Category: Learner Digital Literacy

the skills and knowledge taught to learners

What digital literacy might look like clpl programme

This is… What Digital Literacy Might Look Like (Developing Your Curriculum)

This programme aims to support teachers develop their own digital literacy curriculum. It will explore the skills that learners need for life, learning and work. Teachers will then be able to evaluate staff training, classroom and lesson resourcing and school improvement needs based on this.

Educators need to attend the first session but can then select to attend any, or all, of the following sessions.

This CLPL will run before and, then be repeated, after the Christmas holiday.

Digital Learner diagram (landscape)

Webinars

Sign up for sessions using the Eventbrite links below:

This is… What Digital Literacy Might Look Like intro session 05 September

This is… What Digital Literacy Might Look Like intro session [repeat] 12 September

This is WDLMLL: living with digital 26 September

This is WDLMLL: learning with digital 31 October

This is WDLMLL: creativity with digital 14 November

This is WDLMLL: finding information with digital 28 November

This is WDLMLL: being safe and secure with digital 05 December

SIgnups for 2024 are not available yet

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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

tech she can

TechSheCan – Resources and Industry Partners

About Tech She Can

At Tech She Can, the tech careers charity with member organisations spanning +40 sectors, we’re on a mission to increase the number of women and girls pursuing tech careers. We work at the very beginning, nurturing and inspiring the future talent pipeline, investing in the long-term with our free schools’ programme and at the later stages too, plugging the immediate skills gap.

 

About Tech We Can

Our Tech We Can resources have inspired tens of thousands of children to consider a future career in technology. We’re particularly focused on reaching underrepresented groups, and children and young people in social mobility ‘cold spots’ across the UK.

Through our live assemblies and learning materials, children explore the latest technologies, find out about the breadth of careers in tech and discover how these jobs link to their own passions and interests. We offer:

  • Downloadable Lesson packs for teachers or parents to use at home or in the classroom, with no registration or log-in;
  • Cross-curricular On-demand lessons for age +8yrs;
  • Award-winning Animated lessons for age +5yrs;
  • Live Assemblies – sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social media for updates;
  • Tech We Can Champions, our national volunteer scheme, placing real-life tech role models in classrooms across the UK. Request a Champion visit here

find information online

Find information online – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand how to find information online and the need to access reliable sources. They should know how to use a search engine, where to access reliable information and how to read online information.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-02a. 

back to digital literacy

two children looking for information on an ipad and holding a sheet of paper

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

Internet essentials

Social media basics

 

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

 

use apps

Use apps – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should understand that apps allow computers and digital technology to perform specific functions. They should be able to use apps that are appropriate to their context, whether at home or in school. These might be apps on the device or on the web.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-01a. 

back to digital literacy

child holding an ipad and filming another who is building with blocks

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

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

Barclays Digital Wings

Getting started with Emails

Learn Microsoft Outlook

Video conferencing basics

Explore Google Workspace

Explore Google Meet

 

Learn Microsoft OneDrive: File storage and collaboration

Learn Microsoft Word

Learn Microsoft PowerPoint

Learn Microsoft Excel

Learn Microsoft Teams

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

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

operate devices

Operate devices – learner digital skills toolkit

Learners should have a basic understanding of how computers and digital technology works. They should be able to operate common devices, making use of inputs, such as keyboards, mice and touchscreens. Learners should know about accessibility devices that can make devices easier to use.

This learning covers Experience and Outcome x-01a. 

back to digital literacy

four children using laptops in a classroom

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

Visit the Barclays Digital Wings site to view tutorials and learning resources for fundamental digital skills. This requires a login with email, name and password – teachers should check their data protection policy before registering learners.

Go to Barclays Digital Wings

How to use a computer

Android essentials

Explore accessible technology

learn my way

Learn My Way is a website of free online learning for beginners, helping you develop digital skills to make the most of the online world. Some aspects of this page may require a login – teachers should check their data protection policy before registering learners.

go to Learn My Way site

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