Lampros K. Stergioulas Brunel University, UK

The pursuit of Digital Literacy and e-Inclusion in Schools:

Curriculum Development and Teacher Education

Lampros K. StergioulasBrunel University, UK

The challenge of Digital The challenge of Digital LiteracyLiteracy

“Pupils must be digitally literate by the time they have left school and teachers should be trained so that they can adapt their curriculum to new technologies” (EC, 2002a:13)

“ICT enriches the curriculum in at least two fundamental ways. The first is as an enhancement across almost every subject and activity…(and) the second, yet more radical, is the pursuit of digital literacy in its own right, whereby the individual becomes empowered as a discriminating and autonomous learner” (OECD, 2001:36)

One of the established priorities of the European Commission is to “counteract the digital divide” by taking action towards “understanding digital literacy” and “promoting digital literacy” (EC, 2002b:14)

A range of other EU publications (EC, 2001; EC, 2002b) put forward a number of proposals, including the establishment and implementation of a pan-European digital literacy curriculum (EC, 2004:4; Tornero, 2004).

A Common Framework?A Common Framework?

What does “digital literacy” mean? What is the relationship between digital

literacy and other forms of information and communication literacies?

What is the relationship between digital literacy and the digital divide?

Through what kind of actions and strategies could we foster the development of a common European rationale for the pursuit of digital literacy in compulsory education?

Digital Literacy: The historyDigital Literacy: The history

1990s: The ability to comprehend “hypertext” structure and understand “multimedia” texts.

1997: “Digital Literacy” by Paul Gilster “Digital Literacy is the ability to

understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide variety of sources when it is presented via computers “


Late 1990s: The multi-literacies period

OECD/CERI, 2001: Digital Literacy is used interchangeably with ICT Literacy.

OECD/CERI, 2003: Programme for International Student Assessment – Feasibility Study for the PISA ICT Literacy Assessment “ICT literacy is the interest, attitude, and ability

of individuals to appropriately use digital technology and communication tools to access, manage, integrate, and evaluate information, construct new knowledge, and communicate with others in order to participate effectively in society”


EU, 2004: “Promoting Digital Literacy” – Final Report, EAC/76/03 Digital literacy is treated as synonymous to

media literacy

Project DigEuLit, 2005: “The development of a European Framework for Digital Literacy” “Digital Literacy is the awareness, attitude and ability

of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and facilities to identify, access, manage, integrate, evaluate, analyse and synthesize digital resources, construct new knowledge, create media expressions, and communicate with others, in the context of specific life situations, in order to enable constructive social action; and to reflect upon this process.


Digital Literacy: Basic Digital Literacy: Basic characteristicscharacteristics

Refers not only to the skills of operatingskills of operating and usingusing a wide range of information and communication technological environmentstechnological environments (hardware devices and software platforms), but also to the processesprocesses of “reading”“reading” and “understanding” the contents contents of these technological environments, as well as the processes of “creating” and “writing”“writing” such contents (information, services, resources, etc)

Even though is often described in comparison to the umbrella term “ICT literacy”,“ICT literacy”, which is broader than both computer and network literacy, it appears to contain itit appears to contain it.

Digital Literacy: Basic Digital Literacy: Basic characteristicscharacteristics

DL is indisputably related to media literacyrelated to media literacy, because it addresses social, cultural, human and ethical issues related to digital citizenship, emphasizes the influential role of digital mass media of expression and considers their attributes, merits and limitations.

The contemporary endorsement of digital literacy is perceived as an act in response to the emergence and broadening of the to the emergence and broadening of the “digital divide”,“digital divide”, a complex phenomenon involving a web of inter-related cultural and socio-economic factors.

Digital Divide: a concept in Digital Divide: a concept in permanent fluxpermanent flux

Disparities in technology access between developed and developing nations

Disparities in technology access within individual countries

Perceived as a dichotomous gap between the “haves” and the “have nots”, that could be counteracted through the provision of universal access to technology for all.

Digital Divide: a concept in Digital Divide: a concept in permanent fluxpermanent flux

Contemporary notions suggest that: Emphasis on the access factor alone is rather

deterministic Both the “digital divide” and “access to

technology” are hierarchical and not dichotomous concepts

The digital divide is simultaneously a projection and an extension of the “social exclusion phenomenon”

Quality of use of digital technology is dependent on the “economic”, “cultural” and “social capital” that individuals possess and project in their engagement with technology

Digital literacy – Digital Digital literacy – Digital dividedivide

Digital literacy is a hierarchical concept, existing in a continuum

Digital literacy is relative (may take different meanings in different cultural and socio-economic contexts)

Digital literacy development targets contemporary socio-economic problems and prevailing educational conditions involving notions of power, dominant ideology and hegemonic culture.

Factors and Indicators of Factors and Indicators of Digital Literacy in SchoolsDigital Literacy in Schools

ACCESS - access to computers at school - Ownership of digital equipment

and resources at home - ….


RELEVANCE - “digital incentives” for life after

schooling - children’s “lifestyle choices” - motivation, interest and attitude

towards digital culture - perceptions of usefulness and

value of digital technology in everyday life


SOCIAL RESOURCE NETWORKS - pupils’ and teachers’ membership

to different social communities - differentiated forms of culture

Factors and Indicators: Some Factors and Indicators: Some pertinent questionspertinent questions

Could the school as a significant socialization and enculturation agent address effectively factors related to issues of relevancerelevance and social social networksnetworks and empower pupils and teachers to participate in digital practice, not only as consumers of digital dominant culture but also as producersproducers and communicatorscommunicators of their own culture?

What may be the institutional, organizational and educational changes that would enable schools to play such a socially responsible and significant role and help us all in keeping warm the hope of an inclusive societyinclusive society?

A Pan-European Digital Literacy A Pan-European Digital Literacy Framework?Framework?

Should address aspects of relevance and relativity, by: Being flexible enough and adaptive to the differentiated

conditions of the community in which it is to be implemented. Being unified, but only in terms of a central core of

methodologies and values Investing on project-based, child-centered, inclusive,

experiential, thematic and integrated approaches to teaching and learning

Should address established socio-economic and cultural problems and foster the empowerment of social –resource networks by: Involving participatory, bottom – up approaches to curriculum

development Being re-constructionist, in the sense that it should educate by

fostering exploration, understanding, reflection and analysis of social problems, events and issues, and by stressing social responsibility and action-praxis towards changing the conditions that create antidemocratic and inhuman practices in school and in society.

A Framework development A Framework development processprocess

The creation and development of a European-wide “network of networks” of academics, researchers and educational representatives. Collect, review and analyze the contents of

established and implemented educational frameworks and/or curricula related to digital literacy

Collect, review and analyze the contextual and content characteristics of national teacher training and teacher education actions related to the development of digital literacy

Identify critical factors, indicators and conditions that may promote or hinder the pursuit of digital literacy in compulsory education

On the basis of the previous knowledge, start building consensus around a central designing core of methodologies and values

National NetworksNational Networks

Main aim: The analysis of the status of digital literacy in individual EU member countries and the development of educational policy recommendations

Synthesis/composition: (a) Academic community members, (b) Teaching community members, (c) Parent and pupil community members, and (d) educational authority representatives

Activities: (a) Collection and analysis of national primary data and information, (b) Review and analysis of the national theoretical and research educational literature, and (c) Development and then negotiation, modification and validation of a national report on digital literacy

Cross-country NetworksCross-country Networks

Main Aim: The identification of generalizable definitional aspects and generalizable goals and contents for digital literacy development in compulsory education, as well as the development and establishment of cross-country educational policy recommendations at EU level

Synthesis/Composition: (a) Participants of national networks, and (b) Representatives of other cross-country networks, European and/or international organizations activated in the area of digital literacy

Activities: (a) Comparative analysis of individual country national reports, (β) Review and analysis of research and educational literature of an international status, and (c) Development and then negotiation, modification and validation of cross-country

Organization of activities: Two vertical axes, four horizontal thematic agendas

Cross-country NetworksCross-country Networks

Vertical areas of interest: Educational Frameworks –Curricula for compulsory

education Teacher Training initiatives and Teacher Education

programmes of study Horizontal thematic areas of study:

Conceptualizations of digital literacy: Theoretical Frameworks - National Curricula

The pursuit of digital literacy: Quantitative indicators and qualitative factors affecting it

Acquiring digital literacy: Action roadmaps and didactical scenarios

Digital Literacy and Social inclusion: Processes of participatory and re-constructionist framework development

Barriers to overcomeBarriers to overcome

Differences in the way “digital literacy” is being defined, interpreted and understood

The multiple cultural, social and economical gaps and divides existing between countries and within the same country

The difficulty in cooperating and communicating in the context of cross-national and cross-cultural networks (heterogeneous landscape of regulation, legacy/tradition and language/semantics)

The problematic issue of achieving access to primary -source data and, in particular comparable data

The necessary obstacles of establishing and implementing framework building processes of a participatory nature and a bottom-up direction

……and most importantlyand most importantly The promotion of a “new ethos” towards

the process of designing and implementing educational policy and the endorsement of the idea of syn-praxis and unity within divergence, which: Requires radical transformative changes

in the processes of designing and developing the aims, the contents and the organization of the process of education

Disputes the structures, the regulatory settings and the contents of a centralized educational establishment

Are we then chasing after a Are we then chasing after a utopian dream?utopian dream?

Digital Literacy NetworkDigital Literacy Networkwww.estart-net.orgwww.estart-net.org

Digital Literacy Network forDigital Literacy Network forPrimary & Lower Secondary (K-9) EducationPrimary & Lower Secondary (K-9) Education

BRUNBRUN

MENONMENON

AUTHAUTH

NCSRNCSRITDITD

MIIMII

TKK DipoliTKK Dipoli

TiluTilu

INTINTCSICSI

Lampros K. Stergioulas Brunel University, UK

Documents

Transcript of Lampros K. Stergioulas Brunel University, UK