Slides for webinar 12 Feb 2013. This webinar discussed what digital literacies are and why it is important for universities and colleges to develop the digital literacies of their students and staff. We will look at some of the issues to consider when planning an institutional approach to developing digital literacies, and projects from Jisc’s Developing Digital Literacies programme will highlight some of the approaches that they have found effective in their own contexts.

1. Current issues and approaches in developing
digital literacies
Helen Beetham, Developing Digital Literacies programme consultant
with representatives of the SEEDPoD project (Plymouth University), Digitally Ready proje
(University of Reading), DIAL project (University of the Arts, London) and Digital Literacie
in Transition project (University of Greenwich)

2. Developing Digital Literacies Programme
A sector-wide programme
promoting the development of
coherent, inclusive and holistic
institutional strategies and
organisational approaches
for developing digital
literacies for staff and
students in UK further and
higher education.

3. Developing Digital Literacies Projects
 University of Greenwich  University of Bath
 University of the Arts London  University College London
 University of Exeter  Oxford Brookes University
 Grŵp Llandrillo Menai  Cardiff University
 University of Plymouth  Worcester College of Technology
 University of Reading  Institute of Education, London

4. What do we mean by 'digital literacies'?
The capabilities, aptitudes and attitudes learners need
to thrive in a digital economy and society (JISC)
For example (from various institutional strategies):
[Ensure] students are prepared for study and employment
in the digital age, with a range of learning literacies
embedded into the curriculum.
Consider the potential of technology to promote knowledge
building and reflective, student-centred, creative and
collaborative learning.
[develop] self-regulating citizens in a globally connected
society, able to handle multiple, diverse information
sources and media.

5. JISC/SCONUL
 ICT/Computer Literacy the ability to adopt, adapt and use digital
devices, applications and services in pursuit of scholarly and educational goals.
 Information Literacy: the ability to find, interpret, evaluate, manage
and share information, especially scholarly and educational information
 Media Literacy: the ability to critically read and creatively produce
academic and professional communications in a range of media.
 Communication and Collaboration: the ability to
participate in digital networks and working groups of research and learning
 Digital scholarship: the ability to participate in emerging academic,
professional and research practices that depend on digital systems
 Learning Skills: the ability to study and learn effectively in technology-
rich environments, formal and informal

6. Alternative models
Greenwich Five Resources model

7. How are you involved in digital literacy?
A) Supporting student learning in the curriculum
B) Supporting student learning alongside the
curriculum e.g. library, careers, learning skills
C) Developing professional practices of staff
D) Building C21st learning environment
E) Developing institutional strategy
Choose the one most relevant to your responsibilities and
interests. Give more details in the chat box.

8. What experiences do learners need
to develop DLs?
extensive, complex, ill-defined
attributes and
non-formal learning
identities
co-curriculum
curriculum
situated
practices
functional
skills
access and
awareness
intensive, simplified, well-defined

9. Developing institutions to develop people
Features audited at baseline:

institutional infrastructure and learning environment

relevant strategies and policies

Academic/learning cultures and attitudes

roles/responsibilities of professional services

practices in the curriculum

the learning experience

10. What is being done?
Professional development for teaching staff
Partnerships with professional staff
Mini-projects / case studies in departments
Develop DL materials with/for students
Students as pioneers/researchers/agents of change
Change management approaches
Develop learning environment and ICT policies (BYOD)
Institutional restructuring and major policy initiatives
Qualitative and quantitative research

11. Four different institutional approaches
1. Plymouth University (SEEDPoD):
'restructuring professional services'
2. University of Reading (Digitally Ready):
'readiness across the board'
3. University of the Arts, London (DIAL):
'transforming subject areas'
4. University of Greenwich (DL in transition):
'engaging staff and students'

12. Embedding Digital Literacy
Prof Neil Witt
Dr Anne McDermott
Rob Stillwell
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 12

13. What Is SEEDPoD?
• Builds on 2011 BCUP project
• Audit of systems, policies,
infrastructure and data
• Views from academic and
support staff on use of, and
practice with, existing software
and hardware systems.
• Recommending Institutional
change on DL issues around:
• Infrastructure
• Support
• Curriculum Design
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 13

14. The Digital Strategy
Opportunity 1 – inputting into Strategy
•Key theme 1 - Digital People
•Key theme 2 - Digital teaching, learning and research
•Key theme 3 - Digital services
•Key theme 4 - Digital Infrastructure and Capability
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 14

15. Performance Development Review
Opportunity 2 – using new processes
Embed in PDR
Embed in PDR
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 15

16. Embracing Change
Opportunity 3 – use Restructuring
An opportunity to
recommend Institutional
change:
• Infrastructure
• Support
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 16

17. Being part of the solution
• Technology and Information Services
– Strategy & Architecture
– Solution Development
– Service Management
– Library and Digital Services
– Academic Support, Technology & Innovation
• the annoying academic on the shoulder of the CIO
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 17

18. Being part of the solution
• Strong focus around Digital
Literacy
• Faculty support via LTs in the
Faculties
• Part of TIS, so embedding
and sustainability of
• Subject Librarians, IT Trainers
innovation easier
and Learning Technologists
working in 3 teams • Single point of entry for
training & teaching and
Digital Skills Development
learning resources
Engagement and Support
• Focus on community
TEL & Assessment development
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 18

19. Joining it all up
Embed in the curriculum
Embed in the curriculum
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 19

20. A caveat
• "This range of approaches has also had a significant impact on
the kind of evidence presented at the end of the projects with
research-based projects offering some compelling evidence,
but with impact on much smaller numbers of students, whilst
impact on the whole institution is harder to measure and
present as evidence, but has much more significance in terms
of sustainability and embedding. Funders should continue to
value this „softer‟ evidence. "
Lou McGill
Curriculum Delivery Programme Synthesis
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 20

21. Any Questions?
www.technologyenhancedlearning.net 21

22. Digitally Ready
Readiness
across the
board
Nadja Guggi, Digitally Ready Project Officer
February 13, 2013 © University of Reading 2008 www.reading.ac.uk

23. Organisational challenges &
issues
• No formal ‘digital’ University strategies, policies or
plans
• Risk-averse, collegiate in structure and culture
• Silos
– Pockets of good practice
– Dependence on individual initiative
– Lack of co-ordination between key professional services
• Varying levels of digital literacies
• Little knowledge of student expectations, attitudes
and use of technology
• Little knowledge of employer expectations
• Major organisational change
Readiness across the board 23

24. Digitally Ready: bottom up
• Digital community-building & upskilling
– Digital Heroes
– Micro funding to support local initiatives
– Work with existing structures: professional services,
communities of practice, projects
– Regular formal and informal events and training opportunities
– Blog, newsletter, Yammer
• Research
– Digital literacies for student employability
– Student technology attitudes and use
Readiness across the board 24

25. Digitally Ready: top down
• Senior management engagement
– Steering Group: heads of key professional services
plus chaired by senior manager
– University committee structure
– Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor
as champions for change (e.g. video, events)
Readiness across the board 25

26. Key gains & changes
• Genuine commitment from senior management to
developing digital literacies at institutional level
– Learning & Teaching Strategy 2013–18
– TEL Strategy Group chaired by Pro-Vice-Chancelor
(digital literacies/TEL; infrastructure provision;
digital communication & marketing; digital governance;
staff & student development)
– Futurelearn membership
• Body of evidence to inform strategic decisions
• Better able to anticipate and meet student
and employer expectations
• Emerging digital community
Readiness across the board 26

27. The DIAL Project
Aims: Cultural Change and Improved graduate
employability.
Approach: Support a number of self-identifying
and mutually supportive communities of staff and
students within the university (based on courses,
disciplines or other naturally occurring
communities) who identify goals for improving
their collective digital literacies.
Project blog: http://dial.myblog.arts.ac.uk/
Project resources: http://process.arts.ac.uk/content/dial-projects-and-activities

28. Embedding Digital Literacies at UAL?
• Are we a project or a programme?
Too big to be a project.
A sustainable DL programme.
Senior management support
UAL Digital life programme and DL programme.
Complicated landscape
• Managing expectations, demand, scope and capacity.
DIAL will do everything DL.
Difficult to demonstrate benefits.
Difficult to deliver tangible outputs
Understanding digital literacies at UAL definitions and competencies
• Meeting expectations, demand, scope and capacity.
Expressions of interest with DIY built in evaluation
Extra funding
Two new DIAL coordinators (0.5)
Visualise and present projects and activities
Reduce DIAL brand
Improve web environments, outgrown the project blog

29. Digital Literacies: integration with
curriculum and services.
• Project Groups; most groups are autonomous.
• Collaborating with UAL services and departments.
• Academic and curriculum integration
• Project Groups supporting Academic and curriculum integration.
• Natural cross sector collaboration/common interests (GSA)
• Other general observations
• Project deliverables:
Stories
Online resources - OERs
Case studies
New communities of practice; face to face and virtual
Workshops and training courses
Commissioned and in-house research
Sector collaboration

30. EMPLOYMENT SECTOR
Challenges
• How do we deliver a large-
scale institutional change
project?
• How can we foster
HIGHER EDUCATION accelerated buy-in?
• How can we ensure
currency?
INSTITUTION • How can we develop
sustainability?
FACULTY
University of Greenwich – http://www.DLinHE.com

31. Student change agents
• Developed a cross-
university process for
recruiting digitally-aligned
change agents
• Promoted the use of e-
editors within schools
• Student-developed
workshop series
• Student-created resources
University of Greenwich – http://www.DLinHE.com

32. Gains
• Students recognised as
valued contributors of
change
• Discussions taking place
that would not otherwise
happen
• Excellent access to the
student cohort and thus:
‘on pulse’
• New ways to meet
institutional KPIs
University of Greenwich – http://www.DLinHE.com

33. What will we offer?
 Self-assessment/self-development materials
 Briefings and OERs e.g. on social media, digital identity,
digital research
 Support for curriculum design and examples of digital
literacy development in different subject areas
 Organisational case studies and lessons learned
 Role descriptions and work with professional standards/
benchmarks e.g. UK PSF, CMALT, SCONUL
 Conceptual frameworks
 Institutional audit materials and checklist for planning/
evaluating digital literacy initiatives
bit.ly/JISCDDL