Are learner perceptions of digital literacy skills teaching affected by demographic factors?

1. Evaluating Approaches to Developing Digital Literacy Skills Are learner perceptions of digital literacy skills teaching affected by demographic factors? Marion Hall and Ingrid Nix Faculty of Health & Social Care, Open University Kirsty Baker Open University Library The Seventh International Blended Learning Conference University of Hertfordshire,13-14 June 2012

2. Defined by European Commission as: ‘The confident and critical use of ICT for work, leisure, learning and communication.’ Digital literacy skills in graduates: Demanded by employers Required by UK HE Quality Assurance Agency Expected by learners – want relevance to workplace But: Learners may not fully engage in skills development Prioritise subject-specific learning over skills Digital literacy

3. : Evaluating Approaches to Developing Digital Literacy Skills Project aims: • Explore learner perceptions of skills development • Investigate learner perceptions of relevance of skills learning to themselves and employers • Develop understanding of factors motivating engagement with skills learning • Identify features of learning design that facilitate engagement and skills development

4. Data from 3 modules in Faculty of Health & Social Care: SW1 – Level 1 (first year) social work module SW2 – Level 2 (second year) social work module HSC2 – Level 2 health and social care module that use different approaches to skills development, based on: ‘Generic’ activities (usable by any FH&SC module) ‘Contextualised’ (context-dependent/module specific) activities Mixture of generic/contextualised activities Collected using mixed methods approach: Online questionnaires (N=298) Quantitative + qualitative data Asked separately about IL and ICT Submission rate 23% Interviews (N=18) – qualitative data Data collection

5. Quantitative data only Data for 3 modules combined Focus on: Preferences for generic vs contextualised skills Preferences for separate skills or within module? Preferences for skills at point of need or when learner decides? Perceptions of value of skills to themselves Perceptions of value of skills to employers Looked at 3 demographic factors Gender, age, previous education Compared groups using chi-squared tests Initial analysis

6. Demographic factors • Gender • Men (N=45) • Women (N=226) • Age • 35 or under (N=92) • 36 to 45 (N=109) • 46 or over (N=93) • Previous educational qualifications (PEQs) • Qualifications obtained before OU study • Lower PEQs – up to and including A-levels or equivalent (N=105) • Higher PEQs – further or higher education (N=110)

7. Results

8. Fewer than 20% learners unhappy with generic activities • But other 3 questions show: • Much prefer skills in module context + related to study/work • More likely to complete skills if in context, especially module context • No significant differences between any demographic groups

9. Large majority (>70%) more likely to do skills provided at point of need • Minority (<30%) preferred to decide themselves when to do skills activity • Only a minority (<30%) more likely to do separate skills activities

10. Men more likely than women to do skills activity separate from module • Because can do at time to suit them? • Because more concerned to do everything thoroughly? – so more likely to make the effort? • No differences between higher/lower PEQs or different age groups

11. But no significant difference between men and women in preference for deciding for themselves when to do skills. • Implies men NOT more likely to do separate skills because can do at time to suit them • Will be looking for evidence for other explanations in qualitative data • No differences between higher/lower PEQs or different age groups

12. No significant differences between any demographic groups

13. Large majority think will use ICT and IL skills developed in future • Mostly in future study, closely followed by employment • Even in personal life, at least 80% think will use skills in future • Implies they think will be able to transfer skills learned to other contexts

14. Higher PEQs more likely than lower PEQs to think will use IL skills in employment • No difference between men/women or between different age groups

15. ICT skills same – higher PEQs more likely to think will use in employment • No difference between men/women or between different age groups • No differences IL/ICT skills re gender/age/PEQs + use in study/personal life

16. Possible explanations Maybe higher PEQS think will use skills at work because: • More likely to have technically demanding job? • Less likely to find work tasks intimidating/more confident about using skills in workplace? • Better at ‘transferring’ skills to other contexts? • So more able to relate skills to workplace? • But no difference in likelihood think will use in study or personal life – implies not explanation (3) • With further analysis can investigate other explanations: • Information from qualitative data (1) • Information about confidence levels (2)

17. Small minority (<10%) believe employers think IL/ICT skills not important • Believe employers regard ICT skills as more important than IL skills

18. No significant difference between men and women in how important they think ICT skills are to their employer • No differences between higher and lower PEQs or between age groups

19. Men more likely than women overall to think IL important to employer • Analysis of qualitative data may shed light on why this is

20. Prefer skills in module context at point of need Believe can transfer skills to other areas of life Believe employers think skills important No differences at all between age groups Men more likely than women to: Do separate skills activity (maybe because more concerned to do everything?) Think IL important to employer (qualitative data may explain) Higher PEQs more likely than lower PEQs to: Think will be able to use IL/ICT skills at work (maybe related to type of job or confidence level?) Summary

21. Conclusions • Learners believe digital skills important and useful beyond module in all areas of life • Attitudes to skills/motivation to engage not affected by age • No differences in our ‘digital natives’ group (<35s) • Digital natives comfortable with technology but may not understand use in academic/professional setting (e.g. Kumar, 2010) • To maximise engagement, skills development in context + guidance at point of need • Caters for all demographic groups considered so far • Supports previous findings by e.g. Beetham et al., 2009 (LLiDA project ); Kingsley & Kingsley, 2009

22. Beetham, H., McGill, L., Littlejohn, A. (2009) Thriving in the 21st Century: Learning Literacies for the Digital Age (LLiDA Project). Online: http://www.caledonianacademy.net/spaces/LLiDA/uploads/Main/LLiDAreportJune09.pdf [Accessed 7 June 2012]. Kingsley, K. V., Kingsley, K. (2009) A case study for teaching information literacy skills. BMC Medical Education, 9 (7). Online: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/9/7 [Accessed: 7 June 2012]. Kumar, S. (2010) The Net Generation’s informal and educational use of new technologies. Technology & Social Media (Special Issue, Pt 2), 16(1). Online: http://ineducation.ca/article/net-generation-s-informal-and-educational-use-new-technologies [Accessed 7 June 2012]. References

23. For funding and support the project team would like to thank: The OU Scholarship Fund The OU Faculty of Health & Social Care The OU Library Stephanie Lay (OU Institute of Educational Technology) Robin Goodfellow (OU Institute of Educational Technology) Robert Farrow (OU Institute of Educational Technology) Acknowledgements Marion Hall Ingrid Nix Kirsty Baker

24. More information For: • More information about the project • Contact details for the project team See the EADDLES website at: https://sites.google.com/site/eaddlsproject/home