Need Ideas for Digital Literacy Course in Smartphone App

Submitted by Vinod Lobo on Thu, 04/05/2018 - 11:25
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Hello all,

We are exploring the idea of adding a Digital Literacy course to our Learning Upgrade app, which already has English and Math ESL/ABE/GED courses.  This is based on feedback on need from instructors and directors of adult ed programs.

Two questions for the community:

1) Can you share sources of Standards and Lesson Topics for Digital Literacy from your experiences?   We need to decide what content can be addressed within an interactive lesson format.

2) How do you feel about Digital Literacy topics taught within a Smartphone app course, with instructor reports, to be blended with classroom or tutor activities?

Thanks,

Vinod

Vinod Lobo, Learning Upgrade  

Comments

My most used resource when planning digital and mobile information literacy curricula is the Digital Competence Framework. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/digcomp/digital-competence-framework

The interaction with a smartphone is different from a computer. When I teach people to use their mobile devices, I must start with the basics, how to connect to Wi-Fi, security, downloading and using apps, messaging. The expectation for a smartphone user is primarily interaction (social media, specific internet search, communication by text, email, facebook) instead of creating (documents, spreadsheets) with the major exception being use of the camera to create posts and video to post online. When my learners need to use their smartphones to access learning management systems, they struggle with web pages that are not optimized for viewing on multiple platforms.

At RSU 39 adult education, we have a dedicated lab EDGE (Education through Digital Gaming and Exploration), one day each week it is open to the public to bring their personal devices to learn how to improve understanding and efficiency. Although we have taught basic smartphone use including using an "App store", people are more interested in personalizing devices. I've noticed that while a general organization of the Apps exists, the applications each person chooses are specific to their interests and desires. On any given day, we may be showing a person how to install and use anti-virus (malware/ransomware) or how to use the zoom on a camera.  Typically, my older learners (ages 55+) prefer having a tutor to guide them through learning. They are comfortable using apps for playing games, but when it comes to learning, as they are not native digital users, they prefer human interaction. I also have much younger learners who have grown up accessing YouTube and Khan Academy to learn "things" and enjoy this type of learning, but they also benefit from a more blended learning approach.

Hello Lynn,

Thanks for sharing the 2017 European Commission DigComp Digital Competence Framework. This appears to be a carefully crafted set of standards for competence in digital literacy.  Could you share an example of a lesson plan you have developed based on one or more of these competences? I wondered if the document you shared, which describes digital competence areas at a broad level, had another level with more detail and perhaps some examples. It does, and it offers great detail, and perhaps (I don't know) is aligned with the PIAAC Problem Solving in Technology Rich Environments (PSTRE) competencies. The more detailed level will be found at http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC106281/web-digcomp2.1pdf_(online).pdf Have you found this document useful, Lynn?

I agree that there are some important differences between using smartphones and computers including, as you have noted, creating documents, which is difficult for many on smartphones because of the small screen and small keyboard. However, I also recognize that those, especially younger people, who only have access to a smartphone, not a computer, will often overcome the obstacles.  I wholeheartedly agree that when learners try to access learning management systems, "they struggle with web pages that are not optimized for viewing on multiple platforms."

I love the RSU 39 adult education EDGE day idea where the general public can "bring their personal devices to learn how to improve understanding and efficiency." Can you tell us what are some of the most common smartphone questions, needs and goals?  What kind of background and/or training are needed for the staff who help out on EDGE day? What are some of the more useful and popular apps are that are recommended to those who want to use their smartphones for online learning. How is EDGE is promoted in the community, how  do people hear about it?   Does EDGE day use a peer learning approach where learners help each other to learn how to do new things with their smartphones? If so, please tell us about that too.

Thanks!

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Integrating Technology group

 

Lyn,

  Thanks much, the Digital Competence Framework is organized well with numbered standards that can matched to lessons within a course. Will be looking at each topic to see how this can be taught within a course that would work on Smartphones. There are many concepts and technical terms that could be taught within interactive lessons, such as sharing content, netiquette, etc.

  Interesting how you are finding the learner needs so different between computers and smartphones.  We are also finding that LMS web interfaces often don't work well on smartphones.  Also, we are seeing that more students especially younger or ones without computer access are moving to smartphones for content creation (Google Docs, photo editing, etc).

   What we will be exploring is how to blend a structured set of lessons on a smartphone / computer covering digital literacy with in-person instruction as you are doing now.

Thanks for the link!

-- Vinod