Digital Literacy Annotated Bibliography: Digital Fluency (Group 1)
Jesse Costello, Donna-Marie Hamilton, Caitlin Langford, Josh Stigall, and Cris Turple
ETEC 532: Technology in the Arts and Humanities
Prof. Alexander De Cosson
March 29, 2015
Amicucci, A. N. (2014). "How they really talk": Two students' perspectives on digital literacies in the writing classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(6), 483.
This qualitative article examines the interviews of two students in a writing course, specifically looking at how to access the students’ non-academic digital literacies in order to provide social context for their writing and to help understand students’ ability to communicate for different purposes. The author recommends that teachers include lessons for: writing with social media in order to encourage constructivist learning; having students share writing samples from different sources to compare different formalities; experimenting with stories and dialogues based on net-speak; and having classroom discussions about different ways to use technology for communication. A strength of the article is that it helps to address a lack of student voices in digital literacy research.
Belshaw, D. (2012, March 22). The essential elements of digital literacies [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/A8yQPoTcZ78.
Belshaw’s TEDx Talk encourages educators to teach beyond the elegant consumption that is typically found using apps and tablets. The author suggests that digital fluency affords the user the ability to impact the world through remixing and sharing ideas and memes with social media. Educators need to focus on the intersection between personal interests and important ideas in order to engage students and immerse them in different cultures. Importantly, one needs to imagine fluency as fluencies, and that becoming fluent is progressive, not linear or sequential. The constant change and influx of ideas is a lifelong project that encourages one’s continuous development.
Cornell Information Technologies. Cornell Digital Literacy Resource. Retrieved from https://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu.
The Cornell Digital Literacy Resource is a tool for students designed to help them understand the intricacies of research in a digital world. Digital literacy is defined on the website as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.” Digital literacy activities include “writing papers, creating multimedia presentations, and posting information about [oneself] or others online.” The website includes helpful tools and resources to aid students in their digital research. Topics include a research guide for students, a statement on academic integrity, and resources for further study of digital literacy. The site also includes helpful discussions about practical issues such as what makes an article scholarly.
Crowley, B. (2014). What digital literacy looks like in a classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/29/ctq_crowley_digitalliteracy.html.
Crowley offers several techniques to embed digital literacy in the classroom. This is an important task because students are not inherently ‘digital natives’ because of their age. Indeed, Crowley regards the distinction between ‘digital natives’ and ‘digital immigrants’ based on age as a false distinction. Instead, students need to gain the ability to function well in a digital environment. Crowley has found success implementing this training by taking small steps with students to integrate technology through the use of social media in learning modules, teaching students to notice bias in online articles, and training in creating digital presentations. In all of this students learn to act responsibly in a digital world as they use technology for learning.
Dockterman, E. (2013). The Digital Parent Trap: Should your kids avoid tech--or embrace it? Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2149134-3,00.html.
This article looks at parents and their views on the use of technology in education. It shows the perspective of those who fear the use of mobile technology in schools and those whose children are engaged in technology pre-kindergarten. It talks about the parents who are opposed to their children using technology and those whose children are immersed in technology. This article is important because many of the academic articles look at educators but often the perspectives of parents and technology are omitted. The article also talks about the benefits of digital fluency and the disadvantages experienced by students who are not exposed to technology.
Hockly, N. (2012). Digital literacies. ELT Journal, 66(1), 108-112. Retrieved from: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/66/1/1.full.
This article explores different areas of digital literacies, including what digital literacies are, why they are important in an educational setting, and how teachers can include digital literacies in their classes. Digital literacies skills include language, information, connections, and (re-)design. Language refers to students abilities to read and create online text genres including, blogs, forums, texts, gaming, among others. Information literacies refers to being able to navigate, sort and chose from the immense amount of information online. Connection literacies refers to managing one’s digital identity. Finally, (re-)design refers to recreating or repurposing digital content in innovative ways. The author discusses educational implications and provides examples to help teach digital literacies in the classroom.
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). National education technology standards for students: Advanced digital age learning (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) developed standards to define what students need to know about and be able to do to learn with technology to effectively and productively live in today’s increasingly digital world. The standards focus more on the need for basic technology competence to navigate a digital world, and less on technology tools themselves. The ISTE booklet offers learning profiles which highlight important types of learning activities and scenarios of authentic activities which reflect the ISTE Standards. These twenty-first century skills are very similar to the digital fluencies developed by The Global Digital Citizen Foundation. Both organizations share a vision for technology use as an integral part of learning across all skills and subject areas.
Jeffrey, L., Hegarty, B., Kelly, O., Penman, M., Coburn, D., and McDonald, J. (2011). “Developing Digital Information Literacy in Higher Education: Obstacles and Supports. Journal of Information Technology Education, 10, 383-413.
The authors contend that competency in digital information literacy “is essential to full participation in society and work.” Unfortunately, however, the skills necessary for full digital literacy are not learned by “simple exposure to technology.” Rather a systematic approach is necessary to gain the necessary skills. In order to chart a path for growth the authors identify several obstacles (e.g., access) and supports for building digital literacy. The study found that supports like autonomy in learning, collaboration, and trial-and-error learning led to greater digital literacy.
Jukes, I. (2015). Global Digital Citizen Foundation. 21st Century Fluencies. Retrieved from: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies.
The Global Digital Citizen Foundation divides digital fluency into five categories: Information Fluency is the ability to interpret, to extract, authenticate, and perceive the significance of information; media fluency is the ability to look at communication, interpret the message, evaluate the medium and create original communications by aligning the message and audience though the most effective medium; solution fluency is the ability to define the problem, design and deliver the solution, and then evaluate the outcome; creativity fluency is the process by which art adds meaning through design, and storytelling; and collaboration fluency is the ability to work cooperatively in an online environment.
Marcus, S. (2006). ICT fluency in the 21st century. In ICT, information and communications technology fluency and high schools: a workshop summary (pp. 12-22). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/reader.action?docID=10141200&ppg=24.
The National Research Council of the National Academies published a document which details the influence of information and communications technology on the world today and why it is essential for schools to support students in developing digital fluency. The committee argues that due to the constant change of new technologies there is a consequent need for schools to not just teach skills for using currently available technologies, but to also provide students with a foundational understanding of problem-solving techniques needed to understand new technologies. The document summarizes discussions surrounding the introduced ICT fluency framework in 1999, and provides authentic classroom examples which foster the development of digital fluency.
Resnick, M. (2002). Rethinking learning in the digital age In G. Kirkman (Ed.), The global information technology report: Readiness for the networked world (pp. 32-37). London: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from: https://llk.media.mit.edu/papers/mres-wef.pdf.
In this article, Mitchel Resnick of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Laboratory discusses prominent issues surrounding the integration of new technologies in the twenty-first century classroom. Resnick notes that new technologies do not necessarily equate to enhanced learning experiences and that educators need to fundamentally rethink approaches to learning to suit the needs of today’s students. The article differentiates between digital literacy, knowing how to use technological tools, and digital fluency as knowing how to construct things of significance using technological tools. Resnick concludes with the message that significant education reform is needed, focusing on a change of how, what, where and when people learn.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. California: Corwin Press.
Richardson’s book aims to give context for what technology means to society and education. He wants to challenge and motivate teachers to think differently about technologies in the classrooms while providing enough “how to” to allow teachers to get started immediately. Technology allow connections, collaborations and conversations. Educators can use blogs/wikis/podcasts to motivate students to learn deeply and to contribute what they know. He stresses the importance of teachers learning to use these tools so their students have the opportunity at the best jobs and lives. Richardson focuses on the idea that access means more than reading information but on creating and contributing content as well.
Tapscott, D. (2009). Chapter five: Rethinking Education The Net Generation As Learners In, grown up digital (pp. 120 - 148). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
This chapter focuses on getting rid of the Industrial Age Model of education. Tapscott highlights the gap in the quality of education between poor and minority students and the advantaged white upper class student, he believes changing teaching to fit the “Net Gen” could help to change that. He thinks that it is not what you know, but what you can learn that counts. Students have to master the basics and then become lifelong learners to keep up with the fast changing world. Finally, the chapter offers tips for educators to bring their classrooms to the twenty-first century and prepare them for the digital economy.
Togher, M. (2013). Digital Fluency Introduction [Prezi Presentation]. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/ahhv6iwm1sdp/digital-fluency-introduction.
This presentation seeks to situate digital fluencies along with the other 21st century fluencies and looks at educators’ role in building fluencies for the digital-aged learner. The videos and link show how important it is for educators to build competencies so that students will have these fluencies long after the content is forgotten. It also looks at how educators perceive their abilities around computer based tools and how it will affect their ability to equip themselves and consequently their students to build digital fluency. It talks about the building of a ‘fluency kit’ and offers a visual framework of different 21st century fluencies.
Wang, Q., Myers, M. D., & Sundaram, D. (2013). Digital natives and digital immigrants: towards a model of digital fluency. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 5(6), 409-419. Retrieved from: http://download.springer.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/static/pdf/183/art%253A10.1007%252Fs12599-013-0296-y.pdf?auth66=1427498402_8fa494d2a4be7227447e6ee36e6865ff&ext=.pdf.
In this article, the writers outline the factors that affect digital fluency. They argue that digital fluency is the framework that brings together all the arguments around one’s ability to use technology. In spite of the fact that this is a new field the writers offer comprehensive examinations of the research around how technology users are defined. Through this article they are able to create a shift in the rigid view of digital natives and digital immigrants. They posit that digital fluency is one way to see the movement between digital natives and digital immigrants. This article moves the discussion from just being engaged with technology to becoming producers of technology.
Wesch, M. (2007, October 12). Visions of students today [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o.
Wesch, a Kansas State University cultural anthropologist, in collaboration with 200 students made this short video that starts by showing an empty classroom, looking much the same as a 19th century classroom. Eventually the room fills up with disinterested looking students. One by one the students hold up signs to deliver a strong statement of dislike for the current education system. Signs read things like “I will read eight books this year, 2,300 Web pages, and 1,281 Facebook profiles” and “when I graduate, I probably will have a job that doesn’t exist today.” The video attempts to convey the idea that today’s students need to develop modern capacities to be able to navigate the digital world.
Jesse Costello, Donna-Marie Hamilton, Caitlin Langford, Josh Stigall, and Cris Turple
ETEC 532: Technology in the Arts and Humanities
Prof. Alexander De Cosson
March 29, 2015
Amicucci, A. N. (2014). "How they really talk": Two students' perspectives on digital literacies in the writing classroom. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 57(6), 483.
This qualitative article examines the interviews of two students in a writing course, specifically looking at how to access the students’ non-academic digital literacies in order to provide social context for their writing and to help understand students’ ability to communicate for different purposes. The author recommends that teachers include lessons for: writing with social media in order to encourage constructivist learning; having students share writing samples from different sources to compare different formalities; experimenting with stories and dialogues based on net-speak; and having classroom discussions about different ways to use technology for communication. A strength of the article is that it helps to address a lack of student voices in digital literacy research.
Belshaw, D. (2012, March 22). The essential elements of digital literacies [video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/A8yQPoTcZ78.
Belshaw’s TEDx Talk encourages educators to teach beyond the elegant consumption that is typically found using apps and tablets. The author suggests that digital fluency affords the user the ability to impact the world through remixing and sharing ideas and memes with social media. Educators need to focus on the intersection between personal interests and important ideas in order to engage students and immerse them in different cultures. Importantly, one needs to imagine fluency as fluencies, and that becoming fluent is progressive, not linear or sequential. The constant change and influx of ideas is a lifelong project that encourages one’s continuous development.
Cornell Information Technologies. Cornell Digital Literacy Resource. Retrieved from https://digitalliteracy.cornell.edu.
The Cornell Digital Literacy Resource is a tool for students designed to help them understand the intricacies of research in a digital world. Digital literacy is defined on the website as “the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet.” Digital literacy activities include “writing papers, creating multimedia presentations, and posting information about [oneself] or others online.” The website includes helpful tools and resources to aid students in their digital research. Topics include a research guide for students, a statement on academic integrity, and resources for further study of digital literacy. The site also includes helpful discussions about practical issues such as what makes an article scholarly.
Crowley, B. (2014). What digital literacy looks like in a classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/10/29/ctq_crowley_digitalliteracy.html.
Crowley offers several techniques to embed digital literacy in the classroom. This is an important task because students are not inherently ‘digital natives’ because of their age. Indeed, Crowley regards the distinction between ‘digital natives’ and ‘digital immigrants’ based on age as a false distinction. Instead, students need to gain the ability to function well in a digital environment. Crowley has found success implementing this training by taking small steps with students to integrate technology through the use of social media in learning modules, teaching students to notice bias in online articles, and training in creating digital presentations. In all of this students learn to act responsibly in a digital world as they use technology for learning.
Dockterman, E. (2013). The Digital Parent Trap: Should your kids avoid tech--or embrace it? Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,2149134-3,00.html.
This article looks at parents and their views on the use of technology in education. It shows the perspective of those who fear the use of mobile technology in schools and those whose children are engaged in technology pre-kindergarten. It talks about the parents who are opposed to their children using technology and those whose children are immersed in technology. This article is important because many of the academic articles look at educators but often the perspectives of parents and technology are omitted. The article also talks about the benefits of digital fluency and the disadvantages experienced by students who are not exposed to technology.
Hockly, N. (2012). Digital literacies. ELT Journal, 66(1), 108-112. Retrieved from: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/content/66/1/1.full.
This article explores different areas of digital literacies, including what digital literacies are, why they are important in an educational setting, and how teachers can include digital literacies in their classes. Digital literacies skills include language, information, connections, and (re-)design. Language refers to students abilities to read and create online text genres including, blogs, forums, texts, gaming, among others. Information literacies refers to being able to navigate, sort and chose from the immense amount of information online. Connection literacies refers to managing one’s digital identity. Finally, (re-)design refers to recreating or repurposing digital content in innovative ways. The author discusses educational implications and provides examples to help teach digital literacies in the classroom.
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). National education technology standards for students: Advanced digital age learning (2nd ed.). Washington, D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) developed standards to define what students need to know about and be able to do to learn with technology to effectively and productively live in today’s increasingly digital world. The standards focus more on the need for basic technology competence to navigate a digital world, and less on technology tools themselves. The ISTE booklet offers learning profiles which highlight important types of learning activities and scenarios of authentic activities which reflect the ISTE Standards. These twenty-first century skills are very similar to the digital fluencies developed by The Global Digital Citizen Foundation. Both organizations share a vision for technology use as an integral part of learning across all skills and subject areas.
Jeffrey, L., Hegarty, B., Kelly, O., Penman, M., Coburn, D., and McDonald, J. (2011). “Developing Digital Information Literacy in Higher Education: Obstacles and Supports. Journal of Information Technology Education, 10, 383-413.
The authors contend that competency in digital information literacy “is essential to full participation in society and work.” Unfortunately, however, the skills necessary for full digital literacy are not learned by “simple exposure to technology.” Rather a systematic approach is necessary to gain the necessary skills. In order to chart a path for growth the authors identify several obstacles (e.g., access) and supports for building digital literacy. The study found that supports like autonomy in learning, collaboration, and trial-and-error learning led to greater digital literacy.
Jukes, I. (2015). Global Digital Citizen Foundation. 21st Century Fluencies. Retrieved from: https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-fluencies.
The Global Digital Citizen Foundation divides digital fluency into five categories: Information Fluency is the ability to interpret, to extract, authenticate, and perceive the significance of information; media fluency is the ability to look at communication, interpret the message, evaluate the medium and create original communications by aligning the message and audience though the most effective medium; solution fluency is the ability to define the problem, design and deliver the solution, and then evaluate the outcome; creativity fluency is the process by which art adds meaning through design, and storytelling; and collaboration fluency is the ability to work cooperatively in an online environment.
Marcus, S. (2006). ICT fluency in the 21st century. In ICT, information and communications technology fluency and high schools: a workshop summary (pp. 12-22). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/ubc/reader.action?docID=10141200&ppg=24.
The National Research Council of the National Academies published a document which details the influence of information and communications technology on the world today and why it is essential for schools to support students in developing digital fluency. The committee argues that due to the constant change of new technologies there is a consequent need for schools to not just teach skills for using currently available technologies, but to also provide students with a foundational understanding of problem-solving techniques needed to understand new technologies. The document summarizes discussions surrounding the introduced ICT fluency framework in 1999, and provides authentic classroom examples which foster the development of digital fluency.
Resnick, M. (2002). Rethinking learning in the digital age In G. Kirkman (Ed.), The global information technology report: Readiness for the networked world (pp. 32-37). London: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from: https://llk.media.mit.edu/papers/mres-wef.pdf.
In this article, Mitchel Resnick of Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Laboratory discusses prominent issues surrounding the integration of new technologies in the twenty-first century classroom. Resnick notes that new technologies do not necessarily equate to enhanced learning experiences and that educators need to fundamentally rethink approaches to learning to suit the needs of today’s students. The article differentiates between digital literacy, knowing how to use technological tools, and digital fluency as knowing how to construct things of significance using technological tools. Resnick concludes with the message that significant education reform is needed, focusing on a change of how, what, where and when people learn.
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. California: Corwin Press.
Richardson’s book aims to give context for what technology means to society and education. He wants to challenge and motivate teachers to think differently about technologies in the classrooms while providing enough “how to” to allow teachers to get started immediately. Technology allow connections, collaborations and conversations. Educators can use blogs/wikis/podcasts to motivate students to learn deeply and to contribute what they know. He stresses the importance of teachers learning to use these tools so their students have the opportunity at the best jobs and lives. Richardson focuses on the idea that access means more than reading information but on creating and contributing content as well.
Tapscott, D. (2009). Chapter five: Rethinking Education The Net Generation As Learners In, grown up digital (pp. 120 - 148). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
This chapter focuses on getting rid of the Industrial Age Model of education. Tapscott highlights the gap in the quality of education between poor and minority students and the advantaged white upper class student, he believes changing teaching to fit the “Net Gen” could help to change that. He thinks that it is not what you know, but what you can learn that counts. Students have to master the basics and then become lifelong learners to keep up with the fast changing world. Finally, the chapter offers tips for educators to bring their classrooms to the twenty-first century and prepare them for the digital economy.
Togher, M. (2013). Digital Fluency Introduction [Prezi Presentation]. Retrieved from https://prezi.com/ahhv6iwm1sdp/digital-fluency-introduction.
This presentation seeks to situate digital fluencies along with the other 21st century fluencies and looks at educators’ role in building fluencies for the digital-aged learner. The videos and link show how important it is for educators to build competencies so that students will have these fluencies long after the content is forgotten. It also looks at how educators perceive their abilities around computer based tools and how it will affect their ability to equip themselves and consequently their students to build digital fluency. It talks about the building of a ‘fluency kit’ and offers a visual framework of different 21st century fluencies.
Wang, Q., Myers, M. D., & Sundaram, D. (2013). Digital natives and digital immigrants: towards a model of digital fluency. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 5(6), 409-419. Retrieved from: http://download.springer.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/static/pdf/183/art%253A10.1007%252Fs12599-013-0296-y.pdf?auth66=1427498402_8fa494d2a4be7227447e6ee36e6865ff&ext=.pdf.
In this article, the writers outline the factors that affect digital fluency. They argue that digital fluency is the framework that brings together all the arguments around one’s ability to use technology. In spite of the fact that this is a new field the writers offer comprehensive examinations of the research around how technology users are defined. Through this article they are able to create a shift in the rigid view of digital natives and digital immigrants. They posit that digital fluency is one way to see the movement between digital natives and digital immigrants. This article moves the discussion from just being engaged with technology to becoming producers of technology.
Wesch, M. (2007, October 12). Visions of students today [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o.
Wesch, a Kansas State University cultural anthropologist, in collaboration with 200 students made this short video that starts by showing an empty classroom, looking much the same as a 19th century classroom. Eventually the room fills up with disinterested looking students. One by one the students hold up signs to deliver a strong statement of dislike for the current education system. Signs read things like “I will read eight books this year, 2,300 Web pages, and 1,281 Facebook profiles” and “when I graduate, I probably will have a job that doesn’t exist today.” The video attempts to convey the idea that today’s students need to develop modern capacities to be able to navigate the digital world.