liverpool digital literacies keynote

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Halloween themed guest lecture on e-learning and the 'uncanny' relationship between academic knowledge and digital expertise.

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Making sense of learning in a digital ageUniversity of Liverpool, October 31st 2012

#livdiglit

Helen Beetham @helenbeetham

Happy Halloween

cc. http://www.soil-net.com

digital know-how academic learning

experience the uncanny....

cc. http://www.soil-net.com

be haunted by...

the student who is more digitally capable

than you are

the colleague who believes nothing has improved on

the printing presscc. http://www.soil-net.com

and enjoy...

some good stories

reasons to be cheerfulcc. http://www.soil-net.com

A bit of history

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Compu

ters in

Teac

hing I

nitiat

ive

Teac

hing &

Learn

ing Te

chno

logy P

rog

Network

ed Le

arning

JISC e-

learni

ng pr

ogram

me

Bench

marking

e-Le

arning

Tech

nolog

y-Enh

ance

d Lea

rning

Develo

ping D

igital

Litera

cies

A bit of history

From computers to networks totechnology-enhanced environments

From teaching with technology to learning with technology

From discrete activitiesto digital literacies and a digital curriculum

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

‘We are not rethinking some part or aspect of learning, we are rethinking all of learning in these new digital contexts’ (2007)

Digital technology is systemic in education

Digital technology is systemic in education

Digital technology is systemic in education

Students’ first experiences of University are primarily digital

Students use their digital devices, services and networks to support their studies whether we invite them to or not

Specialised, dedicated systems attuned to academic practices

Most digital technologies and practices we take for granted originated in University (research) departments

Universities are big businesses dependent on ICT based business systems

But not everybody is happy about it

The digital university as a haunted house...

Many students (and staff) see virtual learning as inimical to a full engagement in the university experience

The expectation that students (and staff) will be digitally literate is introducing new stresses and inequalities

Universities no longer have a monopoly on valued knowledge or even on HE-standard learning

The internet is forcing universities to become global institutions

What are you hopeful or excited about?What are you fearful or worried about?

cc. http://ninaturns40.blogs.com

#livdiglitpost-its

The wonderful digital future

useable devicesfrictionless adoptionpersonal knowledge environmentslearning embedded into daily lifeinformation-rich objects, locationsintelligent agents...

‘If the technology is good enough we don’t need digital literacy’

The constant scholarThe work feels the same as ever; the media can feel novel, of course, but it doesn't feel to me like anything substantive has changed.Why are we using the term ‘digital’ at all? It’s just being critical and reflective about the resources we’re using.

•Isn’t all this technology just a distraction from the real business of study?

cc licenced to lisby1 via flickr and fotopediahttp://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3956791025

Against the wonderful digital future:learners are not doing it for themselves

• Active knowledge building and sharing are minority activities to which most learners are introduced by educators (Selwyn 2009-11)

• Learners experience many difficulties transposing practices from social contexts into formal learning (Cranmer 2006)

• Learners struggle to critically evaluate online resources (BLibrary)• NetGen (<25yo) use ICT more for social/leisure but older and better

qualified people use it more for study (Ramanau et al. 2010)• Learners' engagement with digital media is complex and

differentiated (Bennet et al. 2008, Hargittai 2009)• Students are fundamentally divided on the use of digital devices

and services for study (NUS surveys 2010-12)

Digitally proficient learners need a solid grounding in academic practice to succeed

Against the constancy of scholarship:knowledge practices are changing

Transfer of attention from print to screenMultiplicity of media: hyperlinked and hybrid media

Blurred boundaries of information/communicationUbiquitous access to information and to connected others

Routine surveillance and capture of processes/eventsNetworked societies and interest groups

Massive, interlinked data sets and related toolsOffloading of cognitive tasks onto digital agents and networks

Presentation of self in digital contextsOpen data, open research, open publishing

New modes of data visualisationNew research questions and specialist areas

Disciplines and technologies are questioning each other

What are they saying?What questions is your discipline asking of digital technology?What would you like technology to do that enhances your practices and values as an academic in your subject area?

What questions is digital technology asking of/in your discipline?

How are you having to adapt your methods and practices e.g.

data capture and analysis, collaboration, research communication, writing, teaching?

#livdiglit

now you see it...

Define digital literacyin a way that makes sense for your department

‘capabilities that fit an individual for living, learning and working in a digital society’

#livdiglitpost-its

Learning literacies in a digital age 2009-2010

Digital Literacies baseline study 2011-2012

Some conclusions

the practices that underpin effective learning in a digital age

‣are meaningful in the context of academic disciplines

‣are an aspect of students’ emerging identities

‣require a confident but also a critical attitude to ICT

‣are creative/productive as well as critical/assimilative

‣are both formal and informal (and blur these boundaries)

‣emerge in meaningful activities in which technologies support the purpose authentically

But at the moment...

‣students are confused about how digital technologies can legitimately be used to support academic study

‣students’ practices may be hidden: personal study habits, outsourced curriculum, ‘grey area’ activities

‣support is fragmented, expectations are not managed

‣students require training and/or mentoring for advanced and specialised applications

‣‘bring your own skills’ is a source of potential disadvantage

What can we do?

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Explore the interface with students

Develop hybrid approaches and paths of least resistanceAcademic referencing

• Zotero: fits with practices of browsing

• Mendeley and Delicious: fit with practices of social networking

• Endnote: steep learning curve, expensive, inaccessible

• Students understand the underlying values: acknowledge your sources; build explicitly on the knowledge of others

• At the start of an academic career, format matters much less than building references, mapping the territory, getting it captured

Allow a repertoire of technologies and viewpoints

•Students are often unclear about how to work with data in meaningful ways

•More and more data sets are openly available to use for learning and research

•Data visualisations are oneway students are developing a repertoire of different viewpoints and methods, anddrawing different conclusions

Use tech/no tech as tools for critical thinking

Have students participate in public debates

Open digital texts to critique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmdlBEs1HEk&feature=youtu.be

cc licensed to Matthew Hayler, Exeter Cascade project 03.14 to 05.01

Conclusions: towards a critical digital literacy• We may never ‘catch up’ with

students’ digital know-how...

• ... but academic values, practices and methods remain uniquely valuable.

• Try: co-mentoring, students as pioneers, public expression of ideas, digital story-telling...

• Students’ digital know-how can be treated as a resource.

• Encouraging a critical approach to technologies as you would to ideas.

Questions and comments #livdiglit

@helenbeetham

For our conclusions #livdiglit post-its

Hopes, fears and recommendations

JISC Developing Digital Literacies programme#jiscddl

12 institutional projects

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