Recibido: 11 marzo 2015
The new dimensions of technology in education.
Teachers of this new era, where students tend to read more online than going to the library, are
asked to deal with the cultural and social dimensions that technology has in education.
"Technology is an expression of the ideologies, the cultural norms and the value system of a
society" (Bruce 1999, p.225). Considering the high importance of technology in the educational
field, teachers have to deal with digital literacy more than ever. Educators have to master this new
model of literacy to incorporate the dimensions of critical digital literacy in everyday teaching
process. Consequently, teachers of the 21st century need to be digitally literate to develop in their
students the proper critical understanding of what digital information is. Teachers need to know
about the dimensions of critical digital literacy, especially in three dimensions: decoding, using and
analyzing.
Critical literacy is understood as "learning to read and write as part of the process of becoming
conscious of one's experience as historically constructed within specific power relations"
(Anderson and Irvine, p. 82). Nowadays, digital literacy is beginning to emerge as a necessary
component of curricula and for this reason, it is crucial to count with well- prepared teachers who
offer critical guidance to their students. Instructors are in charge of helping students to broad their
knowledge by investigating, analyzing and evaluating information. As Davis (2013) states "The goal
of critical digital literacy is to develop active and engaged thinkers and creators in digital
environments."
Analyzing the dimensions of critical digital literacy that are most important for teachers leads us to
recognize the magnitude of this topic in the formation of teachers. Therefore, teacher education
programs must provide the necessary tools for teachers to effectively incorporate digital literacy
into their curriculum. Luke (2000) asserts that "the development and new framework for media
literacy begins in teacher´s education."
In the past, education was more traditional and it was so common to see students sitting in rows
being taught by a teacher at the front of a room, but education had a turning point according to
the necessities of the modern world. Therefore, dimensions of critical digital literacy started to be
part of educational studies. Juliet Hinrichsen and Antony Coombs (2014) at the University of
Greenwich, made a great contribution. They proposed a "5 Resources Model" for articulating the
width and dimensions of digital literacies. The five resources are: decoding, meaning making,
using, analyzing and persona. After doing research about the dimensions of critical digital literacy,
I could say that the 5 resources are closely linked and these ones will empower teachers to guide
students to develop better skills. Educational researchers and practitioners alike assert that the
potential of new technologies for learning is likely to be found not in the technologies themselves,
but in the way in which these technologies are used as tools for learning (Means & Olson, 1995;
Owston, 1997; Valdez et al., 1999).
The most important dimensions for a teacher are decoding, using and analyzing; these dimensions
give teachers a broad vision to work with students and in this way, educators can expand and
strengthen the use of technology in their subjects using different perspectives. These three
dimensions allow teachers to prepare students to be confident in the digital world and make them
understand how different technological tools work. By using these dimensions, they will be able to
assess digital information and students will develop the ability to use technology to perform
different tasks.
In these modern days, there are still people who are not completely digital literate because most
of them do not really understand concepts, mechanisms or how to present a digital text, so
decoding give learners enough confidence in engaging with new tools or applications. When
teachers have got the ability to decode information, they are able to teach their students the
correct way to synthesize, analyze and produce mediated messages.
Education has more requirements to meet nowadays and technology has changed some classroom
practices in a positive way, new strategies and methods are being used by teachers to improve
their teaching. For example, the use of computers in class, tablets, mobile phones or other
technological devices are making more challenging and rewarding whatever outcome students are
producing. Therefore, learners need to know and familiarize with the digital information and they
have to understand how to work with digital artefacts; they have to feel comfortable when
operating structures of digital media.
Furthermore, Lemke, Coughlin & Reifsneider (2006) state in their research that "school leaders
must think strategically about which technologies, tools, and programs will have the impact on
preparing students for the 21st Century". For that reason, teachers must know how to use
technology correctly. It requires the triangulation of content, sound principles of learning, and
high-quality teaching. Having a good control of this using dimension lets teachers develop critical
and sensible understanding in their learners, so students feel enthusiastic about using
collaborative technologies to be active in the World Wide Web as creators rather than consumers
.Learners need to apply different tools and techniques effectively and creatively; also, and they
have to take risks and get involved in exploring, experimenting to create new solutions while
solving problems, and along this process they learn to deal with ethical and legal criteria. This
dimension gives teachers the power to exploit the ability that students have to gather information
through the application of digital literacy skills. Some educators consider the use of technology in
classrooms important because they can develop, for example, writing and reading skills in their
students. Meyer and Rose (2000) point out this with the notion that "the potential of new
technology to revitalize reading instruction and to make reading more relevant to the lives of
children growing up in the Electronic Age."
Another dimension that empowers teacher to encourage learners to be critical when selecting
resources and tools of the digitized material is analyzing. This dimension of digital literacy tries to
work on learners' common sense and choices in the digital domain. It also allows them to examine
critically the digital information they need to complete their tasks. Learners need to be critical and
they have to be able to make judgments and get to conclusions when analyzing, evaluating and
selecting the information of the different digital contents they have at hand.
The dimensions of the digital literacy must be part of every teacher in this globalized world,
society is going to receive the benefits of this since teachers are going to prepare learners who are
more critical and really competent to make informed decisions about how and why they
participate digitally. When teachers use these dimensions in their curriculum, they are
contributing to develop in students a combination of different skills: functional technology, critical,
collaboration and social, all of these will make them participate fully and safely in an increasingly
digital world.
After recognizing the impact of digital literacy in education, there is no doubt that every teacher
must be fully literate to take social actions by actively deciding his/her position in the world. For
example, English teachers need to explore the potential of technology to communicate because
digital resources play an increasing role in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). This is a desire due
to the emergence of English as a global language, which has activated online resources and the
majority of interpersonal communications have become computer-mediated, rather than face-toface. There is an interesting research that mentions the vital role of technology as a mean of
learning English; the research is called "The Korean Need for L2 Digital Literacy in English". That
research states that Korea has an enviable status as the most wired nation on the planet with the
fastest Internet connections in the world (Sutter, 2010) therefore; they are interested in getting
advantage of this to increase the opportunities for computer-mediated second language learning.
Korea is aware that Korean learners of English are typically provided with little intentional
instruction in Second Language (L2) digital Literacy. Hence, they want to exploit the use of
technology to have a better interaction with English and in this way, learn English effectively.
As mentioned above, we are living in a highly wired and visual world, and as teacher educators, we
need to re- conceptualize teacher education to include new commitments that allow teachers to
discover for themselves the connection between digital technology and digital literacy. When
educators get clear engagements, they can see the vital role of critical digital literacy in their
teaching. For example, using critical digital literacy in their classes could let them include both
receptive and productive dimensions, which are connected to critical analysis and social skills. As a
final point, I would like to say that this globalized era needs people who can discern, analyze and
interpret information critically and the responsible ones for these tasks are teachers, educators
who are trying to do their best when providing their learners with the correct tools. Lectures have
to be ready to face the new requirements in education and teachers must be able to modify their
teaching techniques, methods and strategies with the use of the dimensions of digital critical
literacy: decoding, using and analysis.
References
1. Bawden, D. (n.d.). Information And Digital Literacies: A Review Of Concepts. Journal of
Documentation, 218-259.
2. Cooper, J., & Bull, G. (n.d.). Technology and Teacher Education: Past Practice and
Recommended Directions. Action in Teacher Education, 97-106.
3. Christensen, R.R. Effect of technology integration education on the attitudes of teachers and
their students. Ph.D. thesis, University of North Texas.
4. Teaching critical digital literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014, from
http://folgerpedia.folger.edu/Teaching_critical_digital_literacy#Multi-
literacies_of_digital_environments
5. Decoding - The 5 Resources Model of Critical Digital Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28,
2014, from https://sites.google.com/site/dlframework/the5resourcesframework/decoding
6. Vasquez, V. (n.d.). Negotiating critical literacies with teachers: Theoretical foundations and
pedagogical resources for pre-service and in-service contexts
7. Bearne, E. (2003). Classroom interactions in literacy. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open
University Press.
8. 5 Dimensions Of Critical Digital Literacy: A Framework. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2014,
from http://www.teachthought.com/featured/5-dimensions-of-critical-digital-literacy/
9. C. Meurant, R. (n.d.). The Korean Need for L2 Digital Literacy in English. Retrieved from
http://www.rmeurant.com/its/lict-2_files/RMeurant-KATE2010-KNeed4L2DigLitEng.pdf
10. Lemke, C., Coughlin, E., & Reifsneider, D. (2006, January 1). Technology in schools. Retrieved
December 11, 2014, from
http://www.cisco.com/web/strategy/docs/education/tech_in_schools_what_research_says.pdf
OUTLINE
Thesis: Teachers of the 21st century need to be digitally literate especially in three dimensions:
decoding, using and analyzing
I. Introduction.
II.
a.
b.
c.
Digital literacy.
Role of digital literacy
Role of educators
Digital literacy in teacher programs
III.
a.
b.
c.
Education and the new requirements
Education in the past
Education in the 21st century
New tendency: 5 Resource Model
IV. Decoding give learners confidence
a. Learners learn to use tools an applications
b. Changes in classroom practices
V.
a.
b.
c.
Use of tools and techniques effectively
School leaders and the use of technology
Learners develop critical and sensible understanding
Class practices and the technology
VI. Analysis of the digital information
a. Learners' common sense when selecting resources
b. Students analyze, evaluate and select information
VII. Dimension of the critical digital literacy and benefits for learners.
a. Impact of critical digital literacy
b. Technology in Second Language Acquisition
c. Technology and the new demands for educators
VIII. Conclusion.