Digital and information literacy: practical approaches to academic integrity

Jo Parker

HEA, November 2013

In the next hour….• Digital literacy – overview• The OU approach to embedding digital and information

literacy in qualifications and modules• #1 Digital literacy and learning design • #2 Digital literacy and academic integrity• #3 Digital literacy and employability• Close

Some OU facts and figures• Delivering distance

learning via “supported open learning” since 1969

• 240,000+ students, including overseas

• Around 7,000 tutors• Average age of new

students is 31• 27% new students are

under 25

Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges• Lack of common baseline for

skills• Course materials traditionally

‘in the box’ • Time – skills have to be

integrated into the curriculum

Opportunities• Move to qualifications – can

build in skills systematically• Online learning; independent

learning and employability skills recognised as important

• Learning design tools and approaches starting to be used

What is digital literacy?

• Your definition (140 characters or less…?)

Digital literacy at the OU

• The skills, competences, and dispositions of OU students using digital technologies to achieve personal, study, and work-related goals

• The skills, competences, and dispositions of OU staff and tutors– teaching OU modules and programmes which use

digital technologies to deliver learning– supporting student digital and information literacy skills

development

The digital and information literacy (DIL) framework

• Based on existing IL levels framework

• 5 broad competence areas (and outcomes)

• 5 broad stages of development (broadly mapped to OU levels of study)

• Conversation starter – articulates skills, focusses on progression

http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/pages/dilframework

#1 Digital and information literacy in your context

• Using the digital and information literacy framework facilitation cards….–Pick a card, any card–Note which skills area it covers–Turn it over and look at the statements on the back–Choose one or two statements and discuss with your

neighbour how this might look in your context:• What might students do, either to develop this skill, or to show they can do it?

Digital literacy and learning design‘I think [our role] is definitely moving much more towards being involved with pedagogy. For a lot of courses that I’ve been involved with you were seen much more as someone who sorts out the [University’s] external website… and the access to resources rather than the actual learning and teaching…’(OULDI-JISC Project Evaluation Report, 2012)

What does DIL look like? My digital life (1st level Technology)

• A range of digital and information literacy skills are taught and assessed, e.g.– netiquette and managing

online identity– evaluating and referencing

information– building Google sites pages– contributing to a group wiki– producing a short AV

presentation in response to a YouTube video

Brixton (2008) The Robot overlords welcome you to Denver: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brixton/2740668031/

What does DIL look like? Practical science (2nd level)

Activity on finding images relating to practical science:

• Respond to volcano image• Find, describe and reference

own image, according to criteria given; post to forum

• Respond to others’ postings and nominate top 3; tutor compiles group consensus on top 3

Image Editor (2007) Kilauea Volcano at Mauna Ulu: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11304375@N07/2044855541/

Demonstrate the ability to independently select appropriate resources for a task.

Contribute useful feedback on others’ contributions to an online interaction.

What does DIL look like? Adulthood, aging and the life course(Health & Social Care, 3rd level)• For their 3rd essay students work

collaboratively to discuss and collectively create a joint presentation

• They reflect on the experience and relate it to their professional context

Produce a shared digital asset or output in collaboration with others as part of an assessed activity.

Give evidence of the use of sources of current information (including people) for keeping up-to-date.

Online skills materials

• ‘Being digital’: bite-size interactive learning activities to illustrate the DIL Framework skills: http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/beingdigital

• Can be integrated into modules or used on a standalone basis

• Includes self-assessment checklist• Relevant to the workplace too

#2 DlL and academic integrity• Using the digital and information literacy framework

facilitation cards….

–Sort: which cards feature the skills you associate with ‘academic integrity’?

–Establish a red pile (out) and green pile (in) –What skills are missing, in your view? –Use the blank cards to outline the missing skills

Developing employabilityWhat kinds of jobs?

• Animation programmer• Web designer• Advertising account executive• Graphic designer• Multimedia specialist• Museum / gallery curator /

conservator / education officer• Teacher / Lecturer• Arts administrator• TV and radio• Also within health-care,

engineering, and even Domino’s pizza!

What kinds of skills?

• Presenting oneself effectively online, connecting with others

• Drawing on information from a variety of sources

• Virtual teamworking• Researching efficiently and

keeping up-to-date• Selecting and using online

tools as appropriate • Dealing with information

overload• Using digital tools confidently

to create products

#3: how does academic integrity relate to employability?

• Of the skills you identified as ‘green’, which ones translate into a work context?

• How might they be framed in a job description?

The future• Evaluating the Framework – how is it working in

practice?• Student-facing framework – helping students to

articulate skills they have developed and how they relate to the workplace

• MOOCs - what skills will students need to develop in order to engage successfully?

• Gamification – can learning digital literacy be fun??

Useful URLs

Digital and information literacy framework http://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/subsites/dilframework

Being digitalhttp://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/beingdigital/

Framework cards: http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/48915295/OULDI-Information Literacy facilitation cards

Jo ParkerLibrary ServicesThe Open UniversityWalton HallMilton KeynesMK7 6AAwww.open.ac.uk/libraryservices

Jo.parker@open.ac.uk

http://twitter.com/JoParkery