scholarly journals Reimagining Professional Development for Digital Literacies: Old, New and Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-60
Author(s):  
Suzanna Wong ◽  
Linda Laidlaw ◽  
Yina Liu
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Professional Associations ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Development Models ◽  
Literacy Teaching ◽  
Digital Skills

During the COVID-19 pandemic teachers have been expected to learn new digital literacy skills, often applying them immediately. While professional development structures within school districts and professional associations are organized to offer supports, teachers may be challenged to gain digital skills within existing professional development models. Within our study, teachers explored technologies with the aim of rethinking frames for teaching and learning literacy. Following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic they shared their experiences, insights and challenges. In our article, we address implications for digital literacy teaching and learning and the need for new ways of approaching teacher development.

scholarly journals An assessment of the interplay between literacy and digital Technology in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahrokh Nikou ◽  
Milla Aavakare
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Intention To Use ◽  
University Staff ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDigital technologies fundamentally transform teaching and learning in higher education environments, with the pace of technological change exacerbating the challenge. Due to the current pandemic situation, higher education environments are all now forced to move away from traditional teaching and learning structures that are simply no longer adaptable to the challenges of rapidly changing educational environments. This research develops a conceptual model and employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Partial least Squares (PLS) to examine the impact of information and digital literacy on 249 Finnish university staff and students’ intention to use digital technologies. The findings show the complex interrelationship between literacy skills and digital technologies among university staff and students. The results illustrate that information literacy has a direct and significant impact on intention to use; while, unlike our expectation, digital literacy does not have a direct impact on the intention to use. However, its effect is mediated through performance expectancy and effort expectancy. The authors suggest that to understand the changes that are taking place in higher education environment, more attention needs to be paid to redefining policies and strategies in order to enhance individuals’ willingness to use digital technologies within higher education environments.

scholarly journals Hastening slowly: insights about teacher development from an evaluation of courses at the WCED’s Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Meyer ◽  
Lydia Abel
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Level ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Leadership Institute ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
The Impact

In the area of teacher professional development, South African education administrators face the challenge of reconciling two imperatives that have entirely different implications for programme time frames and budgets. On the one hand, there is an urgent need to improve the pedagogic content knowledge of many teachers to improve the overall standard of teaching and learning in the public school system. Considering the scale and urgency of the matter, centralised course-based in-service training seems to be the only affordable alternative. On the other hand, researchers have long warned that once-off course-based training on its own has limited impact on teachers’ practice, and has to be accompanied by further professional support in the school and classroom, or be abandoned in favour of more enduring professional learning communities. The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has grappled with this dilemma in the Department’s various professional development initiatives for teachers, a mainstay of which is the training offered by the Cape Teaching and Leadership Institute (CTLI). This paper presents some of the data and findings from an external evaluation that ORT SA CAPE conducted in 2011–2012 of courses offered by the WCED at the CTLI. The hierarchy of INSET outcomes proposed by Harland and Kinder (1997) was applied to record changes in the practice of 18 teachers at eight schools. The progress of five of the teachers is discussed to illustrate the interplay between school-level factors and the experiences of individual teachers which influenced the impact of CTLI training on their teaching.

scholarly journals Introduction: 5 years of ELEUK

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Amparo Lallana ◽  
Lourdes Hernández Martín ◽  
Mara Fuertes Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

We are delighted to be able to present to you this fifth anniversary volume which inaugurates a series of publications emanating from conferences organised by ELEUK, the Association for the Teaching of Spanish in Higher Education in the United Kingdom (www.eleuk.org). Nearly a decade ago, Spanish Language Teaching (SLT) was going from strength to strength across higher education; however, there were hardly any conferences or professional development events within the UK dedicated specifically to the teaching of Spanish. University colleagues and language professionals got together to launch a space from where to promote the teaching and learning of Spanish, foster research in SLT, provide opportunities for teacher development, facilitate collaboration among its members, and enhance subject expertise.

Multi-Faceted Professional Development Models Designed to Enhance Teaching and Learning within Universities

2011 ◽  
pp. 412-435
Author(s):  
Donald E Scott ◽  
Shelleyann Scott
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
University Leadership ◽  
Development Models ◽  
Educational Stakeholders ◽  
Professional Networking ◽  
Integration Of Technology ◽  
Institutional Reputation ◽  
Improving Teaching And Learning

In this chapter we advocate the reconceptualisation of pedagogical focused professional development to a more flexible and systematic approach and present two technology-oriented models. This chapter is of interest to a range of educational stakeholders including university professional developers, academics, leaders, students, and support staff. Two mixed method case studies of students’ and academics’ experiences of online and blended teaching and learning informed the design of the models. These multi-faceted models are designed to promote effective pedagogically-focused professional development, the scholarship of teaching and learning, social and professional networking, and supportive university leadership all aimed at improving teaching and learning. We articulate how the integration of technology can facilitate all of these important activities. It is anticipated that, if implemented, these models will result in a more pedagogically- and techno- efficacious academy; more satisfied and successful graduates; more informed, involved, and trusted leaders; greater sustainability for programmes; and the enhancement of institutional reputation.

How to Use Parody and Humour to Teach Digital Literacy

2016 ◽  
pp. 423-435
Author(s):  
Luis Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Young People ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Practical Approach ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Impact

Based on the assumption digital literacy needs a practical approach and actions, this chapter presents an initiative that intends to develop digital skills in a very creative way. Considering the challenge educators (for instance, teachers or librarians) face to promote digital literacy skills especially to young people in a very engaging way, some training was developed to create a possible answer to that problem. This chapter discusses the impact of that initiative that highlights the potential of humour and parody that we can find on digital media to teach digital literacy. According to some attendants, this approach was creative, engaging and built in their minds alternative paths to explore digital literacy and critical thinking.

Children and Youth Librarians

2016 ◽  
pp. 25-50
Author(s):  
Sylvia Vincent Stavridi ◽  
Dalia Ragaa Hamada
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Technical Skills ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Specific Knowledge ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Children And Young Adults

In a high-tech environment where knowledge and information are delivered in a fast paced mode, the role of librarians serving children and young adults is being re-directed from being solely responsible for information and knowledge transfer to teaching and research. The children and young adult libraries at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina have been trying to extend their ways to deliver the services and understand the challenges in integrating various technologies. The chapter locates a series of technology competencies and skills that are currently expected of librarians working with children and young adults. In addition to their non-technical skills, librarians have to be technologically empowered and learn a variety of technical behaviors and acquire the digital skills needed to embrace the constantly changing complexities and advances in digital technology. This chapter upgrades the digital literacy skills in discipline-specific knowledge to support the integration of digital proficiencies as relevant skills for librarians to serve in their new role as teacher librarian.

Pedagogical Responses to Social Software in Universities

2010 ◽  
pp. 335-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine McLoughlin ◽  
Mark J.W. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Social Software ◽  
Pedagogical Change ◽  
Geographically Dispersed ◽  
Models Of Teaching ◽  
Networked Society

Learning management systems (LMS’s) that cater for geographically dispersed learners have been widely available for a number of years, but many higher education institutions are discovering that new models of teaching and learning are required to meet the needs of a generation of learners who seek greater autonomy, connectivity, and socio-experiential learning. The advent of Web 2.0, with its expanded potential for generativity and connectivity, propels pedagogical change and opens up the debate on how people conceptualize the dynamics of student learning. This chapter explores how such disruptive forces, fuelled by the affordances of social software tools, are challenging and redefining scholarship and pedagogy, and the accompanying need for learners to develop advanced digital literacy skills in preparation for work and life in the networked society. In response to these challenges, the authors propose a pedagogical framework, Pedagogy 2.0, which addresses the themes of participation in networked communities of learning, personalization of the learning experience, and learner productivity in the form of knowledge building and creativity.

scholarly journals A collaborative approach to the use of archives in information literacy teaching and learning in an arts university

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adele Martin-Bowtell ◽  
Rebekah Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Collaborative Approach ◽  
Literacy Teaching ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
Formed Part ◽  
Skills Learning ◽  
The University

Why do significant parts of our art libraries collections remain undiscovered and unused? Seemingly invisible to students and staff, the university archive strong room creates a barrier, preventing our students and researchers from accessing and browsing materials, as they would with our open shelf collections. What happens when archive materials are freed from their confines, brought out into the studio and explored and used by arts students? Better still, what happens when librarian, archivist and academic collaborate to make this happen, enabling increased awareness of these resources and facilitating information literacy skills learning? Conclude this with an artistic response to this method of teaching and learning and you have the Animation Archive Day at the University for the Creative Arts. The day formed part of a longer term initiative put together by the archivist and librarian to raise awareness among students and staff of the opportunities to utilize archives in their subject specific creative arts learning and education. The project recognizes the importance of allowing students to steer and interact creatively with archive use in a library context.

Conceptualizing the integration of digital humanities in instructional services

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Pun
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Digital Humanities ◽  
Visual Literacy ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
Instructional Services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize how digital humanities (DH) projects can be integrated into instructional services programs in libraries. The paper draws on three digital projects from the New York Public Library (NYPL) and explores how librarians can creatively utilize these resources to teach new digital literacy skills such as data analysis and data management. For patrons, they can learn about the content of these crowd-sourcing projects as well. By integrating DH projects into library instruction, the possibilities and opportunities to expand and explore new research and teaching areas are timely and relevant. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this paper is to explore NYPL’s three digital projects and underscore how they can be integrated into instructional services: “What’s On the Menu,” “Direct Me NYC” and “Map Warper” all offer strengths and limitations but they serve as paradigms to explore how digital resources can serve multipurpose use: they are databases, digital repositories and digital libraries but they can also serve as instructional service tools. Findings – The paper conceptualizes how three DH projects can serve as teaching opportunities for instructional services, particularly teaching digital literacy skills. By exploring the content of each digital project, the paper suggests that users can develop traditional information literacy skills but also digital literacy skills. In addition, as crowdsourcing projects, the Library also benefits from this engagement since users are adding transcriptions or rectified maps to the Library’s site. Patrons develop visual literacy skills as well. The paper addresses how librarians can meet the needs of the scholarly community through these new digital resources. While the paper only addresses the possibilities of these integrations, these ideas can be considered and implemented in any library. Practical implications – The paper addresses positive outcomes with these digital resources to be used for library instructional services. Based on these projects, the paper recommends that DH projects can be integrated into such instructions to introduce new content and digital skills if appropriate. Although, there are limitations with these digital resources, it is possible to maximize their usage if they are used in a different and creative way. It is possible for DH projects to be more than just digital projects but to act as a tool of digital literacy instruction. Librarians must play a creative role to address this gap. However, another limitation is that librarians themselves are “new” to these resources and may find it challenging to understand the importance of DH projects in scholarly research. Originality/value – This paper introduces DH projects produced in a public research library and explores how librarians can use these digital projects to teach patrons on how to analyze data, maps and other content to develop digital literacy skills. The paper conceptualizes the significant roles that these DH projects and librarians can play as critical mediators to introducing and fostering digital literacy in the twenty-first century. The paper can serve as an interest to academic and public libraries with large research collections and digital projects. By offering new innovative ideas of integrating DH into instructional services, the paper addresses how DH projects teaching tools can support specific digital skills such as visual literacy and data analysis.

scholarly journals Dark Side of Digital Literacy

2021 ◽  
pp. 86-91
Author(s):  
Mrs. Mariya Shalini ◽  
Dr. E. Arokiya Shylaja
Keyword(s):  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Student Community ◽  
Hard Time ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Teaching Learning

Education is a field of indispensable transformation. During the hard time of pandemic outbreak, the method of teaching and learning changed undeniably. What had caused the changes? The pandemic or the learning needs and practices of students. Students’ learning needs are, of course, a priority. What could be the ideal form of teaching learning when students are not able to attend their daily transaction of subject content? It's only possible through the virtual mode. A very challenging period for the teaching fraternity, the student community, and the parents as well. Students must adapt themselves to virtual learning, and teachers must equip themselves with a new method of teaching. It is the parents' responsibility to procure items that please their wards. The current scenario of teaching and learning is therefore reliant heavily on digital literacy skills. In every coin there is a flip side. Similarly, digital literacy also has its pros and cons. The objective of this paper is to bring to light the dark side of digital literacy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document