Digital Competencies Archives

The ERIKA Project to explore Ukrainian scholars’ digital mastery

by Drs Koblianska & Kostetska | NW 1 Professional Learning and Development, NW 9 Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement, UERA

In the ever-evolving landscape of academia, the intersection of the digital realm with traditional research methodologies underscores the pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving competencies. This blog post navigates the digital horizon, emphasizing the imperative integration of open science principles, data literacy, and research competencies for researchers to thrive in the dynamic academic ecosystem. Focusing on the insights gleaned from the 2022-2023Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine (ERIKA) project, this exploration sheds light on a critical digital skills gap among Ukrainian academics.

The need for digital competency among researchers

As society transitions into an era where data shapes an intangible reality, the transformative role of science and innovation becomes evident (Lagoudakis et al., 2022; Tavares et al., 2022). Acknowledging that the very entities driving digital transformations must undergo significant changes (Ayris et al., 2018; European Commission, 2020a, 2020b), the expert community underscores the core competencies of a modern “Digital Scholar,” including Open Science practices, adherence to FAIR principles, and proficiency in data management (Van Petegem et al., 2021; Weller, 2018).

International studies further reveal a global lack of digital competencies among researchers, emphasizing the need for enhanced professional training programs and continuous education to meet the demands of the digital age (Cabero-Almenara et al., 2021; Dias-Trindade & Albuquerque, 2022; EU DGRI, 2017, 2020; Suyo-Vega et al., 2022; EU DGRI & EOSC EB, 2021).

Regrettably, the situation in Ukraine mirrors this global trend. Compared to many other countries, comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers in Ukraine are notably limited (Hladchenko et al., 2018; Hladchenko, 2022). The absence of such research poses a significant challenge, as it inhibits our ability to identify specific areas of weakness and design targeted interventions to uplift the digital skills of Ukrainian academics.

The ERIKA project

The ERIKA project, conducted in 2023, provides a noteworthy snapshot of the digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars. This initiative, supported by the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association, aimed to enhance empirical academic research capabilities in Ukraine.

The ERIKA project engaged over 50 participants from 13 Ukrainian regions, representing 29 higher education institutions. The participants, ranging from senior lecturers to professors, covered diverse disciplines and career levels, providing a comprehensive view of the academic landscape.

The training sessions, held in March and October 2023, facilitated in-depth discussions and insights into the digital competencies of Ukrainian academics. The multifaceted and nuanced responses of participants shed light on the challenges and opportunities within the country’s academic community.

The competency gap revealed by the ERIKA survey

It was found that 80% of surveyed respondents demonstrated only superficial awareness of open science principles. A further 40% needed to be made aware of the FAIR guidelines, underlining the urgent need for initiatives that promote open science literacy.

In a world dominated by vast datasets and interconnected information, only 19% of Ukrainian academics exhibited proficiency in working with common data file formats like CSV and JSON. The need for more understanding regarding metadata, reported by 71% of respondents, raises concerns about the effectiveness of data-sharing practices.

A significant gap exists in the awareness of available national open data resources, hindering the potential for impactful research studies that utilise real-world data. This knowledge gap is detrimental to the nation’s academic community, limiting their ability to engage in cutting-edge research.

The survey uncovered deficiencies in basic research skills, such as crafting focused search queries, applying Boolean operators, and locating relevant datasets. These fundamental skills are the building blocks of impactful, evidence-based research.

While most respondents demonstrated awareness of the risks associated with predatory publishing, only 15% could independently assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance the discoverability of their research outputs. This finding is concerning, especially considering the increasing requirement for DOIs in academic publishing after 2022 (due to National regulations).

The survey revealed a need for more utilisation of reference management tools, with 63% of respondents admitting to never using platforms like Zotero, Mendeley, and EndNote. Additionally, 71% had minimal legal and ethical understanding regarding use of personal data in research studies.

Encouragingly, despite these challenges, nearly half of the surveyed researchers who had yet to gain prior grant application experience expressed eagerness to build expertise in this area. This enthusiasm bodes well for the future, as acquiring grant-writing skills opens avenues for accessing national and international funding opportunities.

The development of a training program on data skills for academics

The ERIKA project highlights the pressing need for tailored programs to build digital competencies among Ukrainian academics. Bridging the identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals is crucial to unlocking the nation’s scientific potential and integrating it into the global and European research ecosystem. In this context, the importance and urgency of creating well-designed professional training programs at educational institutions is evident, and a more centralized approach under the Ministry of Education and Science Leadership could be the best choice.

The “ERIKA” case is a successful example of a professional training program. The final assessment results demonstrated that the topics proposed in the “ERIKA” course (Koblianska & Kostetska, 2023), their content, and the training organization help address the outlined problems and improve researchers’ competencies.

The project entails developing and teaching an integrated educational course with two modules:

1) “Data Collection for Academic Research” (3 ECTS)

2) “Academic Research in EU Countries: Institutional, Organizational and Motivational Dimensions” (3 ECTS)

The first module covers open science principles and its role in modern research; data collection, analysis, and management in academic research, including legal and ethical components; skills for finding scientific information and formulating search queries; and practical data work aspects.

The second module examines organizing academic research in EU countries, particularly the scientific personnel training system, graduate and doctoral program structures, establishing academic communication, publishing research results, review procedures, and motivational factors affecting researcher productivity. The “ERIKA” experience could be scalable.

Conclusion

As we navigate the increasingly digital and data-intensive academic world, sustained monitoring and responsive training programs are pivotal for ensuring researchers’ success in Ukraine. The collaboration between the Ukrainian Educational Research Association and the European Educational Research Association exemplifies the importance of such initiatives in enhancing research capabilities and quality. By addressing the digital skills gap, Ukraine can position itself as a formidable force in the global academic arena, contributing substantively to advancing knowledge and innovation. Bridging the digital divide is not just a necessity; it is a pathway to unlocking the full potential of Ukrainian scholarship on the world stage.

The post image was generated via Dream Studio AI

Key Messages

Digital Competency Urgency. In the evolving landscape of academia, there is a pressing need for scholars to embrace evolving digital competencies, emphasizing the integral role of skills like open science principles and data literacy.
Global Digital Competency Trends. International studies reveal a pervasive lack of digital competencies among researchers globally, sparking discussions on the necessity of enhanced professional training programs and continuous education.
Ukraine’s Digital Skills Gap. We shed light on the concerning trend in Ukraine, mirroring the global situation, where comprehensive studies assessing the digital competencies of researchers are notably limited, posing a significant challenge.
ERIKA Project Results. The ERIKA project in 2023 provides a snapshot of digital competencies among Ukrainian scholars, engaging participants from diverse disciplines and career levels, offering insights into challenges and opportunities within the academic community.
Survey Insights and Concerns. Surprising survey findings indicate gaps in open science principles awareness, proficiency in working with data file formats, and deficiencies in basic research skills, emphasizing the need for tailored programs.
Call to Action. The need for tailored programs to bridge identified gaps in open science, data handling, and research fundamentals, is urgent, positioning Ukraine as a formidable force in the global academic arena.

Dr Inna Koblianska

Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University

Dr Koblianska is an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship, and Business Administration of Sumy State University. Her scientific interests include sustainable development, regional development, spatial economy, and logistics management. She is the laureate of the award of the President of Ukraine for young scientists (2019).

She is ERIKA Project Executor, responsible for the development and teaching of the Data Collection for Academic Research module.

Internship: Sustainable Farming Assessment (2017, Bern University of Applied Sciences); School of Agricultural Economics (IAMO, Halle (Saale), 2019); Educational training session on data collection (Statistics Germany and University of Applied Sciences Weinstein-Triesdorf, 2019); DAAD projects (University of Applied Sciences Weienstefan-Triesdorf, 2018-2022); Applied econometric analysis using R (German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue and IAMO, 2021).

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7844-9786 https://econ.biem.sumdu.edu.ua/en/inna-koblianska

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Dr Iryna Kostetska

Senior Lecturer, Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy

Dr Kostetska is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Economic Theory, Management and Marketing, National University of Ostroh Academy. Her scientific interests include business planning in agricultural enterprises and strategic planning of the development of rural areas.

She is ERIKA’s project manager, responsible for the development and teaching of the educational module Academic research in EU: institutional, organizational and motivational dimensions.

Internship under the programs of the French Agricultural Institute (SevrEurope de Bressuire, l’IREO de Bressuire, France 2009, 2010), the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (Lane Kirkland Program, Poland 2018-2019), the Polish UNESCO Committee (Poland 2019), the Visegrad Foundation (2021-2022). She worked on economic and regional development projects with the support of USAID, the British Council in Ukraine, and the Czech Republic.

She is the author of numerous scientific works.

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5340-0145

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References and Further Reading

Ayris, P., Lopez de San Roman, A., Maes, K., & Labastida, I. (2018). Open Science and its role in universities: A roadmap for cultural change. LERU. https://www.leru.org/publications/open-science-and-its-role-in-universities-a-roadmap-for-cultural-change (access date: 10.09.2023)

Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2021). Digital competence of higher education professor according to DigCompEdu. Statistical research methods with ANOVA between fields of knowledge in different age ranges. Education and Information Technologies, 26(4), 4691–4708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10476-5

Dias-Trindade, S., & Albuquerque, C. (2022). University Teachers’ Digital Competence: A Case Study from Portugal. Social Sciences, 11(10), 481. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11100481

EU DGRI & EOSC EB. (2021). Digital skills for FAIR and Open Science: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Skills and Training Working Group. European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. EOSC Executive Board. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/59065

EU DGRI. (2020). Country sheets analysis: Report from the EOSC Executive Board Working Group (WG) Landscape. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (European Commission). Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/568900

EU DGRI. (2017). Providing researchers with the skills and competencies they need to practise Open Science.European Commission. Directorate General for Research and Innovation. Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/121253

European Comission. (2020a). Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027). European Education Area. https://education.ec.europa.eu/node/1518 (access date: 10.09.2023)

European Comission. (2020b). Research and innovation strategy 2020-2024. https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-2020-2024_en (access date: 10.09.2023)

Hladchenko, M. (2022). Implications of Publication Requirements for the Research Output of Ukrainian Academics in Scopus in 1999–2019. Journal of Data and Information Science, 7(3), 71–93. https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2022-0016

Hladchenko, M., Dobbins, M., &Jungblut, J. (2018). Exploring Change and Stability in Ukrainian Higher Education and Research: A Historical Analysis Through Multiple Critical Junctures. Higher Education Policy, 33. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-018-0105-9

Lagoudakis, M. G., Gkizeli, M., Fotiou, A., Fragkedaki, D., &Kollnig, S. (2022). Teaching and Research in the Digital World. BHM Berg- Und HüttenmännischeMonatshefte, 167(10), 489–494. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00501-022-01283-7

Koblianska I., Kostetska I. (2023). Enhancing Empirical Academic Research in Ukraine: training materials. Zenodo. 124 p. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7817137

Suyo-Vega, J. A., Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Alvarado-Suyo, S. A., da Costa Polonia, A., Miotto, A. I., & Gago-Chávez, J. de J. S. (2022). University teachers’ self-perception of digital research competencies. A qualitative study conducted in Peru. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2022.1004967 (access date: 10.09.2023)

Tavares, M. C., Azevedo, G., & Marques, R. P. (2022). The Challenges and Opportunities of Era 5.0 for a More Humanistic and Sustainable Society—A Literature Review. Societies, 12(6), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12060149

Van Petegem, W., Bosman, J., De Klerk, M., & Strydom, S. (2021). Evolving as a Digital Scholar: Teaching and Researching in a Digital World. Leuven University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv20zbkk0

Weller, M. (2018). The Digital Scholar Revisited: The Digital Scholar: Philosopher’s Lab, 1(2), 52–71. https://doi.org/10.5840/dspl20181218

Fostering Creativity in the Classroom – developing a cross-curricular module in ITE

by Dr Peter Tiernan, Dr Fiona Gallacher & Dr Irene White | ESAI, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training

Outside of the core curricular content that makes up initial teacher education (ITE) programmes, there are increasing callsfor input on a variety of pedagogical, social, cultural, and competence-based issues that impact future teaching practice (MacPhail et al., 2022). Most higher education institutions possess expertise in a range of innovative areas, but the practicalities of timetables, student availability, and academic structures often mean students must choose one or two five-credit, level nine modules from a range of electives. This blog outlines an effort to combat this through an integrated module on the Professional Masters in Education PME (Post-Primary) at Dublin City University, Ireland, which combines Digital Competencies, English as an Additional Language, and Drama-based learning under the umbrella of ‘Fostering Creativity in the Classroom’.

Fostering creativity in the classroom – developing the module

We know that cross-curricular and integrated teaching can facilitate students in making creative connections and solving complex problems (Harris & de Bruin, 2017). Motivated by this, we began examining our content, values and teaching approaches and quickly realised a common thread of creativity ran through our work. Our module, ‘Fostering Creativity in the Classroom’ places explicit focus on the role of the teacher in fostering creativity and innovation in the post-primary classroom. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we allowed students to explore and experience a range of creative, collaborative and playful approaches to fostering creativity in teaching and learning. This was achieved through lectures, workshops, and a range of strategies from the Digital Learning(e.g. digital storytelling), Drama (e.g. soundscapes), and Linguistic Responsiveness (e.g. multilingualism) domains.

Underpinned by theories of creativity in education (e.g. Gilhooly & Gilhooly, 2021), our students, who are pre-service teachers, worked together to experiment with creative approaches, reflect on their experiences, and plan their practical implementation in the future. In order to draw the different strands together under the theme of creativity, we designed an innovative assignment. The assignments tasked students (in small groups) with creating a digital story on the theme of ‘fostering creativity and innovation in the post-primary classroom’. Their target audience was future PME students and practising teachers. Videos considered how digital media, drama and linguistically responsive strategies can enhance practice and encourage pupil creativity. Groups reflected on the strategies explored during the module and considered their application across curricular subjects. Videos were to be presented as a cohesive narrative or story and include a variety of audio-visual content.

Our reflections

Reflecting on the process, we were pleased it did not result in merely fitting our ‘pieces’ together, but in creating something unique that was enriched by our individual curricular areas. As academic staff, collaborating on the design and delivery provided us with opportunities to learn from each other’s curriculum design and facilitation approaches while demonstrating to students the connections that exist between subject areas. Our challenges were primarily around articulating our vision and structuring the delivery. While, as academic staff, our initial vision for the module was clear, our individual ‘flavours’ of that vision came through at first. It wasn’t until the second iteration of the module that we began to speak in one voice. The structure of the module delivery was another aspect that we found challenging initially and that we improved over time. In the first iteration of the module, we split the content into ‘blocks’, where each team member delivered their content in sequence after one another. We found that this meant students saw the module as three separate parts, and while that made sense in terms of the coherence of each aspect, it took away from the overall flow and interconnected nature of the work we were trying to achieve. Rectifying this was more than the simple act of moving lectures from one week to another. Instead, it necessitated the alteration of certain aspects of content so they more naturally connected to the other areas of study. We also spent more time ‘in’ each other’s lectures in order to display a unified voice.

Students’ impressions

Feedback from students on the experience of participating in this integrated module contained positives and potential areas for improvement. Students commented on the module’s ambitious and forward-thinking nature, saying it was ‘pretty ambitious’ and ‘very relevant in modern education’. They noted that they learned a lot from each strand and, perhaps most importantly, they learned more from how the strands linked together. Comments included: ‘Lovely to have different strands (E.g., Digital Media, Drama-based learning) each week. Helped the creativity’ and ‘It helps shift your focus from the ways in which you were taught at school and to focus on all of the possibilities that exist for enhancing your lessons and making them more meaningful’.

On the other hand, students also found areas challenging. For example, they found that the three strands meant there was a lot to take in. Comments included ‘There was a lot of information in each module[strand] and not enough time to get to grips with all of it’. Some also found it difficult to see how everything aligned under the umbrella of developing pupils’ creativity in the classroom. Comments included ‘personally felt that there was a bit of a disconnect between the three strands’ and that they ‘did not find the necessarily all aligned under the umbrella of creativity’.

Fin

Our efforts to combine three elective strands into one coherent module were not without their challenges. However, as lecturers, we found that the process not only allowed us to examine connections across curricular areas but facilitated the development of a more nuanced version of ‘creativity’ than we had delivered before. Students also recognised the value of our integrated approach, which is encouraging. However, their comments also provide scope for improvements in the future. For example, further work may be needed to increase the connection between strands so that students see the module as a cohesive approach to develop pupils’ creativity in the classroom.

Key Messages

The practicalities of ITE programmes often make the provision of additional pedagogical, social, cultural, and competence-based initiatives challenging
We document the development of a cross-curricular, integrated module “Fostering Creativity in the Classroom”
The module integrates Digital Learning, Drama-based Learning, and Linguistic Responsiveness
The process provided us, as academic staff, with the opportunity to enrich our individual curricular areas and practice by learning from each other’s design and facilitation approaches.
Students found the module to be ambitious and forward-thinking, and learned more from how the curricular areas fitted together to ‘foster creativity in the classroom’.

Dr Peter Tiernan

Associate Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University.

Peter is an Associate Professor in Digital Learning and Research Convenor for the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies in the Institute of Education at Dublin City University. He lectures in the areas of digital learning, digital literacy and entrepreneurship education. His current research focuses on digital literacy at post-primary and further education level as well as entrepreneurship education for third level lecturers and pre-service teachers.

Peter was shortlisted for the DCU President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2021.

Find Peter on Twitter.

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Dr Fiona Gallacher

Assistant professor in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) at Dublin City University

Fiona Gallagher is an assistant professor in the School of Applied Language and Intercultural Studies (SALIS) at Dublin City University. Before this, she worked as a teacher and CELTA teacher educator in Sudan, Italy, Spain, Ireland, the US, Australia and Portugal. Her research interests lie primarily in the fields of second language acquisition, TESOL and bi/multilingual education with particular reference to: L1 use in language learning and teaching; translanguaging and plurilingual pedagogies; and teaching and learning in the linguistically and culturally diverse primary and secondary school classroom.

She has published widely in her field, both as the author/co-author of various EFL textbooks and teacher guides and in high-ranking peer reviewed journals and edited volumes.

Dr Irene White

Assistant professor in English and Drama Education in the School of Human Development at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University.

Dr Irene White is an Assistant Professor in English and Drama Education in the School of Human Development at the Institute of Education, Dublin City University. She is the Programme Chair of the Professional Master of Education and teaches across a range of initial teacher education programmes. Irene taught English and Drama at the post-primary level for twelve years, during which time she was a mentor for initial teacher education students and a State Exams Commission examiner for the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme.

Irene’s research straddles the arts and education sectors, with a particular focus on creative mindsets, creative learning environments and creative activity for health and wellbeing. Her PhD examined creativity in participatory arts initiatives and articulated a Participatory Arts for Creativity in Education (PACE) model, an applied participatory arts model aimed at fostering creativity in education.

Irene is Chair of the Board of Directors for Upstate Theatre Project, a community-engaged participatory arts organisation funded by the Arts Council of Ireland. Her work in the field of participatory arts includes her role as artist and director with Upstate Theatre Project on The Crossover Project, a cross-border, cross-community participative drama programme, and her work with students from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, New York University on the study abroad programme. Irene has also worked with Smashing Times Theatre and Film Company on the ‘Acting for the Future’ programme using drama and theatre performance to promote positive mental health and the ‘Acting for Change’ programme using drama to explore cultural diversity and identity and promote anti-racism, anti-sectarianism and equality.

References and Further Reading

Gilhooly, K. J., & Gilhooly, M. L. M. (2021). Aging and creativity. Academic Press.

Harris, A., & de Bruin, L. (2017). Steam education: Fostering creativity in and beyond secondary schools. Australian Art Education, 38(1), 54–75.

MacPhail, A., Seleznyov, S., O’Donnell, C., & Czerniawski, G. (2022). Supporting the Continuum of Teacher Education Through Policy and Practice: The Inter-Relationships Between Initial, Induction, and Continuing Professional Development. In Reconstructing the Work of Teacher Educators: Finding Spaces in Policy Through Agentic Approaches—Insights from a Research Collective (pp. 135–154). Nature.

Experiences on digital literacy and collegial learning in a Swedish preschool

by Dr Karin Forsling | NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

At a time when developing digital literacy is high on the agenda, an interdisciplinary starting-point may provide opportunities for daily activities at preschool. This approach may involve the preschool teachers’ own digital literacy, their ability to lead activities, integration of digital tools and resources, as well as their approach to using digital tools critically and responsibly. In addition, it involves extended teaching skills. Timperley (2019) argued that collegial learning is extremely valuable for successful practice in preschool. Research shows that personal and professional development go hand in hand and that development is closely related to how knowledge is put into practice at the preschool, for instance in relation to scaffolding – to build on what a child already knows to provide a strong support base (cf. Hernwall, 2016; Letnes, 2017).

A study on the effect of digital tools on learning situations in preschool

The aim of the study presented here was to investigate how preschool teachers understood, changed, and improved learning situations when digital tools were used under the supervision of a film educator, a preschool colleague, and a researcher. Two preschools, situated in a small Swedish town, participated. One of the teachers, Mia, was engaged as a co-researcher. In total four teachers, two from each preschool, and 25 children aged four to five participated. Design-based experiment (DBE) method was used to collect data. The data collection was built as a spiral, starting with a teacher-led photo activity with the children. I, as a researcher, filmed the activities and the film sequences were then used as discussion material in the later reflection session together with the participating teachers. The insights were forwarded and discussed by the staff at a pedagogical meeting, to be the base for the teachers’ next photo activity, and so on. The experimental aspect lay in the researchers, the co-researchers, and the teachers’ receptivity to the unexpected and their didactic flexibility.

The film educator initially introduced a predetermined photo activity model to the participating teachers:

Photo assignment
Show-and-tell (each child chose one of their photos to talk about)
New assignment

Development of didactic flexibility and digital literacy

In the analysis, it turned out, that he teachers assumed active roles as designers of digital learning situations. This form of agency was intimately linked to flexibility and collegial learning. The teachers expressed that they had undergone professional development during the study. This involved handling tablets, and understanding their usefulness as pedagogical tools.

The teachers pointed out that the new insights surprised them. The important question: What did you think here? was put more often to both children and adults. When the teachers discussed preschool goals, they emphasized teaching and guiding and creating wonder. ”It is important to guide, control, and challenge”, one of the teachers said. ”We have been exploring,” said another. Being conscious and confident in the learning situation were qualities often mentioned in the interviews.

New insights related to transparency and structure, gave confidence as well as freedom to explore and develop. They talked a lot about taking an interest in children’s thoughts and reflections.

We caught the children’s interest: what will happen? The tasks were important. Important to show each other. What did you think here? That children understand that they have understood something in a different way from their friend. It was also a good training waiting for their turn.

— Ulla

The cultural and educational environment at the preschools improved. The teachers testified to being inspired and having new ideas and said that they wanted to continue using tablets in the preschool:

Based on the tasks we have given, I feel more comfortable in conveying to them what they should do. New ideas and how develop them further. And how to use this [tablet] as a tool.

— Helena

We are in the process of developing our own reflection sessions based on the children’s pictures and thoughts. We have really implemented it.

— Mia

Role of the reflection sessions

Collegial processes of learning took place during the reflection sessions. In turn, this affected confidence, approaches, and concrete work in the team and in the groups of children. Self-reflection and reflection on the actions of colleagues in the video sequences created a greater sense of agreement in the team. The teachers talked about benefitting from each other’s competences and the importance of being present as teachers.

We complement each other, pool our knowledge, get to know each other’s approaches and view of children. We know how our colleagues think in different situations and then it’s easy to support and push each other. Thanks to the reflections, learning is good.

— Kajsa

The teachers at one of the preschools started to video record each other and themselves to study and reflect on their actions in different learning situations. They described reflection sessions as the basis for development in a safe and sound environment. One of the teachers talked about how reflection opportunities had been an asset in team development and how they had been challenged and forced to express their thoughts and actions in words.

We clearly see what the children do from their perspective, how we can build on that the next time. How we should think. It is also the way this creates consensus and a sense of safety in the team.

— Mia

Collegial Learning and digital literacy– some reflections

Success factors for providing digital literacy to children in preschool are the teachers’ competence and ability to lead activities, integrate digital tools and resources in teaching, and give children clear and attainable challenges. This further requires that preschool teachers and other staff are familiar with the use of digital tools. This study shows how five committed teachers with no particular digital habits or interest in digital tools used tablets in preschool as a teaching tool to reach curricular goals relating to communication. The use of digital tools affected the interaction between individuals and between individuals and artefacts. The teachers learned from each other and were inspired by modelling, good examples, reflecting together and on their own.

A meeting-place for collegial learning emerged in the intersection between activities, reflection sessions, and staff discussions. There were opportunities for the participants to evaluate and continuously reflect, which also Thomas (2011) emphasizes as important factors in developing digital literacy. The teachers’ reflections on their teaching practice are prominent in the study. They remarked on their discovery of their professionalism. Furthermore, the study shows the importance of internal as well as external agents in development work.

Initially, it involves individuals who want to and can make a difference. The teachers described how the persons with more knowledge, the film teacher, the co-researcher and the researcher, could support their learning. Modelling by the film educator added structure and practical exercises and the reflection sessions in connection with exercises provided conditions for collegial learning, which resulted in understanding and explorative development of possible digital practices in the preschools.

My role as a researcher was to document sequences of learning in practice, not for the sake of displaying learning per se, but sequences demonstrating the process of learning. Discovering and reflecting on learning was the task of the teachers. The experimental community was central and I acted as a sounding board without reducing the teachers’ agency.

As a design-based researcher, my purpose was to draw attention to preconceived notions in order to let the participants in the conversation become aware of how their way of thinking and working in the team could change (cf. Åsén Nordström, 2017). It is possible, though, that the co-researcher Mia—was the most important factor in relation to the aim that preschool teachers should get tools to understand, change, and improve learning environments and situations where digital tools are used.

Key Messages

Success factors for providing digital literacy in preschool (“The experimental community”):

teachers’ motivation and intrepidity
familiarity with the use of digital tools
progressive challenges
continuously opportunities for collegial reflection
cooperation with other preschools

References and Further Reading

Hernwall, P. (2016). ‘We have to be professional’—Swedish preschool teachers’ conceptualisation of digital media. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 11(1), 5–23. https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/issn.1891-943x-2016-01-01

Larsson, P. (2018). Kollegialt lärande och konsten att navigera bland begrepp [Collegial learning and the art of navigating through concepts]. In N. Rönnström & O. Johansson (Eds.), Att leda skolor med stöd i forskning—exempel, analyser och utmaningar. Natur och kultur.

Letnes, M. A. (2017). Legende Læring med Digitale Medier [Playful Learning with Digital Media], Akademisk Forlag. https://www.akademisk.dk/legende-laering-med-digitale-medier

Lpfö18, Läroplan för förskolan. [Curriculum for the preschool]. Skolverket.

Thomas, A. (2011). Towards a transformative digital literacies pedagogy. Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy, 6(1–2), 89–102. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Towards-a-Transformative-Digital-Literacies-Thomas/6cf9b2ea264ab068783ed84bc666d82732814bab

Timperley, H. (2019). Det professionella lärandets inneboende kraft [The inner force of professional learning]. Studentlitteratur. https://www.studentlitteratur.se/kompetensutveckling/skola-f-6/ledarskap-och-skolutveckling/det-professionella-larandets-inneboende-kraft

Åsén Nordström, E. (2017). Kollegialt lärande genom pedagogisk handledning (Collegial learning through pedagogical supervision). Liber.

The full article:

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10643-021-01289-9

Gently down the stream(ing): Can digital literacy help turn the tide on the climate crisis?

by Dr Peter Tiernan, Dr Fiona Gallacher & Dr Irene White | ESAI, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER, NW 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

The ubiquitous availability of digital content and web services has transformed the way we live, work, and learn (List et al., 2020). Technology provides us with tools to manage and accomplish work, content to entertain us, and applications to document, store and share our lives online. It is within this context that digital literacy features prominently in policy documentation and educational literature, recognising digital literacy as an essential skill for 21st-century living (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019). However, as we stand on the precipice of climate disaster, is it time for digital literacy to focus its attention on the impact our increasing digital activity has on the environment?

Environmental impact of users’ digital lives

In education circles, conversations around the impact of educational technology on our environment have begun in earnest (Facer & Selwyn, 2021), however, this is less evident regarding the use of digital content and tools in our day-to-day lives. The usage of streaming services, for example, has soared in recent years and while providers such as Netflix have improved efficiencies in these services, their carbon footprint is still significant (Stephens et al., 2021).

Our music consumption habits have also shifted away from physical media, but overall greenhouse gas emissions from storing and distributing music online have doubled since 2000 (Brennan, 2019). Social media activity continues to increase at a remarkable pace, and a significant carbon cost (Perrin, 2015), and popular apps like TikTok and Reddit have a disproportionately large carbon footprint. Our regular scrolling of ‘news feeds’ contributes carbon emissions equivalent to a short light vehicle journey, per person, per day (Derudder, 2021).

This online activity, coupled with our desire to store data in the cloud, means data centres account for 1% of the global energy demand (Obringer et al., 2021). The continued desire for the latest phone is also costing more than our wallets, with the environmental impact of the device lifecycle being well documented (MacGilchrist et al., 2021). Current figures suggest that over half of consumers in many EU countries renew their devices every 18 – 24 months.

In our work environment, too, our digital impact must be acknowledged. While conferencing platforms such as Zoom come with great environmental benefits when compared with face-to-face meetings and conferences, further efficiencies can be achieved by challenging ‘camera on’ policies. A seemingly innocuous task like sending 65 text emails can cost as much carbon as a short car journey, and when factors such as attachments are considered, the cost is even higher (Duncan, 2022). This snapshot reveals just some of the impacts of our digital lives, some of which our students are unaware of.

Current focus of digital literacy and digital literacy frameworks

An acknowledgment of the need to develop our students’ digital literacy has existed since Gilster (1997) first coined the term and defined it as “the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of [digital] sources”.

Definitions of digital literacy have remained remarkably consistent in the decades that followed, focusing on the ability to source, evaluate and use digital information. In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on content creation and communicating using digital channels. However, academic definitions of digital literacy lack any real focus on the environmental cost of our digital activities. In fact, there is little evidence of this aspect of digital literacy being discussed in academic literature.

There are many digital literacy frameworks available to help academics and other users understand digital literacy and its competencies. Only the UNESCO and DigiComp frameworks refer to the environmental impact of technologies and their use, and this is nestled under the ’digital safety’ strand. The range of digital literacy frameworks (e.g. DigiComp, UNESCO, JISC) and volume of journal publications suggests that academics and policymakers are committed to the development of digital literacy, however, it appears that the impact of our digital lives on the environment has been largely left out of the debate.

Shifting our focus

Calls for action to avert a climate catastrophe are becoming more strident. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2022) paints a very troubling picture regarding the widespread and severe impacts of climate change. We must act now. We must adapt our practices and become more sustainable in everything we do.

I believe we can refocus our attention on digital literacy to guide our students to being more critical users of technology and understanding its impact on our world. Using familiar language and strategies, we might encourage students to identify their current digital activities and analyse their carbon footprint, before evaluating areas where improvements can be made. Students could be encouraged to construct new meaning from their investigations by capturing trends associated with work, study and social practices, and communicating these findings with a wider audience.

This shift in focus is essentially a repurposing of what we already ask our students to do with regard to digital content, but targeted at addressing the authentic and urgent issue of climate change. While frameworks such as DigiComp and UNESCO should be commended for including environmental impact, further development of this area should be encouraged.

Digital literacy frameworks should provide a detailed scaffold which encourages a multidimensional understanding of digital tools, their impact on the environment, and consideration of actions that can be taken to affect change. Developing this aspect of digital literacy would increase students’ awareness of the ‘cost’ of technology and promote a more critical use of the tools and services they use in their day-to-day lives.

Conclusion

The coming years present major challenges for society to tackle the climate emergency. It is crucial that we shift our mindset and begin to understand the impact our actions have on the environment, and make the necessary changes to recalibrate our relationship with nature.

Changes are required in all aspects of our lives, from energy and waste, to the provision and rewilding of natural spaces. While a refocussing of digital literacy and digital competencies in this way is not the panacea to the situation, it can act as a move in the right direction, one more component of our lives where we begin to understand and address our toll on the environment.

The post is an abridged version of an article in the upcoming (October 2022) issue of the Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy

Key Messages

Society’s use of digital and online content is increasing

Digital literacy is recognised as a set of competencies for this digital world

Our day-to-day use of technology has an environmental impact

Digital literacy definitions and frameworks largely ignore the environmental impact

We should begin including environmental impact in our digital literacy definitions, frameworks, and discussions

References and Further Reading

A framework of pre-service teachers’ conceptions about digital literacy: Comparing the United States and Sweden https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131519303380

Dimensions of digital literacy based on five models of development (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/11356405.2019.1603274

Digital technology and the futures of education – towards ‘non-stupid’ optimism (Facer & Selwyn, 2021) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071″>https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071

Carbon impact of video streaming (Stephens et al., 2021), https://prod-drupal-files.storage.googleapis.com/documents/resource/public/Carbon-impact-of-video-streaming.pdf

MUSIC CONSUMPTION HAS UNINTENDED ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS (Brennan, 2019) https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2019/april/headline_643297_en.html

Social Media Usage: 2005-2015
65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade (Perrin, 2015) https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

What is the environmental footprint for social media applications? 2021 Edition (Derudder, 2021) https://greenspector.com/en/social-media-2021/

The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use (Olbringer et al., 2021) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920307072?via%3Dihub

Shifting scales of research on learning, media and technology, (Mcgilchrist, et al, 2021) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439884.2021.1994418

Text Messaging & Emails Generate Carbon Emissions (Carbon Footprint), (Duncan, 2021) https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/reduce-carbon-footprint/texts-emails/

A Global Framework of Reference on Digital Literacy Skills for Indicator 4.4.2 http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/ip51-global-framework-reference-digital-literacy-skills-2018-en.pdf

Digicomp https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcomp_en

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report https://www.ipcc.ch

Featured Image Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

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