Teaching and Learning
in a Digital Age:
Myths of Digital Competence
Blackboard Users Conference
Durham
9-10 January 2014
Sue Watling
University of Lincoln
Help!
?
Image from http://babyurl.net/names/baby-domain-name/establishing-a-babys-digital-identity-by-registering-their-domain-name
Digital Natives
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Sticky image
Digital Literacies
Digital Scholarship
Steep learning curves
for all…
Marc Prensky (2001) ‘Digital Natives Digital Immigrants’
http://www.marcprensky.com
Neil Selwyn (2008) ‘The digital native myth and reality’
http://tinyurl.com/pxedt3w
Digital Immigrants
• Support for virtual learning
• UCISA/JISC reports: development barriers
include lack of time, money, training and
the speed of digital change
• Risks of low development:
– Self-selection
– DIY models
– Digital divides and exclusions
Image from: http://blog.b2sm.de/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/evolution.png
Myths of digital competence
There’s no need to provide support or
resource for digital ways of working e.g.
– digital literacies
– digital scholarship
– digital pedagogy
People know all this stuff
these days….
Need to bear in mind…
Not everyone:
• has a smart phone
• can use track changes
• manages their email
• knows about html view
• chats online
• uses a webcam or wiki,
• blogs …or is on Twitter…
Image from http://edutech4teachers.edublogs.org/files/2012/07/digital-footprint-1beuk2c.png
• Having to choose a webpage or blog to share was an
interesting but daunting activity.
• The induction activities taught me how to use a Wiki,
this was something that I hadn't done before.
• I felt less comfortable with the discussion board. I
didn't manage to include a picture.
• I have even more to learn about online learning than I
thought.
• Being an online learner is a confusing experience.
• I struggled to with some of the activities - my lack of
skill in using the technology coming to play here
Technological determinism
The belief virtual learning will:
•cut costs
•increase efficiency
•let you do more for less
•be intuitive, user friendly
Whose research is it anyway?
• Myths…can be based on assumptions
• Most staff are not learning technologists –
but subject experts
It’s only easy if you know how...
• VLE challenge can’t be underestimated
• Can’t know what you don’t know
• technology change
= exponentially
increased
learning curves.
• Digital immigrants need support too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ&list=RDUOorZQLsmuA
(2.44)
Sue Watling
swatling@lincoln.ac.uk
Centre for Educational Research and
Development
University of Lincoln
http://suewatling.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk
Twitter @suewatling