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Adults and young people as Digital Literacy Learners Assignment 5 (Unit 311) Melinda Gardner

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Page 1: Assignment 5 mel gardner

Adults and young people as Digital Literacy Learners

Assignment 5 (Unit 311)Melinda Gardner

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3. Understand factors that may assist digital literacy learning

3.1 Analyse the characteristics of effective digital literacy learning delivery

3.2 Explain the importance of communication, relationship building and emotional intelligence when working with adults and young people undertaking digital literacy learning

Assignment 5Adults and Young people as Digital Literacy Learners (Unit 311)

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WHAT IS EFFECTIVE DIGITAL LITERACY DELIVERY?

3.1 Analyse the characteristics of effective digital literacy learning delivery

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Elements Description

Differentiation The teacher uses multiple instructional materials, activities, strategies, and assessment techniques to meet learner’s needs and maximise the learning of all learners

Variety The teacher implements a variety of classroom techniques and strategies that enhance learner motivation and decrease discipline problems

Cognitive Challenge The teacher provides in-depth explanations of academic content and covers higher-order concepts and skills thoroughly

Learner Engagement The teacher is supportive and persistent in keeping learners on task and encouraging them to actively integrate new information with prior learning

Recognizing patterns of learning and adjusting in learners

The teacher recognizes the schema or pattern in student learning and makes inferences about the situation (such as identifying the difficulties the learners are having), and promptly adjusts the materials, learning activities, and assessment techniques to maximise learning

Questioning The teacher uses multiples levels (particularly higher cognitive levels) of questioning to stimulate learner thinking and monitor student learning

Relevance The learning process and the outcomes of learning have authentic relevance with learner’s life

Elements of Effective Instructional Delivery

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7 Characteristics of Effective Digital Literacy Learning Delivery

Effective Digital Literacy Delivery

Support Staff

Venue

Resources

Facilitator

Planning Evaluation

Delivery

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VenueAccessible and suitable-

It must be suitable for all learners; must be able to easily access the building,

aids such as automatic doors, wheelchair access or ramps must be readily available to

provide an inclusive environment, not being able to easily access the building

will prevent any learning from taking place.

Technology ready (WiFi); supportive technology to

help with learners who may have learning

difficulties/needs.

ResourcesMust be suitable to the

course and to the delivery. Equipment or programs such

as PowerPoint should be clear for all students.

Wi-Fi should be available when using Apps. which will

enhance the learning experience. If the Wi-Fi

cannot be used at all times this can impact the learning,

create a restless environment and mean learners losing interest in an otherwise

useful learning experience.

Effective Planning Must be in place prior to the start of any session, it is this planning that supports the session and improves the confidence of the teacher and the learners. An example of this is checking that the Wi-Fi is available

and has a strong enough signal to be using the planned resources. If using portable digital equipment then this

should be kept charged, a back battery may be made available tor

points of charge. Likewise the digital technologies should be used to

support the session not overrun it, the learning outcomes, aims and

objectives should all be adhered to and covered and the technologies

should be viewed as enhancing this practice.

7 characteristics of effective digital literacy learning delivery, explained

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Delivery Confidence of the tutor in

delivering any learning technologies, implementing

technologies may be interesting and a new

method of learning however if this is not a confident

delivery then the learners will realise this and will either lose interest in the session or

they will start to challenge the delivery and lose faith in

the teaching.

EvaluationA vital part of effective teaching, asking yourself did the session go

well, were all the technologies available, did they work, did the

learners engage with them? If the answer is no or if effective learning cannot be measured than maybe

new methods or technologies should be made available or a

rethink of the session. This may also demonstrate that the

equipment needs to be made available each week so that the

teacher can start to see the effects and the learners can build their

confidence in using technologies.

Facilitator and Support StaffAny support staff or other

people involved in the delivery understand any new

technologies, understand how to access and use any

portable devices such as iPad etc. The support staff are only able to support if they have a

clear understanding of the tasks that they need to carry out and have advance notice of what technologies will be using used, this allows them to prepare and to develop

their own skills and confidence.

7 characteristics of effective digital literacy learning delivery, explained

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Elements in Successful Digital Literacy Learning Environment

CurriculumAligned with Digital Literacy and supported technology for instructors and learnersEmbed digital literacy in all subject areas to support differentiation and inclusion including the use of different digital technologies/toolsContinual professional developmentUpdated software and equipment

InstructionDifferentiated lesson development, delivery and evaluation / assessmentSetting (environment), communication and evaluating/reflectionDigital support of learning difficulties allowing for inclusionMeasurable criteria for learner skills

LearnersReadiness / prior knowledgeMotivationPreparationEngagementSelf-Management E-safety, understanding of data protection and copywrite

“Students’ feedback has shown us that today’s learners respond to active learning techniques, such as multiple application activities. They also derive confidence from knowing their instructors are fully engaged and invested in student success. Furthermore, the results show that technology that serves a purpose enhances the course experience for students.”http://blog.cengage.com/creating-an-active-learning-environment-with-tech-tools/

A digitally inclusive environment allows for all learners to access learning – it “levels the playing field”

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http://www.teacherkit.net/engaging-students-through-technology-four-strategies/

4 Strategies To Engage Students Using TechnologyAn engaged student is more likely to learn and succeed than a disengaged one. Technology can play a huge part in: motivating, involving, inspiring

Use Technology to: Enhance

Students are highly visual, preferring pictures and video to words and speech. Mixing in visual learning tools increases their engagement, by adding variety to

the learning environment; take into consideration VARK and look at which

digital tools can be used to support/include learners

EnableCollaboration. Students are social and love being part of a community, collaborating,

sharing and exchanging ideas. Interaction - you could integrate tools such as Google

apps and wikis to involve students in collaborative environments with one

another. Instant messaging allows teachers and students to discuss tasks, share ideas

and links, and generally work together

EmpowerEngaged students are those who actively express opinions, and don’t just passively

‘receive wisdom’. Technology can give them a platform to explain their ideas, not just regurgitate facts. Technology

empowers all learners by accommodating learning difficulties and promoting differentiation and inclusion.

ExchangeGiving and getting feedback. Technology can

help with this, making data instantly accessible. Incorporating technology with

quizzes, assignments, tests, and sending test results and/or feedback electronically can

also allow all learners to participate.

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3.2 EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION, RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE WHEN WORKING WITH ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERTAKING DIGITAL LITERACY LEARNING

3. Understand factors that may assist digital literacy learning

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Communication, and Relationship Building

Communication forms the basis of a relationship between teacher and student and creates a foundation of a positive, safe, learning environment.Communication is important to ensure that all learners feel confident, and supported so they remain engaged throughout the learning process. Relationship building is important so that you can build a mutual trust and respect with your learners’. If you can do this successfully, then the learners will be motivated and engaged and more likely to learn from the experience. Ultimately, by building strong relationships, the learner will benefit from a positive, rewarding purposeful experience and be more likely to achieve their learning goals. Both communication and relationship building help to create a safe learning environment.

Safe Learning Environment

Learner

Teacher

•Learner wants to participate in sessions

•Learner feels safe enough to make their needs known to teacher

•Communication•Trust

•Use different methods of communication

•Build positive relationships – trust

1

2

3

When students learn to communicate effectively in digital literacy, they’re not just learning how to use tools, technology and techniques. They’re learning how to approach a project, to understand their audience, message, and purpose. They learn to think critically as they decide on an effective way to present and communicate their message.

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Emotional IntelligenceEmotional intelligence is the ability to recognise your own and other people’s emotions. It is the ability to discriminate between different feelings and to use emotional information to guide thinking and behaviourTeachers need to use emotional intelligence to: Recognise and respond to their own feelings and that of

the learners in the classroom Encourage an emotional state in the learners which is

conducive to learning Why is emotional intelligence important in digital literacy learning? Learners need to understand that there is consequences

to what they say and do when posting on social media (positive and negative); and how it can impact other people emotionally

Learners need to behave responsibly when leaving behind a digital footprint

If we have established a good relationship then we should be aware of how these individuals will deal with situations and use this to help and guide them to achieve the best outcomes

https://digitalliteracynorthwales.wordpress.com/tag/emotional-intelligence/

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When working with adults and young people undertaking digital literacy learning, the challenge is to ensure that technology is used to enable, or make more efficient, effective teaching and learning practices for everyone:

• Collaborative use of technology (in pairs or small groups) is usually more effective than individual use, though some learners, may need guidance in how to collaborate effectively and responsibly.

• Technology can be as powerful as a short but focused intervention to improve learning, particularly when there is regular and frequent use over the course of about a term. However, sustained use over a longer period is usually less effective at improving this kind of boost to attainment. (see Durham University, The Use of Digital Literacies in Education)

• Remedial and tutorial use of technology can be particularly practical for lower attaining pupils, those with special educational needs or those from disadvantaged backgrounds in providing intensive support to enable them to catch up with their peers.

• In researched interventions, technology is best used as a supplement to normal teaching rather than as a replacement for it. This suggests some caution in the way in which technology is adopted or embedded in schools.

• Tested gains in attainment tend to be greater in mathematics and science (compared with literacy for example). In literacy the impact tends to be greater in writing interventions compared with reading or spelling.

• At least a full day’s training or on-going professional inquiry-based approaches to support the introduction of new technology appear the most successful. The implication is that such support should go beyond the teaching of skills in technology and focus on the successful use of technology to support teaching and learning aims.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/uploads/pdf/The_Impact_of_Digital_Technologies_on_Learning_(2012).pdf

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1.3 - ANALYSE A MINIMUM OF THREE DIFFERENT METHODS OF COMMUNICATION THAT CAN BE USED WITH DIGITAL LITERACY LEARNERS

Managing the Digital Literacy Learning Environment (Unit 314)

Digital Literacy Learners

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Tools and Advantages• People can connect at the same time• Engage instantly• Same time participationExamples• Video, Audio, and Web Conferencing• Instant Messaging A webinar is a live meeting that takes place over the web. The meeting can be a presentation, discussion, demonstration, or instructional session. Participants can view documents and applications via their computers, while shared audio allows for presentation and discussion

Disadvantages• Schedules of when to connect need to be

coordinated• Require same-time participation • Tend to be costly and require significant

bandwidth to be efficient• All users must use a compatible system and

supported, downloaded program to be able to access the broad/pod cast

Webinars has the problem of requiring same-time participation, compatible systems, and bandwidth. Although Webinars are becoming quite popular, the ability to broadcast to multiple people over extended locations and be interactive at the same time, (all entirely possible), still produces technical difficulties (you can almost count on it).

Method of Communication used in Digital Literacy 1) Synchronous Tools enable real-time communication and collaboration

Webinar conferencing program, GoToMeeting which I have used in the past: http://www.gotomeeting.co.uk/

http://digilitgllm.blogspot.co.uk/

This is where digital technologies/tools are reviewed and given a cat rating (4 out of 4 cats being the highest).

“The society we live in today is dominated by technology and most of us accept the discourse of fast and ever-changing developments in technology which have transformed, or have the potential to transform, the way we live and relate to one another.” (tlrp.org)

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Tools and Advantages• Useful for sustaining dialogue and collaboration over a period of time• Provides resources and information when convenient; and accessible day or night• Provides communication over an elapsed time rather than real-time• opportunities to address a diverse set of topics in more depth than can be done in

class or in a synchronous environment

Examples• Forum or discussion groups which allows members to leave messages or feedback• E-mail, Social Network (which can be both synchronous and asynchronous)• Moodle (although you can access a chat room for real-time discussions which is

synchronous)• TEDtalks, YouTube, Blogs• Collaborative tools such as Google Docs, Shared Drive

Disadvantages• May not always be accessible• Response and/or feedback may take time• Limited amounts of information that can be

shared, retrieved, or stored• There may be a time limitation on access• May not be easily accessible to people who

have limited or no resources• Public access to forums or discussion groups

although can be restricted, is not always private

• E-mail: limited storage, susceptible to virus, scams, malware attacks

• Social Network (such as Facebook); cyberbullying, e-safety, lack of emotional intelligence, identity theft

Method of Communication used in Digital Literacy 2) Asynchronous Tools enable communication and collaboration over a period of time;

people connect together at each person’s own convenience and own schedule

http://digilitgllm.blogspot.co.uk/

This is where digital technologies/tools are reviewed and given a cat rating (4 out of 4 cats being the highest).

Social Networks such as Facebook is both synchronous and asynchronous because it allows you to chat (instant engagement) and allows you to “post” images, videos, and texts that can be viewed and commented on at anytime.

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http://digilitgllm.blogspot.co.uk/

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4. UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN DIGITAL LITERACY LEARNING

Adults and Young people as Digital Literacy Learners (Unit 311)

Diversity & Inclusion: Because empowering students is the right thing to do

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4.1 Explain what is meant by ‘diversity and inclusion’ in the context of digital literacy

Inclusion means that all of society is included and that no one is left out of any digital learning and everyone can take part in the digital world. Everyone is given respect and an equal opportunity to take part and learn - whatever their gender, race, culture, disability, religion, national origin and sexual orientation.

Digital Inclusion is therefore concerned with addressing inequalities, where those unable to access the affordance of technologies are, disadvantaged, marginalised in society and therefore digitally excluded. In addition to equality, explicit and implicit definitions of digital inclusion encompass a number of inter-related concepts such as:• Access – Access to technologies, access to people for support, education, skills and knowledge • Use - Individuals using, or being able to use, the technologies that they have access to; using technology in an informed or “smart”

way; using technology as and when appropriate (meaningful use)• Empowerment – Technology should be a ‘vehicle for empowerment, rather than a force for further exclusion’ HM Government (2008:

p5) Learners should develop the right level of skills to eventually become self-sufficient and not require any support to use technologies.

• Participation - Becoming a full participant in our society involves tangible factors such as access to computers and less tangible factors such as the way an individual interacts with a computer. Digital inclusion in part involves providing equality of opportunities so that all members of society can benefit from the affordances that technologies offer.

“Understanding what influences use and therefore digital inclusion, is likely to involve more than understanding barriers to the acquisition of skills or competences. It is likely to involve understanding an array of factors that influence the decisions that people make about when technology use is appropriate or meaningful in their lives.” http://www.tlrp.org/docs/DigitalInclusion.pdf

Diversity means embracing everyone's views, perspectives and cultures and so encourages new skills in technology. Three broad groups of learners that could particularly benefit from being digitally included:• Those with special educational needs• Those who are disengaged• Those who are hard to reachHow might it work?• Learners with difficulties that affect concentration and attention span (for instance, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - ADHD)

showed increased persistence and concentration when engaged with digital creativity activities. (for me personally, writing my digital literacy blog really gave me a creative and immediate outlet which helps me keep focused on the subject).

• Learners with challenging behaviour displayed improved levels of engagement, interest and persistence.• Learners with histories of having rejected literacy activities engaged with tasks using stop-frame animation, videos and podcasts. These

activities drew on written and oral skills in an incidental way

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As practitioners of digital literacy, it is vital that we promote an inclusive culture that recognises, respects and accommodates the diversity of our learners. A tutor who treats all learners fairly is demonstrating that they care about the success of each of the learners equally. If individual diversity is valued and considered an asset to learning, the tutor is modelling tolerance, respect and empathy to their learners.

Teachers: We often forget that the teacher also brings a range of diversity issues to the classroom. Every instructor brings his or her physical appearance and culture into the room at the same time as the learners do. How you look, how you speak, how you act upon your opinions of the role of academics (and particularly of the class you teach), and the extent to which these differ from the physical, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds of your learners will have a profound effect on the interactions in your classroom.

Planning: When delivering digital literacy to learners it is important to plan lessons to make sure all learners needs have been taken account of and this will meet the varying needs of each individual. The teacher can vary each session and always reflect upon any issues that may have arisen so effective planning can take place. Learners will feel at ease and not left out if the teacher is consciously aware at all times of in inclusive delivery and embrace diversity to gain productivity from the learners.

Reflecting: As part of reflective practice, a digital literacy practitioner should critically examine his or her own beliefs and attitudes on a regular basis. It is important to remember the moral responsibility of an educator and the influence that we have on a learner's self-esteem and hence their learning potential. The teacher should be prepared to challenge non-inclusive attitudes as well as prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination as and when the need arises.

Digital Literacy: The use of technology in the classroom opens the world to our learners and opens our learners (exposes our learners) to all the differences and uniqueness of what lies beyond their own front door. As practitioners we need to guide our learners through this path of acceptance, empathy and respect.

4.2 Explain the effect that tutor values and attitudes may have in relation to diversity and inclusion.

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4.3 Describe a minimum of five different strategies to ensure diversity and inclusion in digital literacy learning programmes.

1. Always use a positive attitude and approach to digital technologies and learning2. Encourage communication by practising sharing new ideas and discoveries3. Variation of tools to evaluate learning will encourage engagement and development4. Allow for time to practice any new tool/ technology. This accounts for learning needs of

each learner5. Provide extra support for those learners that need help or have extra time for 1-2-1

session to aid completion of tasks

“Teaching digital literacy and digital participation is one way of ensuring that all learners can use technology meaningfully and be fully included in digital cultures. It is an important component of tackling the ‘digital divide’.” (futurelab.org.uk)

https://www.mindmeister.com/616945298

http://digilitgllm.blogspot.co.uk/