The first step is to change the name from 'using technology' to 'digital literacy' - but then that begs the question - what is it? I've not got time to spend hours getting up to speed with the debate but I do need a much better summary of what digital literacies (for undergraduates and employees) looks like. Our transferable skills framework includes a descriptor (skills knowledge or attitude related to a particular competency - in this case 'digital literacy'), behavioural indicators (observable behaviours to provide evidence that the competency is being demonstrated) and examples of activities (inside or outside the curriculum) to develop and assess the competencies). Our framework also divides the descriptors and behavioural indicators into levels - level 1 being the more basic stuff and level 2 the more advanced.
Clearly this is work in progress but here's first very rough stab...
Things to include
- Using email professionally - when to use Cc, Reply to all etc. how to manage your inbox
- Using spreadsheet packages to process data - sorting, basic formulas, presenting data appropriately (could have a level 2 for this too - pivot tables)
- Using presentation packages to support presentations - using images appropriately, displaying the right amount of information, clearly structured and easy to follow
- Using bibliographic software to find and reference information (less employer focussed perhaps?)
- Using technology to support collaborative working - shared documents, video conferencing, screen sharing
- Using social media to build your networks and actively engage... (? suggestion please...)
- Manage your online identify - not just to avoid posting things you will regret but proactively managing your digital footprint
I like your list. Just a small suggestion:
ReplyDeleteIf you replace 'bibliographic software' by 'social bookmarking', this bullet point could become 'employer-focused' as even in non-academic jobs, people need to keep track and organised information.
Admittedly, not social bookmarking software interfaces with Word; using Delicious or Diigo won't help with creating bibliographies in essays or dissertations, but could be a useful first step for students to explore this way of managing references online. However, Zotero is a proper bibliographic software which will work will Word while also allowing users to share their references on the web. So students could start using Zotero when at uni, and continue to use it after completing their degrees, to manage information relevant to their work.
Just a thought.
Thanks for the response. I think it needs replacing with something just not sure social bookmarking is the answer - I've stopped using delicious, switched to diigo and now that's lapsed and I'm using Evernote instead. I know others use G+ for it. My use of Evernote isn't social as I don't share the notebook publically. I think you're on to something though...
DeleteAlthough I still do use delicious and CiteUlike for bookmarking, I'm currently using email tags for a short-term bookmarking/ToDo list and it's working a treat: http://scienceoftheinvisible.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/try-try-and-fail-again.html
DeleteEmail tags in gmail? I'm pretty pleased with my Evernote clippings notebook too :)
DeleteI think maybe re bookmarking - "Use online bookmarking tools to store, organise and retrieve information" ?
DeleteThanks for the post Stuart. This is definitely a topic that needs to be addressed, as it is currently a big gray area for most educators and employers. I work in higher education and the biggest problem that I've come across is that -- in our office -- interns often overstate their digital literacy when it comes to tasks beyond the basic functions of modern computing. The most common overstatement, in my experience, is with Excel or graphics software skills. Applicants claim competency based on a very limited basic usage.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't see it as a big problem in the long run. With the rapid development of technology, it really doesn't make much sense to invest too much time in teaching the current skills so much as teaching workers and students to search out and find solutions to solve problems that require more advanced technological solutions.
Social media really isn't relevant for the average employee. It's a very personalized experience and professional skills should really only be relevant for persons is sales or marketing positions. Managing online identity should be the responsibility of parents along the same lines as teaching children to dress and speak accordingly in various social settings...
Really useful - thanks. You might be right about social media - just leave in the stuff about online identity. I think I also need to add something about word processing packages - can't believe how many people don't know how to use heading styles in Word - which are v useful for navigation and tables of contents. Re the rapid development - I'm trying to address this a little by making the list non-specific in terms of software - could be MS Office but could (should) equally include Open Office, Google Docs and others...
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DeleteThat looked like a good comment on the email notification but it looks like you deleted it!
DeleteHere's the post again.
DeleteI would say that social media isn't relevant for the average employER, but it is relevant to graduate employees. Admittedly, few employees need to use social media to carry out their roles (though there are plenty of social media-like tools in large organisations that don't hit the headlines, such as internal blogs or Yammer). However, all graduates need to manage their careers, including in online settings. LinkedIn could be an obvious place to do it for most students, and to use it well and create successful digital footprints, students need some help with productive networking practices - something that surely should be part of the employability agenda? Universities aren't just in the business of providing 'oven-ready' employees, after all. Helping students to understand networks is vital for jobs and careers, and more specifically, it would help those students of more modest backgrounds whose parents' networks and networking abilities are limited; so there's a widening participation angle on this. And as for alumni networking… if universities are serious about mining those for all sorts of reasons (placements, funding, projects), helping students with social media doesn’t seem to far-fetched. The digital divide in the developed world is no longer a matter of access or skills; the second-order digital divide is matter or practices, networks and identities. Universities should help minimise that in contextualised and authentic ways.
OK, I’ll step down my high horse now :-)
Sorry for the delay - thanks for re-posting your comment. I think you make some really good points re social mobility and social capital/networks. Are you saying that just referring to 'managing your online identity' isn't sufficient because that's potentially just about control (a bit negative) - whereas you are saying there are numerous benefits to creating networks (v positive)?
DeleteI guess it would be worth looking at Tristram Hooley's 7 C's of Digital Career Literacy at http://prezi.com/lsxri_yeynak/the-seven-cs-of-digital-career-literacy/ as well. With my information hat on I think you need to include the ability to search effectively online (which Hooley calls collecting). People think they are better at this than they actually are!
ReplyDeleteThansk for the comment - I'll have a look at Tris's Prezi. In speakign to @ajcann I had already added search in, probably something like: "Information acquisition strategies - Using search engines and bibliographic databases to source and cross check the authenticity of information". Will post the full list when I'm done...
DeleteHi Darren - just looked at Tris's Prezi - v useful, thanks :)
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