Submission by the Department of Education and Skills to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection Digital Literacy 1. Introduction This document gives an overview of a range of policy issues which touch on digital literacy. In particular it focuses on: The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020; Irish results in the OECD PISA Digital Literacy Test; ICT in schools in Ireland; Other current relevant initiatives; and EU dimension 2. Defining Print Literacy and Digital Literacy PISA 2009 defines reading literacy as ‘understanding, using, reflecting on and engaging with written texts, in order to achieve one’s goals, develop one’s knowledge and potential, and participate in society;1. In line with this definition, reading literacy involves understanding, using and reflecting on written information in a range of situations including both digital and printed text. It also recognises the ability to use a variety of appropriate strategies when processing texts. In evaluating the proficiency levels of students in the area of digital literacy, PISA 2009 highlighted the skills of critically evaluating information from several webbased sources, along with the ability to navigate across multiple sites independently, thus locating information effectively2 This definition is further explored by the Education Research Centre which noted that, while there are skills common to both printed and digital texts, there are also unique skills required for effective digital reading. These may include generating questions and then locating, critically evaluating, synthesizing and communicating possible solutions to those questions online. Digital readers need to use navigational devices (including understanding the hierarchical structure of information in menu trees) and accumulate information across multiple texts. 1 PISA 2009 Results: Students On Line DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AND PERFORMANCE VOLUME VI 2 PISA 2009: Results for Ireland and Changes Since 2000 1 3. The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020 a) General The Programme for Government makes literacy a national priority. It makes clear that the Government is determined that all young people will leave school able to read, communicate orally, in writing and in digital media, and be able to understand and use mathematics in their everyday lives and in further learning. The Programme for Government also prioritises the integration of ICT in teaching and learning across the curriculum and the greater use of online lessons which will facilitate the development of digital skills for young people. The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was launched in July 2011 and sets out a programme of work to achieve crucially important goals over the period to 2020. It sets ambitious targets and describes the actions that must be taken to improve the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy b) The Place of Digital literacy in the Literacy and Numeracy Strategy The Strategy adopts a modern and comprehensive definition of literacy and acknowledges that this includes oral language and all forms of written and printed communication from handwriting to digital literacy. This definition is woven consistently throughout the document. The Strategy is premised on the belief that, if properly taught, young people can develop literacy not only in language lessons but also in every other subject on the curriculum. In its definition the Strategy provides as follows: Literacy and numeracy are much more than “reading, writing and arithmetic” Traditionally we have thought about literacy as the skills of reading and writing; but today our understanding of literacy encompasses much more than that. Literacy includes the capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including spoken language, printed text, broadcast media, and digital media. Throughout this document, when we refer to “literacy” we mean this broader understanding of the skill, including speaking and listening, as well as communication using not only traditional writing and print but also digital media. We must develop the literacy and numeracy skills of all young people Every young person needs to be literate and numerate. We use the basic skills of literacy and numeracy in almost every part of our lives when we communicate with each other – in traditional written forms or through the internet and digital media – when we follow signs and instructions, when we are at our work or enjoying leisure time, when we try to make sense of the mass of information and data available through the media, and when we are managing our lives. c) Targets and Actions 2 The strategy sets out a range of improvement targets for literacy and numeracy including digital literacy: Improve our attitudes to literacy and numeracy: • Raise public awareness of the importance of oral and written language in all its forms (including print, writing and digital media) Improve outcomes at primary and post-primary school levels • Increase awareness of the importance of digital literacy and include assessments of primary and post-primary students’ ability to read digital material as part of the national assessments of English reading • Increase the percentage of 15-year old students performing at or above Level 4 (i.e. at the highest levels) in PISA reading literacy and numeracy tests by at least 5 percentage points by 2020 • Halve the percentage of 15-year old students performing at or below Level 1 (the lowest level) in PISA reading literacy and numeracy tests by 20203 The strategy then details a programme of actions to deliver on these targets. Key actions relevant to digital literacy are shown below: Actions to improve the development and improvement of teachers’ skills in the teaching, learning and assessment of literacy and numeracy: Objective: Cooperate with the Teaching Council to re-configure the content and duration of initial teacher education (ITE) courses for primary teachers to ensure the development of teachers’ skills in literacy and numeracy teaching Detail: Ensure that ITE programmes for primary and post-primary teachers provide adequate time for courses and learning experiences that will develop and assess all student teachers’ understanding and ability to apply current knowledge, strategies and methodologies in areas including: digital literacy and how ICT may be used to support and enrich learning in literacy and numeracy. Objective: Focus the provision of Department supported continuing professional development for teachers on the teaching of literacy and numeracy and the use of assessment Detail: Provide detailed guidance and resources to teachers and ECCE practitioners on best practice in the teaching and assessment of literacy and numeracy through handbooks, online courses, digital and other resources. Actions to improve the curriculum and learning experience settings in primary schools Objective: Revise the English and Irish curriculum for primary schools to clarify the learning outcomes to be expected of learners Detail: Ensure that the curriculum provides for the development of literacy through engagement with a range of texts (literary and non-literary) and a range of media including digital media. 3 PISA assessments will take place in 2015 and 2018, with results expected at the end of 2016 and 2019, respectively. 3 Actions to improve the curriculum and learning experience at post-primary level Objective: Prioritise the revision of the junior cycle English and Irish syllabuses and the Junior Certificate English and Irish examinations Detail: Ensure that the syllabus provides for the development of literacy in a range of texts (literary and non-literary) and a range of media including digital media, and ensure that the syllabuses cater appropriately for the reading tastes of all students, including boys (indicative date 2014). Actions to improve our use of assessment and evaluation to support better learning in literacy and numeracy Objective: Improve the availability of national assessment data on literacy and numeracy achievement Detail: Extend the National Assessments of Mathematics and English Reading to include tests of digital literacy 4. Digital Literacy Results on OECD PISA Digital Literacy Test a) Assessment of paper-based and electronic reading in 2009 A total of 65 countries participated in the main Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2009, where the major domain was print reading literacy and the minor domains were mathematical and scientific literacy. In Ireland, approximately 4,000 15-year old students in 144 schools were assessed in the paper-based PISA survey. For the first time, PISA 2009 included a digital literacy component. The OECD PISA report Students on Line: Reading and Using Digital Information released in June 2011 contains the outcomes of the PISA 2009 electronic reading literacy assessment which was intended to assess how well 15-year olds respond to digital literacy tasks. The electronic reading literacy tests on which this report is based were conducted as part of the PISA 2009 tests. 19 of the 65 countries/economies that participated in PISA 2009 took part in the digital literacy test, which was completed on laptops or computers in the test schools. 16 OECD countries took part of this assessment (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Denmark, France, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Spain) and three non-member economies (Colombia, Hong Kong-China, and Macao-China). Of the 4,000 students in 144 schools that undertook the paper-and pencil PISA test a subset, in 139 of the schools, also completed the electronic reading literacy test. This provides information on students’ ability to respond to reading tasks in a simulated web-based environment. 4 The digital assessment of reading literacy comprised 21 multiple-choice questions and 8 questions that required a written response or specific action or set of actions (e.g., writing and sending an e-mail, filling out an online job application form). In each participating school, up to 35 15-year-olds were selected to complete the PISA paper-and-pencil test. The test took two hours to complete and comprised a mixture of reading, mathematics and science questions (the majority of which were reading tasks) and a background questionnaire. A sub-sample of up to 15 of these students in each school also participated in a 40minute assessment of digital reading. Students were administered the digital assessment on school computers, or on laptops that were brought into schools in cases where schools’ computer equipment was unsuitable for the assessment. b) Overall Irish performance on print and electronic reading The score for Ireland in print reading literacy in PISA 2009 was at the OECD average, reflecting a decline from the above average level achieved in previous studies. The mean (average) score of students in Ireland on the digital reading assessment is significantly above the OECD average, while the mean score achieved by Ireland on the print reading assessment is not significantly different from the OECD average. Ireland’s mean score on the digital reading assessment, 509, is some 13 points higher than its mean score on the print reading assessment of 496. Ireland ranked 8th out of the 19 countries that participated in the digital reading assessment, compared with 11th out of the same 19 countries on the print reading assessment. However, because of the margin of error in test scores, Ireland’s true ranking lies between 5th and 10th place in digital literacy. Just 4 countries (Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan) had significantly higher digital reading scores than Ireland. c) Distribution of performance of print and digital reading between students and between schools (between school variance and performance on the PISA proficiency levels). Ireland is one of seven countries (along with Australia, Iceland, Korea, Macao-China, New Zealand and Sweden) that had a digital reading score that is significantly higher than the corresponding print reading score. In contrast, in six other countries (Austria, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong-China, Hungary and Poland), students’ digital reading literacy mean score was significantly lower than the print-based mean score. Scores for Hungary and Poland on the digital reading test were remarkably lower than their scores on the print reading test. France, which had a mean score that was not significantly different from Ireland on print reading, had a significantly lower mean score on digital reading. 5 There is some evidence from test administrators’ observations that students in Ireland were more engaged in the digital reading assessment than the print assessment. The novel format of the digital reading assessment as well as the fact that the test focused on one domain only and was less than half the length of the print test may have led students to engage more effectively with the digital reading assessment.4 Fewer students in Ireland (12%) than on average across OECD countries (17%) performed at or below Level 1 on the PISA digital reading proficiency scale, the lowest level. The percentage of students scoring at or above Level 5 in digital reading (8%) was the same as the corresponding OECD average (8%). This can be interpreted as indicating that lower-achieving readers contributed to Ireland’s relatively strong performance on digital reading to a greater extent than their higherperforming counterparts. Taking measurement and sampling error into account, Irish students’ ‘true’ print reading achievement lies between 490 and 501, and ‘true’ electronic reading achievement lies between 503 and 514. In the case of the digital reading assessment, the percentage of between-school variance in Ireland (22%) was considerably lower than the OECD average of 37%.5 The percentage of between-school variance in Ireland was the third lowest across the 19 countries participating in the digital reading assessment (Norway and Iceland had somewhat lower between-school variation than Ireland on this measure). This can be interpreted as indicating equitable performance in digital reading across schools in Ireland, and poses a challenge for the future – to raise performance on digital reading while ensuring that performance continues to be spread as evenly as possible across schools. There were differences in performance between girls and boys on both the pencil-andpaper and electronic tests. In the assessment of print reading, girls significantly outperformed boys in all 65 participating countries. The gender difference of 39 points associated with print reading in Ireland was the same as the OECD average (39 points). In all countries with the exception of Colombia, girls significantly outperformed boys on the assessment of digital reading literacy. The OECD average difference on the electronic reading tests was 24 score points, and the gender difference in Ireland was higher than this, at 31 score points. Ireland had the third highest gender difference in performance on the assessment of digital reading literacy, behind just Norway (35 points) and New Zealand (41 points). Not surprisingly, the survey revealed a link between more frequent reading and better literacy skills. Students in Ireland who reported that they did not engage in any print reading for enjoyment (42% of 15 year olds) achieved significantly lower scores on both the pencil-and-paper test and the digital literacy test than students who read for up to 30 minutes a day (26% of 15 year olds). Students who read for 30-60 minutes per day (16%) achieved performance levels on both print and digital reading that were better than those did no leisure reading, or read for up to 30 minutes a day. Students who read for more than one hour a day (16%) performed at same levels on print and digital reading as those who read for 30-60 minutes. 4 5 Reading Literacy in PISA 2009: A Guide for Teachers Respective figures for print reading are 29% and 39%. 6 Despite almost universal access to computers at home and at school, students in Ireland reported low levels of computer usage in education-related activities at home and at school. Just one-quarter of students in Ireland report doing homework on a computer, compared to one-half on average across OECD countries (73% report doing so in both Norway and Poland). Engagement in school-related computer activities at home was considerably below the OECD average for Irish students. Only 5.8% checked the school website for announcements on a weekly basis compared to an OECD average of 20.9%. Just over 8% of Irish students downloaded, uploaded or browsed materials on the school website on a weekly basis compared with an OECD average of 23%. The relationship between use of technology at school and performance on the PISA assessment of digital literacy is complex and likely to be mediated by a range of other variables. For example, Korea and Japan, countries with significantly higher electronic reading literacy performance than Ireland, had lower mean scores on a use of computers at school index. However, Australia and New Zealand, which also had significantly higher mean scores than Ireland on digital literacy, had above average scores on the index of use of computers at school. An ICT Census of schools will be carried out this year which will provide statistics on the level of ICT infrastructure in schools in addition to information regarding a range of topics relating ICT in education. PISA 2012 should provide a clearer picture of the situation with respect to achievement trends in Ireland in both print and digital reading. The results of PISA 2012 will be available in December 2013. Nevertheless, the PISA 2009 pencil-and-paper tests and the digital literacy tests confirm that we need to improve literacy standards in Ireland. 5. ICT in Schools a) Current ICT in Schools Agenda The ICT in Schools programme must address new policy challenges and opportunities arising from major developments in curricular reform, digital publishing, digital content dissemination tools generally, cloud services, portable computing and student devices, and the deployment of high speed broadband at post-primary level. Planning is underway for the development of a new ICT Plan (as per the Programme for Government). The first step in this process is the completion of a new ICT infrastructure census in schools. Drafting of the census is currently taking place and the survey will issue to schools in the coming weeks. Since 1 June 2012 the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE) has been integrated with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), facilitating the better integration of ICT across the system and delivering administrative efficiencies for the long term. The integration of these services will mean that the effective use of ICT will be demonstrated in all professional development opportunities offered to teachers. In the context of the reorganisation of the support services, the Department has initiated a Digital Content Review group 7 (comprised of Department and PDST staff), to assess current provision and develop a new plan for digital content. 100mbps to post primary schools will be rolled out between now and 2014. A working group comprising representatives from the Department, HEAnet and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has recommended a strategy for the roll out of 100mbps to post primary schools. The national roll-out will be completed over three stages with 273 schools have been connected to date with a further 223 schools to be connected in 2013. All remaining schools will be connected in 2014. In relation to funding this year, €11.7million has been earmarked for the ICT in Schools Programme. Between 2009 and 2011 inclusive, €92m in ICT Infrastructure Grant funding was provided to schools. The main priority under this scheme was the equipping of each classroom with a teaching computer and digital projector. Once the baseline is in place schools can allocate any remaining funding under the scheme to other ICT equipment and software for educational use. A number of key support measures were taken to help schools get best value in the use of these devolved grants - in particular, the inclusion of schools in national purchasing frameworks for desktops, laptops, digital projectors and printers, the delivery of a national series of elearning seminars for school leaders, and the provision of extensive guidance and training on the use of ICT in the classroom. b) Level of ICT in schools in Ireland A number of recent reports contain evidence of the increased use of ICT in teaching and learning. As part of its evaluative role, the Inspectorate of the Department of Education and Skills monitors the use of ICT in teaching and learning in schools. The Inspectorate's (2012) report on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) for teaching purposes in primary school classrooms drew on the findings of incidental inspections carried out in primary schools in the period September 2010 to September 2012. Key findings include: There has been a significant increase in the number of classrooms that are permanently equipped with a laptop/PC and a data projector for teaching purposes since the roll out of the availability of Department funding for such equipment from November 2009 The majority of primary school classrooms now have such equipment A trend towards a greater incorporation of ICT into classroom activities than was previously the case is evident when the more recent incidental inspection findings on ICT use during lessons are compared with earlier findings There is an ongoing need to promote and develop opportunities for the use of ICT by learners to make, create and learn actively through ICT over and above the use of ICT by teachers to support lesson delivery. A detailed international analysis is contained in the Eurydice Report published in 2012, under the title "Key Data on Learning and Innovation through ICT at school in Europe". This report gives some insight into the range of themes in this area. In particular, it indicates that the ratio of 15-year-old pupils per computer in Irish schools (2.08) compares favourably with the EU median value (2.15). The pupil-to-computer 8 statistics are based on information collected before the investment of €92m in schools ICT infrastructure, which has led to further substantial improvements in the Irish position over the last two years. The European Commission funded Survey of Schools: ICT in Education which will be published in the coming weeks indicates that Ireland comes out at the higher end of a relative scale on some aspects relating to ICT in education: high end in terms of school policies and supports ("digitally supportive schools") high end in terms of teacher confidence/attitudes and teacher perception of low access obstacles ("digitally supportive teachers") high ratios of Interactive White Boards per 100 pupils (3 versus EU average <1) high ratios of Digital Projectors per 100 pupils (>3 versus EU average <2) higher participation of teachers in ICT CPD in their own time. c) ICT and digital literacy While specific data on the impact of new technologies on the way people learn to read and write is not available, evidence shows that the use of new technologies has had a positive impact on teaching and learning. ICT is currently used as a tool/resource which aims to support the learning and teaching across every area of the curriculum and associated “digital literacy skills” are acquired and developed as part of this process. Where ICT is embedded in the curriculum it can serve to engage and motivate children in the learning process. It has proven to increase students’ selfesteem and creates a more positive disposition towards learning as well as providing teachers with more up to date, exciting and relevant ways of presenting and engaging with the curriculum. ICT can act as a catalyst for peer teaching and learning and is hugely powerful in the development of team-work, higher order thinking skills and a collaborative learning and teaching environment. There are a numerous specific examples of how ICT can be used to enhance the teaching of literacy skills. One particular project where ICT is used as an incentive to improve literacy levels among school children is the "FIS Bookclub" - http://www.fisbookclub.com/. First deployed in 2006, the Bookclub is an online network designed to facilitate peer-topeer book reviews for primary school pupils. The network allows pupils to upload video reviews of their own choice of books, for the benefit of other members. Reviews are short, can be created on any digital video device (including phones), and can be created by children in both home and school environments. All uploads are strictly moderated in advance. The Fís Film Festival affords schools an opportunity to create their own short video clips/animations using all the scripting and editing techniques of professional film makers and submit them for adjudication. This culminates in the Fís Film Festival final event which has been held in the Helix, DCU for the past number of years. Technologies such as visualiser, interactive whiteboards and more increasingly individual student devices are being used in the classroom. These technologies in 9 particular can be used across a range of literacy activities at primary and post primary level. For both primary and post primary level, Scoilnet, the national portal for digital content in Irish Education provides a central resource to teachers, pupils and parents, offering access to a growing repository of advice and information. There are over 12,000 specific resources relating to the curriculum available. 6. Other Relevant Current Initiatives a) Teacher Education In relation to Initial Teacher Education, reconfigured and extended Bachelor of Education programmes for primary teaching began from September 2012. The Teaching Council is in the process of reviewing reconfigured Bachelor of Education programmes for the post-primary sector. The need for teachers to have the necessary digital skills is recognised by the Teaching Council. The “Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education” published in June 2011 by the Teaching Council identifies ICT as a priority in initial teacher training. It states that there should be “an increased emphasis on the key strategic priorities of literacy and numeracy, ICT and inclusion”. The Council's criteria for providers of initial teacher education set out in more detail expected course content and learning outcomes. These stipulate that all ITE programmes should include certain mandatory elements, one of which is ICT in teaching and learning. The learning outcomes require that student teachers have knowledge of cross-curricular links and themes including ICT and that they use technology and multi-media resources effectively to aid pupil learning. The delivery of the National Induction Programme for Teachers workshop programme to all registered Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) at primary and postprimary levels commenced on a compulsory basis in September 2012 and will be completed by early May 2013. The Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) is providing national seminars to school leaders on School Self Evaluation (SSE) from which schools will access further support in literacy and numeracy. In the current school year, PDST has facilitated 97 seminars across the Education Centre network for Primary school leaders and 24 seminars for Post Primary schools with total attendance of 3312. As a follow on from these seminars, every school is afforded an opportunity to nominate a ‘link teacher’ for either literacy or numeracy and they will receive further professional development on their role in the school. This work is ongoing. In relation to digital skills and knowledge on how best to use ICT in teaching and learning, a range of courses are available through PDST Technology in Education (formerly the National Centre for Technology in Education (NCTE)). All of the courses are made available through the education centre network and online. These ICT courses focus on the integration of ICT in the classroom, prioritising the use of ICT in literacy and numeracy. . There will be six national courses offered to all primary teachers in summer 2013 (four will be delivered face to face through the Education Centre network or on a whole school basis; the remaining two courses will 10 be delivered online). These courses will be five days in duration and will include Creating and Using ICT Resources for Literacy; Using ICT for Literacy and Numeracy in Junior Classes; Using ‘Scratch6’ to develop numeracy; Active learning using ICT for Literacy and Numeracy - including the use of tablets and a variety of online tools Through Scoilnet, the national portal, teachers have access to thousands of resources to enhance their teaching. Teachers and students also have access to Britannica online and Scoilnet maps – high quality digital maps. Britannica online is now available for home use. Following a recent Department of Education and Skills press release about Britannica online, there has been a three fold increase in usage with 60% of the total usage in schools and 40% usage at home. PDST Technology in Education continues to produce advice b) Primary Curriculum As part of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) is developing an integrated language curriculum for primary schools, to embed development of digital literacy. The curriculum will be available for the first half of primary school (junior infants to second class) from September 2014 and for the latter four classes by September 2018. The curriculum should be available for infants to 2nd class from 2014. c) Junior Cycle Reform The implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle, launched in October 2012 for implementation in schools on a phased basis from 2014, will enable post-primary schools to provide a quality, inclusive and relevant education with improved learning outcomes for all students, including those with special educational needs. The document presents more detailed and very different assessment arrangements to complement and support the sort of curricular change that will best suit our students. Eight principles underpin the Framework for Junior Cycle: Quality, Wellbeing, Creativity and Innovation, Choice and flexibility, Engagement and participation, Inclusive education, Continuity and development, Learning to learn. These principles will inform the planning for, as well as the development and the implementation of junior cycle programmes in all schools. The learning at the core of junior cycle is described in twenty-four statements of learning. These statements describe what students should know, understand, value and be able to do at the end of junior cycle, having fully engaged with and participated in the junior cycle programme of their school. The framework outlines eight key skills required for successful learning by students across the curriculum and for learning beyond school. Among the key skills, one is 6 Scratch is a programming language developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) that makes it easy to create interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art and share creations on the web. 11 literacy and numeracy, which includes digital literacy. Literacy and numeracy proficiency is fundamental to a student’s development right across the curriculum and across the other key skill areas which are delineated as: Managing myself Staying well Communicating Being creative Working with others Managing information and thinking. The definition of Literacy includes the capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including spoken language, printed text, broadcast media, and digital media. In each of the six key skills there is an element that is related to digital literacy: Key skill Managing myself Staying well Communicating Being creative Working with others Managing information and thinking. Element Using digital technology to manage myself and my learning Being responsible, safe and ethical in using digital technology Using digital technology to communicate Stimulating creativity using digital technology Working with others through digital technology Using digital technology to access, manage and share content The use of electronic portfolios to support ongoing assessment and monitoring of student progress over the three years of junior cycle is being explored as part of Junior Cycle Reform. The ICT industry through ICT Ireland has been requested to assist the Department in specifying its requirements for electronic portfolios. The Department has provided what it sees as core requirements to industry. Industry will shortly provide advice to the Department in relation to options. Digital technology significantly effects how we interact with communications and media services. Strategies for sourcing and discrimination of content are essential for students in making informed choices and decisions as they creatively engage with digital media. The new Junior Cycle Framework also provides for short courses to be introduced in schools, some of which will be developed by the NCCA and some by schools themselves. Short courses are designed for approximately 100 hours of student engagement over two or three years and specified at a common level across the entire junior cycle. A short course that the NCCA is currently working on, which will be available to schools from 2014, is in the area of Digital Literacy which includes topics such as information literacy, personal safety online, digital storytelling, and online privacy. 12 In the content of the short course, students are likely to evaluate content presented in different digital formats and use technology to express their opinions. They will also get the opportunity to respond to digital texts and create a digital artefact. It is intended that students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively and use ICT to express their ideas in a personal and creative way. They will use digital technologies to create and disseminate a highly creative work. A key literacy skill promoted by the short course will be the ability to read and write digital texts. It should also improve student’s capacity to improve their critical literacy in sourcing and sharing opinion. In sourcing evaluating, using and create content using digital media tools, students will be engaged in using timelines, problemsolving, camera angles, gathering and analysis data. d) Transition Year and Senior Cycle There is also a Transition Year option in relation to "Having Fun with Computer Programming and Games" and, under the ICT Action Plan which was launched in January 2012, this is being expanded nationally. The Senior Cycle curriculum explicitly espouses the central role of self-directed learning, a spirit of enquiry, critical thinking and problem solving. Recently revised syllabi contain references to the student as a researcher. This requires the skills of analysis of a range of data to make judgements based on the student's research. Such an approach is, in reality, at the heart of good practice in quality teaching and learning. The roll out of the T4 initiative for the technology subjects in post primary schools has seen very significant engagement by students in digital literacy, digital numeracy, visual literacy, etc, through the use of CAD (computer aided design) programmes. 7. EU Dimension Member States have a shared interest in improving literacy standards for both children and adults. Improving reading literacy was one of the first objectives of the Commission's 'Education and Training' work programme, launched in 2002, and this objective was re-confirmed as a priority for 2010-2020. Member States have committed to reduce the ratio of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading literacy to 15% at most by the end of the decade. a) Department of Education and Skills involvement in EU initiatives on ICT in Education Under the EU “Creative Classrooms” call for proposals, the Department’s ICT Policy Unit is leading an international consortium in the development of a project proposal centred on piloting the operational use of eportfolios in Irish classrooms. SEC and NCCA will formally participate in this project, alongside industry partners including Microsoft Ireland. 13 ICT Policy Unit is also managing Ireland’s participation in other EU funded projects focused on integration of ICT in teaching and learning, and continues to collaborate with the European Commission and the European Schoolnet organisation on the research and policy agenda in this domain. The Department and the PDST – Technology in Education are partners in the EU Commission funded Living Schools Lab project. The main aim of the Living Schools Lab project is to help Ministries of Education to showcase, upscale and mainstream innovative use of ICT in both primary and secondary schools. To this end, the project will create a sustainable, growing network of primary and secondary schools, based around regional clusters that showcase and share best practice and ways to successfully embed the use of technology in teaching and learning across the whole school. b) Digital Agenda for Europe The Digital Agenda (DA) is one of seven flagship initiatives of the European Commission under the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The DA focuses on the 21st century technologies and online services that will enable Europe to boost job creation, promote economic prosperity and improve the daily lives of EU citizens and businesses in a variety of ways. The overall aim of the DA is to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market based on fast and ultra fast internet and interoperable applications. The DA identifies seven priority areas for action. Enhancing digital literacy skills and inclusion is one of those actions which is relevant to the Department of Education & Skills. c) High Level Group of Experts on Literacy In 2011 an independent High Level Group of Experts on Literacy was established by the EU Commission, in order to look into literacy and examine the most effective and efficient ways to improve reading skills in Europe on foot of a request by the Council of Ministers. The group's report seeks to raise awareness of the literacy crisis affecting all Member States and provides recommendations on how to solve it. The Commission will continue to support efforts by Member States to improve literacy. The report (2012) of the EU High Level Group of Experts on Literacy includes the following recommendations: raise the level of literacy teaching and provide more reading support; open up schools to appealing materials, including digital ones, to make reading and writing relevant to boys’ individual preferences; use more digital and non-formal digital practices in classrooms and in adult education in order to boost motivation of learners to engage in reading and writing; equip teachers at all levels, including in adult education, with the skills they need to integrate ICT in the teaching of literacy. 14