Category: learner digital literacy themes

What Digital learning might look like

Digital Literacy projects and resources

This section contains some recommended project-based learning resources and activities that teachers might use with learners who are secure in their digital competencies from the previous page.

Digital literacy moves beyond the technical competencies in the Learner Digital Skills Toolkit and develops into critical and social skills that are relevant and representative of the realities that people live (Marín & Castañeda). In short, digital literacy should enable people to fulfil the four capacities and participate fully in society.

These resources are designed to cover a combination of the three digital literacy Experiences and Outcomes. 

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4 capacities

Resources

safe and secure

Safe and secure – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand how computers and apps work, how to control them and solutions to simple issues, like resetting them.  

They should be able to use common inputs, such as keyboards, mice and touchscreens, to find their way around the device, including opening and using apps and changing settings to make it easier to use.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-03a. 

back to digital literacy

safe and secure mindmap

Where to start

BBC Bitesize has useful information on how computers and the internet work.

Go to BBC Bitesize

This section focuses on the basic knowledge and skills required to setup and get started with the most common devices and how to keep them more secure.

Barclays Digital Wings

CyberFirst is the national cyber security education programme from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Their CyberSprinters game and teaching resources is an easy place to get started with cyber.
Go to CyberSprinters

cyber toolkit

Our Cyber Toolkit provides more practical advice on teaching learners about staying safe and secure when online.

Go to Cyber Toolkit

The SQA Academy has a series of FREE, simple and interactive guides for spending money online:
Got to SQA Acadamy Digital Learning Guides

Every secondary school has copies of Your Money Matters textbooks and resources:
Go to Your Money Matters Scotland

Living with Digital

Living with Digital – learner digital literacy theme: ELC

This page outlines the digital literacy skills and knowledge that learners should have to participate fully in the modern world. This ranges from awareness of digital devices, platforms and services and how they affect our lives to being able to troubleshoot common issues with technology.

 

Back to ELC learner digital literacy

Digital Learner diagram (landscape)

learner digtial literacy planning support document

 

The Digital Literacy Planning Support documents are examples of how educators might plan learner digital literacy learning. The documents identify the Technologies Experience and Outcome, a theme to apply this, suggestions of the skills and knowledge that that might be delivered, and links to some resources that might be relevant.

Living with Digital (the world around them)

Below are suggestions on how educators might set a context for learning digital literacy skills and knowledge:

Scottish Government policy
 

chnaging nation scottish government policy 2021

“Scotland’s future will be forged in a digital world. It’s a world in which data and digital technologies are transforming every element of our nation and our lives – people, place, economy and government.”
(Scottish Government, 2021)

It might be worth exploring some of the features of this policy with learners and considering the impact of an evermore digital world.

 

What are computers?
 

bbc bitesize

Without going too far into Computing Science (a specific Technologies organiser within CfE) it is important to understand the basics of how computers and other digital devices work.

These BBC Bitesize pages are a great place to start:
What is a computer system? – BBC Bitesize (first level)
What is the internet? – BBC Bitesize (first level)
Input and output – BBC Teach (second level)
Computer networks – BBC Teach (second level)

 

 

Technology shaping the world
 

tech she can

After learning about what computers and digital technology is, and how they work, learners could investigate how technology is used in a range of industries. These resources from Tech She Can are free to use and easily adapted to suit different ages and stages:

Lesson packs – TechSheCan

 

 

Environmental impact of technology use
 

bbc bitesize

All of the devices and technology we use has two obvious environmental impacts – the raw materials to make (which then need recycled again) and the energy to power them. There are lots of activities and lesson ideas on this page about Sustainability that could be linked into learning about device manufacture, energy consumption and eventual disposal.
Could your learners reimagine or improve this cycle?

2nd level Learning for Sustainability – BBC Bitesize

This page on the BBC Future site has some fascinating reading with lots of information and statistics for teachers. Do you know the CO2 emissions of sending emails and direct messages or watching a video on YouTube? There’s facts and figures that could be used to create challenges for learners to consider and solve:

 Why your internet habits are not as clean as you think – BBC Future

 

 

Living with Digital (their own knowledge and skills)
Evaluating their own skills and knowledge

Learners’ own digital literacy skills and knowledge  

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting: diagnosing and solving technical problems with devices and platforms 

Accessibioity and usability features

Usability features: using devices, platforms and services’ features to make them easier to use (accessibility) 

Learning with Digital

Learning with Digital – learner digital literacy theme: ELC

This page outlines some of the key digital literacy skills and knowledge that learners could make effective use of in the classroom. This ranges from being able to upload, share and collaborate on platforms like Teams and Classroom to using platforms like SeeSaw and Showbie to journal and share their learning.

 

 

Back to ELC learner digital literacy

Digital Learner diagram (landscape)

Professional learning

digital pencil case webinar 11 may 4pm

Developing Your Learners’ Digital ‘Pencil Case’ is the corresponding professional learnign to support teachers plan, teach and assess this set of digital literacy skills and knowledge.

Supoprting documents

learner digtial literacy planning support document

The Digital Literacy Planning Support documents are examples of how educators might plan learner digital literacy learning. The documents identify the Technologies Experience and Outcome, a theme to apply this, suggestions of the skills and knowledge that that might be delivered, and links to some resources that might be relevant.

It may be useful to make a distinction between the functional ‘office-based’ platforms available in Glow, like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and the wide range of devices and apps available to create multimedia content. Although designed for professional use these platforms can be utilised for learning too.

Communication

bbc bitesize

The first aspect to consider is how learners can use Glow and other online platforms to connect, contact and communicate with each other. Are they using email, direct messaging or video calls? How are these skills useful in learning, life and work?

What are digital communication systems? – BBC Bitesize

Collaboration

tech she can

Using cloud drives, such as OneDrive (Microsoft) and Drive (Google), learners can create and share content with peers, teachers and even learners in other schools or countries. Not only can they be shared, they can be co-created and edited at the same time on multiple computers at once! How is this useful for life, learning and work?

Collaborating using IT – BBC Bitesize

Tech She Can has a short video explaining how cloud computing works for younger learners:

Tech for Katie and Tex explore the cloud (techshecan.org)

Literacy & English

When planning learning around the functional tools in Glow, it is worth considering their purpose and application. Text-based documents, such as Word, Docs, PowerPoint and Slides might lend themselves to Literacy & English Es and Os:

  • When creating documents (writing a text) consider the impact of layout and presentation 
  • Make use of lettering, graphics and other features to engage readers

Typing is a useful, but not essential, skill in modern digital literacy. Teachers might plan some typing practice as part of this functional suite of learning in order to enable learners to use them more effectively:

Dance Mat Typing for 7 – 11 year olds – BBC Bitesize

Numeracy & mathematics

numeracy and maths experiences and outcomes

When planning learning around the functional tools in Glow, it is worth considering their purpose and application. Text-based documents, such as Excel and Sheets might lend themselves to numeracy & Mathematics: 

  • When displaying data, consider the use of spreadsheets, graphs or tables to create clear visual representations 

Creating and understanding charts and graphs – BBC Bitesize

Microsoft and Google app tutorials

These two collections of tutorials may support teachers develop skills with the Microsoft and Google suites of apps:

Free Microsoft Office Tutorials at GCFGlobal
Free Google Tutorials at GCFGlobal

finding and checking

Finding and checking – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should know how web browsers and search engines work and how this might affect their search results. They should also understand that anyone can publish anything on the internet and that they should check the reliability and integrity of any information they find.

They should be able to use ‘common apps’, such as Edge, Chrome or Safari browsers and be able to use the search bar, or a search site, to find information using search phrases and controls to make the results more accurate.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-02a. 

back to digital literacy

skills for finding and checking

Developing beyond basic use of the web and search engines to find information, learners should develop their information and media literacy alongside their digital skills. 

Information literacy is the ability to think critically and make balanced judgements about any information we find and use. It empowers us as citizens to develop informed views and to engage fully with society. (Scottish Media and Information Literacy CoP (2024))

go to the Cyber Toolkit for advice and guidance on Information and Media Literacy

Browsing the web and finding information

BBC Bitesize has useful information on how technology can be used to find information.

Go to BBC Bitesize

This section focuses on the basic knowledge and skills required to use the most common devices and software to access, browse and search the web.

Barclays Digital Wings

Starting to think about online information

gcf global media resources

GCF Global has a range of tutorials on information and media literacy.

Go to GCF Global

project real resources

Project Real is a free resources for educators to teach information and media literacy.

Go to Project Real

share checklist

Project Real also makes use of the SHARE checklist for learners to consider before sharing any online information:

  • Source
  • Headline
  • Analyse
  • Retouched
  • Error

Go to the SHARE Checklist

What next? (for teachers)

Building on the previous digital knowledge and skills, digitally literate learners should take a critical approach to the information they find online and consider the accuracy and validity of the information, as well as who created it and their reason for doing so. This aspect of digital literacy can be considered Information and Media Literacy and cuts across a wide range of curricular areas.

Teacher who want to know more, might find these links useful:

An in-depth analysis of what children are watching online and why can be found in the Ofcom reports go to Ofcom

More information on media and information literacy here:

Media and Information Literacy Alliance

UNESCO Media and Information Literacy

What next? (for learners)

The Ferret Fact Service is a Scottish fact-checking service and accredited by the International Fact-Checking Network.

Go to the Ferret Fact Service

 

Project Real is a series of lesson plans and resources for six lessons, each focussed on the government SHARE guidelines and covering a different element of online misinformation.  

Go to Project Real

 

Microsoft Teams Search Coach is useful to help learners evaluate the reliability of search results.

Go to Microsoft Search Coach

 

making and sharing

Making and sharing – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand how computers store and are able to share content.  

They should be able to use ‘common apps’, such as O365 or Adobe Express to create documents, edit media and share this content in class. 

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-01a. 

back to digital literacy

digital skills for making and sharing

Where to start

BBC Bitesize has useful information on how technology can be used to create media and how the computer stores this, making it easy to edit and share.

Go to BBC Bitesize

GCF Global has a range of tutorials on using the Microsoft O365 and Google Workspace productivity suites which can be used to create a range of documents.

Go to GCF Global

Adobe Express can be used to create and edit images, videos and PDFs.

Go to Adobe Express

daydream believers logo

Although not digital, Daydream Believers’ projects provide relevant and engaging design briefs that learners can tackle with their digital skills.

Go to Daydream Believers

Learning with Digital

Learning with Digital – learner digital literacy theme

 

This page outlines some of the key digital literacy skills and knowledge that learners could make effective use of in the classroom. This ranges from being able to upload, share and collaborate on platforms like Teams and Classroom to using platforms like SeeSaw and Showbie to journal and share their learning.

Back to learner digital literacy 

Digital Learner diagram (landscape)

 

Where to start

Learners should be able to:

  • use digital devices and platforms to communicate, collaborate and share information online
  • find, manage and store digital information and content securely

See more information on this in the accordion menus below (click to expand the blue bars):

Using Glow to communicate, collobarate and store information

Glow provides access to Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace productivity suites allowing learners to practice and develop the skills and knowledge required to use these for learning, life and work.

Support for teachers with the fundamentals of these platforms can be found on the Teacher Digital Skills page:
go to Teacher Digital Skills page

What skills and knowledge should I start with?

Teachers should consider creating a ‘pencil case’ of essential tools they expect learners to use in the daily or weekly course of learning. This will reduce the choice overload (Baymer and Thomson, 2015) of apps and the cognitive load (TES/EEF, 2023) of content knowledge on learners. An example of this might be:

  • Teams for distributing learning
  • Whiteboard to collaborate and share ideas with peers
  • Stream to screen record a demonstration of a skill for teacher feedback or self-assessment
  • OneDrive to create and store documents, such as Word or PowerPoint
  • Immersive Reader screen read-aloud feature to support learners with reading on screen

What next?

There are further examples and contexts in the accordion menus below (click to expand the blue bars):

Communication

bbc bitesize

The first aspect to consider is how learners can use Glow and other online platforms to connect, contact and communicate with each other. Are they using email, direct messaging or video calls? How are these skills useful in learning, life and work?

What are digital communication systems? – BBC Bitesize

go to Cyber Toolkit for advice and guidance on communication

Collaboration

tech she can

 

 

 

 

 

Using cloud drives, such as OneDrive (Microsoft) and Drive (Google), learners can create and share content with peers, teachers and even learners in other schools or countries. Not only can they be shared, they can be co-created and edited at the same time on multiple computers at once! How is this useful for life, learning and work?

Collaborating using IT – BBC Bitesize

Tech She Can has a short video explaining how cloud computing works for younger learners:

Tech for Katie and Tex explore the cloud (techshecan.org)

Literacy & English

When planning learning around the functional tools in Glow, it is worth considering their purpose and application. Text-based documents, such as Word, Docs, PowerPoint and Slides might lend themselves to Literacy & English Es and Os:

  • When creating documents (writing a text) consider the impact of layout and presentation 
  • Make use of lettering, graphics and other features to engage readers

Typing is a useful, but not essential, skill in modern digital literacy. Teachers might plan some typing practice as part of this functional suite of learning in order to enable learners to use them more effectively:

Dance Mat Typing for 7 – 11 year olds – BBC Bitesize

go to the Literacy Trust website for more examples and information

Numeracy & mathematics

numeracy and maths experiences and outcomes

When planning learning around the functional tools in Glow, it is worth considering their purpose and application. Text-based documents, such as Excel and Sheets might lend themselves to numeracy & Mathematics: 

  • When displaying data, consider the use of spreadsheets, graphs or tables to create clear visual representations 

Creating and understanding charts and graphs – BBC Bitesize

 go to the Joint Mathematical Council report on digital tools for maths

Microsoft and Google app tutorials

These two collections of tutorials may support teachers develop skills with the Microsoft and Google suites of apps:

go to the free Microsoft Office Tutorials at GCFGlobal

 

go to the free Google Tutorials at GCFGlobal

navigating devices and apps

Navigating devices and apps – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand how computers and apps work, how to control them and solutions to simple issues, like resetting them.  

They should be able to use common inputs, such as keyboards, mice and touchscreens, to find their way around the device, including opening and using apps and changing settings to make it easier to use.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-01a. 

back to digital literacy

navigating devices and apps mindmap

Where to start

 

This section focuses on the knowledge and skills that learners need to use devices and apps.

BBC Bitesize has useful information on how computers work, including how to categorise inputs and outputs.

Go to BBC Bitesize

This section focuses on the basic knowledge and skills required to use the most common devices and software.

Barclays Digital Wings

GCF Global has a range of tutorials on using the Microsoft O365 and Google Workspace productivity suites.

Go to GCF Global

tech she can

After learning about what computers and digital technology is, and how they work, learners could investigate how technology is used in a range of industries. These resources from Tech She Can are free to use and easily adapted to suit different ages and stages:

Lesson packs – TechSheCan

 

CALL Scotland has resources and information to support accessibility and how to use a device’s settings to make it easier to use.

Go to CALL Scotland