DIGITAL LITERACY: A MUST FOR OPEN DISTANCE AND E-LEARNING (ODEL) STUDENTS

Cosmas Maphosa, Sithulisiwe Bhebhe

Abstract


Digital literacy is generally defined as the ability to utilise information and communication technologies in learning. Open distance and e-learning students have their learning separated by space and time. The utilisation of information and communication technologies comes in handy to enhance learning for open and distance learners. However, open and distance learners should exhibit high levels of digital literacy in order to make use of available information and communication technologies in learning. This paper explores the concept digital literacy and related theories informing it. The paper further discusses the importance of digital literacy for the enhancement of learning for open and distance learners in as well as interrogating the unique nature of open and distance learners and information access. Opportunities and challenges in the utilisation on ICTs by open and distance learners in the developing world shall also be explored.

 

Article visualizations:

Hit counter

DOI

Keywords


open and distance learning, information literacy, technology integration, teaching and learning

Full Text:

PDF

References


Beetham, H. & Sharpe, R. (2010). Digital literacy framework. JISC - The Design Studio. Retrieved from http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/46740204/Digital%20 literacy%20framework. Accessed 2 September, 2018.

Blanchard, M.R., LePrevost, C.E., Tolin, A.D., & Gutierrez, K.S. (2016). Investigating technology-enhanced teacher professional development in rural, high-poverty middle schools. Educational Researcher, 45(3), 207-220.

Bright Knowledge (2018). Open and distance learning. https://www.brightknowledge.org/education/open-and-distance-learning (Accessed 25 October 2018).

Brodie, C. (2018). Providing a digital education is the key to progress in this era of innovation. https://digitalempowers.com/providing-digital-education-key- progress-era-innovation/. (Accessed 25 October 2018).

Buckingham D. (2006). Defining digital literacy. What do young people need to know about digital media? Digital Kompetanse 1 (4), 263–276.

Burns (2017). Pupils need internet lessons to thrive. https://www.bbc.com/news/education-39329967. (Accessed 25 October 2018).

Cloete, A. (2015). ‘Educational technologies: Exploring the ambiguous effect on the training of ministers’, in M. Naidoo (ed.), Contesting issues in training ministers in South Africa, pp. 141–154, Sun Press, Stellenbosch.

Common Sense Media, (2018). What is media literacy and why is it important? (Accessed 22 October 2018). https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and- media-literacy/what-is-media-literacy-and-why-is-it-important

Doh, Y.Y., Rhim, J., & Lee, S. (2016). A conceptual framework of an online-offline integrated intervention program for adolescents' healthy smartphone use. Addicta: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, 3, 319–338.

Dzakiria H. & Christopher A.A. (2008). Interaction Issues in Malaysia Open Distance Learning (ODL) https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1b00/1f75e6983b08b144f17673c86beb8 (Accessed 20 November 2018).

Esterhuizen, H. (2015). Technology Enhanced Learning in Open Distance Learning at NWU. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 14 (3), 120-137.

Ghosh, s. Joyshree Nath, J. Agarwal, S. Nath, A. Chaudhuri A.K. (2012). Open and Distance Learning (ODLl) education system: past, present and future: A systematic study of an alternative education system. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276031945 (Accessed 19 November 2018).

Goodfellow, R. (2011). Literacy, literacies, and the digital in higher education. Teaching in Higher Education, 16(1), 131-144.

Guitert, M., Romeu, T. (2009). A Digital Literacy proposal in online Higher Education: The UOC Scenario. E-Learning Papers (12). Retrieved from: http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media18503.pdf on 4 December, 2018.

Fields, A., & Hartnett, M. (2018). Digital fluency in open, flexible and distance learning. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 22(1), 1 – 5.

Heitin, L. (2016). Digital Literacy: An Evolving Definition. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/11/09/what-is-digital-literacy.html (Accessed 23 October 2018).

Julien H. (2018). Digital Literacy in Theory and Practice. https://www.igi- global.com/chapter/digital-literacy-in-theory-and-practice/183937 (Accessed 11 January 2019).

Kibria, G. (2014). What are the advantages and challenges of online learning and teaching? https://www.researchgate.net/.../What_are_the_advantages_and_challenges_of_online_l e... (Accessed 19 November 2018)

Kirkland, B.A. (2014). Models for Technology Integration in the Learning Commons. School Libraries in Canada 32(1), 14-18

Laakkonen, I. (2015). Doing what we teach: promoting digital literacies for professional development through personal learning environments and participation. In J. Jalkanen, E. Jokinen, & P. Taalas (Eds), Voices of pedagogical development - Expanding, enhancing and exploring higher education language learning (pp. 171-195). Dublin: Research-publishing. net. doi:10.14705/rpnet.2015.000292

Law, N., Woo, D., de la Torre, J. and Wong, G. (2018). A Global Framework of Reference on Digital Literacy Skills for Indicator 4.4.2, Information Paper No. 51. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

Liebenberg, H. Chetty, Y. and Prinsloo, P (2012). Student Access to and Skills in Using Technology in an Open and Distance Learning Context. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(4), 250-268

Lubbe, J.C. (2016). Digital Fluency of Faculty Members at an ODL Institution. Progressio: South African Journal for Open and Distance Learning Practice, 38 (2), https://upjournals.co.za/index.php/Progressio/article/view/1505 (Accessed 09 January 2019).

Lynch, M. (2017). What is Digital Literacy? https://www.thetechedvocate.org/what-is- digital-literacy/ (Accessed 23 October 2018).

Marhan, A. (2006). Connectivism: Concepts and Principles for emerging Learning Networks. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.595.6000&rep=rep1&ty pe=pdf. (Accessed 12 January 2019).

McLoughlin, C. (2011). What ICT-related skills and capabilities should be considered central to the definition of digital literacy? In T. Bastiaens and M. Ebner (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011 (pp. 471-475). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Meyers, E.M. Erickson, I. & Small, R.V. (2013). Digital literacy and informal learning environments: an introduction. Journal Learning, Media and Technology, 38 (4), 355- 367,

MediaSmarts (2018). Digital Literacy Fundamentals. http://mediasmarts.ca/digital- media-literacy/general-information/digital-media-literacy-fundamentals/digital- literacy-fundamentals. (Accessed 19 November 2018).

Mnkeni-Saurombe, N. (2015). Information literacy: A cornerstone for open distance learning at the University of South Africa. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 47 (2), 156–165

Murray J. (2018). Technology in the Classroom: What is Digital Literacy. http://www.teachhub.com/technology-classroom-what-digital-literacy (Accessed 19 November 2018).

Murray, M.C., & Pérez, J. (2014). Unravelling the digital literacy paradox: How higher education fails at the fourth literacy. Issues in Informing Science and Information Technology, 11, 85-100.

News and media literacy (2018). What is digital literacy? https://www.commonsensemedia.org/news-and-media-literacy/what-is-digital- literacy (Accessed 23 October 2018).

Ofole, N.M. (2018). Curbing attrition rate in Open and Distance Education in Nigeria: e- counselling as a panacea. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Osuji, U.S.A. (2010). An assessment of the computer literacy level of open and distance learning students in Lagos state, Nigeria. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education 11(4), 149-158.

Promethean, (2017). Digital literacy in the classroom. How important is it? https://www.prometheanworld.com/en-gb/(Accessed 19 November 2018).

Price, J.L. (2016). The academic ICT gap https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/78498309.pdf (Accessed 19 November 2018).

Railean, E. (2015). Psychological and pedagogical considerations in digital textbook use and development. Hershey, PA: Idea Group.

Reynolds, R. (2011). Trends influencing the growth of digital textbooks in US higher education. Publishing Research Quarterly, 27(2), 178-187.

Rouse M. (2005). Open and Distance Learning. https://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/definition/ODL (Accessed 19 November 2018)

Santos, A.I. & Serpa, S. (2017). The Importance of Promoting Digital Literacy in Higher Education International Journal of Social Science Studies 5 (6), 90 - 93

Sharkey, J. & Brandt, D.S. (2008). Integrating technology literacy and information literacy. In P.C. Rivoltella (Ed.), Digital Literacy: Tools and methodologies for information society (pp. 85-97). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Siemens G. (2005) Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. http://www.itdl.org/journal/jan_05/article01.htm. (Accessed 11 January, 2019).

Sparks, J.R., Katz, I.R., & Beile, P.M. (2016). Assessing digital information literacy in higher education: A review of existing frameworks and assessments with recommendations for next-generation assessment (Research Report No. RR-16-32). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.

Study Smart Zone (2018). What is Digital Literacy? https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/studysmart/home/digital_literacy/what_is_d igital_literacy (Accessed 23 October 2018).

Study Portals (2018). How Do Tests, Exams, and Assignments Work for Online Degrees? https://www.distancelearningportal.com/articles/243/how-do-tests- exams-and-assignments-work-for-online-degrees.html (Accessed 19 November 2018).

Terrell S. (2018). Digital Learning Theories and Models You Should Know. https://www.techlearning.com/tl-advisor-blog/7-digital-learning-theories-and- models-you-should-know (Accessed 11 January 2019).

The National Library of New Zealand (2018). Why Digital Literacy matters. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/digital-literacy/understanding-digital-literacy/why- digital-literacy-matters (Accessed 09 January 2019).




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.2274

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2019 Cosmas Maphosa, Sithulisiwe Bhebhe

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2015-2023. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.


This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).