Designing a Digital Literacy Course for Higher Education

Feature Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash

As we continue to work towards the first step of our final Master of Education project, I have continued to workshop and rework my current topic, problem, statement, and question. 

Although I am interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and use it quite a bit to support my job as a K-12 educator, I’m beginning to shift more towards designing a course primarily on digital literacy and having only a small aspect of the course focus on AI. This is because my work as a Sessional Instructor at UVic focuses more on digital literacy aspects (such as licensing, ethics, privacy, etc.). Still, there seems to be more research and understanding of digital literacy than AI. 

Here is an updated outline of what I am brainstorming for a final project idea

• Title: Designing a Digital Literacy Course for Higher Education

• Research Topic: Exploring Digital Literacy Implementation in Post-Secondary Education

• Research Problem: Although there have been rapid technological advances in education (and beyond), there is a gap in students’ knowledge, application, and practical understanding of digital literacy. This includes ethical use, privacy concerns, and AI integration. This problem is prominent due to the rapid advancements in educational technology and a lack of curricular approaches and teaching practices that effectively incorporate digital literacy. 

• Purpose Statement: This project explores the gaps in post-secondary students’ digital literacy and approaches to implementing digital literacy education for learners in British Columbia. It will focus on developing a course-based curriculum that includes AI literacy, digital tools, privacy, licensing, and ethical considerations. 

• Research Questions: 
  • How can a course-based digital literacy curriculum in post-secondary education effectively address gaps in students’ understanding and application of digital tools, privacy, licensing, and ethical considerations in British Columbia?   What are the current perceptions of digital literacy amongst post-secondary students in BC? 
  • What teaching practices and approaches are most effective in addressing the gaps in digital literacy education? 

My next tasks

• Review the EDCI 569 and 572 lecture slides, readings, and information to gather important information and key concepts. 

• Investigate the BC Digital Learning Strategy, BC Digital Literacy, Alberta ICT Curriculum, and ISTE.org

• Write a rough draft of the research problem and question section. 

• Search for 5-10 key articles and studies on digital literacy, course design, and privacy/ethics in education (read + summarize)

• Sketch Resource Plan Outline