Futuring and Innovation: Think Tank Methods I

                        

         

    

Image 1 (Creative Commons — Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported — CC BY-NC 3.0, n.d.)

                                      Futuring and Innovation: Think Tank Methods I

Raphael Brown CS875 U3DB1

Date: 03/17/22

 

For this Unit 3 Discussion Board assignment, I will be discussing one technology and one key trend from a website called EDUCAUSE. Two strategic briefs from an NMC Horizon Project look at the landscape of digital literacy and how it might improve the quality of student learning on college campuses. Research supported by Adobe aims to provide light on existing frameworks, examples, and difficulties influencing this vital topic's future development. As a resource for higher education leaders, this brief is meant to add to a growing body of information about digital literacy efforts.

"New Media Consortium (NMC) 2016 strategic brief on digital literacy, one which established baseline definitions of digital literacy, cited critical commentary and models, and best practices and recommendations for implementing successful digital literacy initiatives, is the inspiration for this publication (Digital Literacy in Higher Education, Part II, n.d.)." Many NMC members were polled for this study. During the NMC's first work in the United States, it became clear that digital literacy included more than just knowing how to use a computer. As a result of this knowledge, students must be able to use their technical abilities in conjunction with critical thinking, creativity, and a grasp of the broader ramifications of their actions. There are three main types of digital literacy described in the 2016 study, each with its requirements, curriculum, and ramifications for educators in the chart below:

Three Models of Digital Literacy

1.      Universal Literacy - The ability to use standard digital tools, such as word processing, picture editing, cloud-based applications, and tools for creating online content.

2.     Creative Literacy - Includes all areas of universal literacy and advanced technical abilities such as video editing, audio editing, animation, and comprehension of computational device hardware and programming — along with digital citizenship and copyright awareness.

3.     Literacy Across Disciplines - Sociology courses, for example, may educate students about online interpersonal behaviors like the ethics and politics of social network involvement. In contrast, business courses can teach students about computer-mediated human interactions. (Digital Literacy in Higher Education, Part II, n.d.)

Throughout the Future of Jobs, creative thinking has been elevated from the tenth position in 2015 to the third for 2020. Automated systems are boosting productivity and taking over formerly dull and complex tasks, but they can't match or replace human imagination.4 To put it another way, the ethos of students as creators is deeply ingrained in excellent digital literacy teaching. It's not the digital tools themselves that are important, but how students use them. No longer can students consume material; they may actively participate in the local and global knowledge ecosystem by creating and critiquing their content as well as the content of others. According to several school purpose statements, students may make a difference in the world now.