Digital Literacies

This 2009 paper delivered in a workshop on digital literacies by its authors Gillen and Barton.  In it they define digital literacies as "the constantly changing practices through which people make traceable meanings using digital technologies"  for example blogs,wikis and podcasts, and enthuse over the new opportunities  and possibilities this offers, new digital identities being one.  They promote the increase in use of Web 2.0 in schools and by implication in adult education too.

They make an important point about the multiple sources people draw on to learn new and changing literacies and how the skills acquired form  part of everyday living beyond the context of where the learning occurred and how Web 2.0 technologies saturate this world.

The paper then goes on to pose some challenges that this wave of new technology creates - that they are reshaping the global communications environment, Is it a means of asserting power and control or will it work the other way and encourage greater participation?  Just look at the uprisings for democracy in the Middle East fuelled at least in part by instant communication through texting and other social media, or the recent London riots.

At school literacy (literacies) too are affected,  while schools can provide peer support, collaboration,teamwork and meaningful tasks within tasks and for learners when it comes to assessment it is a different story as assessment practices tend to follow traditional lines of individual success or failure.  They therefore emphasise the need for schools to change so that students 'online and offline worlds' (p.6) can meet.  However; whether all students will want such a close school - leisure relationship is another matter and the article acknowledges that there is conflicting evidence on this aspect of technology.

Gillen, J & Barton, D. (2009, 12-13 March, 2009). Digital Literacies.    Paper presented at a meeting of the Teaching and Learning Research Programme - Technology Enhanced Learning, Lancaster University.