bring to light the need for all educators to embody a specific set of technology skills for transformational learning. (Foulger, Graziano, Slykhuis, & Schmidt-Crawford, 2016) Ultimately, the Teacher Educator Technology Competencies (TETCs) were developed in hope to provide a catalyst for emphasizing the need of new teachers to be educated in digital literacy. The competencies developed can be seen below or at the link provided.


Sources:
Alexander, B., Adams, S., & Cummins, M. (2016). Digital literacy: An NMC Horizon project strategic brief (pp. 1-16). The New Media Consortium.
Blikstad-Balas, M. (2015). Digital literacy in upper secondary school–what do students use their laptops for during teacher instruction?. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 10(Jubileumsnummer), 122-137.
Foulger, T. S., Graziano, K. J., Slykhuis, D., & Schmidt-Crawford, D. (2016). Invited commentary: The time is now! Creating technology competencies for teacher educators. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 24(3), 249-256.
Murray, M. C., & Pérez, J. (2014). Unraveling the digital literacy paradox: How higher education fails at the fourth literacy. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 11, 85.
Tang, C. M., & Chaw, L. Y. (2016). Digital Literacy: A Prerequisite for Effective Learning in a Blended Learning Environment?. Electronic Journal of E-learning, 14(1), 54-65.

Comments

  1. Dr. Shaun WilliamsNovember 19, 2018 at 7:22 AM

    I feel like we, as a nation, have pushed hard to integrate digital literacy into early education. My son had a number of digital assignment when he was in elementary, middle, and high school. However, we need to ensure digital literacy across the entire educational landscape. We have so many adult learners going back to school. These adults will not have had the K-12 digital literacy activities but many of their classes may be hybrid or online courses. As such, we in higher education need to take a lesson from the US DoE paper you reference and begin working digital literacy into our college courses so that students who are returning to school are not struggling due to lack of technology preparation.
    Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. OutofBoxEdNovember 20, 2018 at 4:11 AM

    I really connected with your writing on how teacher preparation programs are a vital touch point for programs looking to increase student literacy. I spent HOURS as a pre-service education student learning to write effective learning objectives and never once used a computer for more than writing papers and doing research. The imbalance is very much reflected in the skills our students are lacking, in the frustration of education administration trying to find resources for student and staff development, and in the delivery of technology instruction in our schools.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 20, 2018 at 10:36 AM

    Thank you for researching and posting this much needed topic. I think you hit the nail on the head that though digital literacy is often equated with availability of technology, it is not the same thing. Just because you have access to a device does not mean you know how to use it properly. So, it is really about the "how" of technology. How are we using it and are we using it effectively. And, is this lack of digital literacy knowledge contributing to the digital divide that we are seeing in our country? For online learning, this is such an important topic if we are going to have capable students that know how to keep pace with the abundance of new technologies, trends, and information.

    ReplyDelete

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