Promising Practices in Collaborative Digital Literacy and Digital Media-Making with Older Adults

Author(s):  
Constance Lafontaine ◽  
Kim Sawchuk
2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carla Amaro ◽  
Lidia Oliveira ◽  
Ana Isabel Veloso

This study is anchored on two fundamental ideas: i) promoting intergenerational solidarity, relations and communication is a key factor for social development in an aging world; and ii) understand how different generations interact with and around digital media and technology is crucial to reconfigure design methods, so we may enhance intergenerational communication, learning and understanding. In particular, we aim to study how tablet’s devices and applications are jointly and collaboratively used by older adults/grandparents and (grand)children and the perceived impact that those interactions may have on: i) intergenerational relationships; ii) children and older adult’s digital literacy; and iii) attitude towards the other. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews and exploratory studies will be conducted, in the context of which «Joint Media Engagement» (Takeuchi & Stevens, 2011) sessions between selected cases of older adults and children (with and without parental relations) will be promoted, in order to observe, describe and characterize their «in-medium» (Takeuchi & Stevens, 2011) and «in-room» (Stevens, Satwicz & McCarthy, 2008) activities and interactions. We expect to be able to propose a set of guidelines for the design of contents for tablets, intended for intergenerational and collaborative use by older adults and/or grandparents and children and/or grandchildren.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Hong ◽  
Jingjing Fu ◽  
Dehui Kong ◽  
Siqi Liu ◽  
Zhu Zhong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background With the development of digital media, online activities are increasingly becoming part of the daily life of older adults. Widowed older adults generally would face changes in social interactions and activities due to widowhood; thus, the importance of online participation may be more prominent in this population. However, a detailed evidence on the experiences of online social participation among widowed older adults is relatively sparse. This study aimed to explore widowed older adults’ perceptions regarding online social participation in southwestern China. Methods This study adopted a qualitative approach. Semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 19 widowed older adults between September–December 2020. Thematic analysis was applied to analyse the data. Results Two major themes, “benefits” and “barriers” were identified from the original data analysis. Subcategories concerning the theme “benefits” were “benefit perception (convenience, flexible time, supplementation)”, “health promotion”, “emotional comfort”, and “social connection”. Subcategories of “barriers” were “worries: personal economic loss”, “concerns: security of digital device”, “troubles: the diversity of online social participation”, and “difficulties: using digital media”. Conclusions Social participation of widowed older adults in southwestern China has begun to be integrated into the digital world; however, it remains at an early stage with the simple purpose of engagement. The older adults may face many challenges for online social participation. Although there are barriers and challenges in online social participation, widowed older adults can reap its benefits, which can be used as an important measure to facilitate a fulfilling life and successful ageing. There is no doubt that online social participation will become a trend within the foreseeable future. Family, friends and health care professionals should pay more attention to the needs of online social participation in widowed older adults and provide adequate support for them to achieve a meaningful life.


2020 ◽  
pp. 230-239
Author(s):  
David Buckingham

Advocates of digital education have increasingly recognized the need for young people to acquire digital media literacy. However, this idea is often seen in instrumental terms, and is rarely implemented in any coherent or comprehensive way. This paper suggests that we need to move beyond a binary view of digital media as offering risks and opportunities for young people, and the narrow ideas of digital skills and internet safety to which it gives rise. The article propose that we should take a broader and more critical approach to the rise of ‘digital capitalism’, and to the ubiquity of digital media in everyday life. In this sense, the paper argue that the well-established conceptual framework and pedagogical strategies of media education can and should be extended to meet the new challenges posed by digital and social media.This article presents some reflections as an epigraph of the special issue "Digital learning: distraction or default for the future", whose final result has allowed us to group a set of critical research and analysis on the inclusion of digital technologies in educational contexts. The points of view presented in this epigraph is also developed in more detail in the book "The Media Education Manifesto" (Buckingham, 2019).


Author(s):  
Dietmar Janetzko

Over recent years, international organisations like the EU and UNESCO have set up a number of proposals, models and frameworks that seek (i) to map and to conceptualize digital literacy and related concepts, e. g. information, digital or media literacy, digital competence, digital skills and (ii) to formulate policies and recommendations based on the conceptualizations developed. The resulting frameworks, such as Digital Competence (DigComp) developed by the EU, or Media and Information Literacy (MIL) developed by UNESCO, have a strong formative power on a global scale. Affected are policies, laws, regulations, research activities, and academic disciplines like media pedagogy and mindsets. Do these frameworks consider the effects of disruptive attempts by digital media to intervene in public debates e. g. social bots, fake news and other manifestations of biased or false information online? Do they offer avenues for reflection and action to address them? Guided by these questions, this paper studies the flagship frameworks on digital education of the EU and UNESCO, DigComp and MIL. It finds biases in both frameworks. To different degrees, both tend to overemphasize the practical and instrumental use of digital literacy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia I. Martínez-Alcalá ◽  
Alejandra Rosales-Lagarde ◽  
Yonal M. Pérez-Pérez ◽  
Jose S. Lopez-Noguerola ◽  
María L. Bautista-Díaz ◽  
...  

The current sanitary crisis due to COVID-19 has further evidenced the enormous digital exclusion of older adults. Furthermore, the crisis has urged older adults to adopt new technologies to facilitate their tasks, as well as to provide them with an effective means against loneliness and social isolation caused by the confinement. In light of this, Digital Literacy is necessary for all those excluded from the digital era, who are characterized mainly by little or no ability to effectively use technologies. Nevertheless, detailed studies showing the leap from mixed (Blended Learning, BL) to digital literacy in the elderly have not been published. The objective of the present research was to analyze the level of Digital Literacy with the Digital Literacy Evaluation (DILE) of two groups of elderly adults with different levels of literacy (Group 1: G1, and Group 2: G2) during three stages: BL (Aug–Dec 2019); Transition (Feb–Jun 2020); and Digital (Aug–Dec 2020). Comparisons were made before each educational level (pre-pre-pre) and after each educational level (post-post-post) and during consecutive periods before and after each semester (pre vs post) and throughout different educational levels (G1: Basic 1, B1; Basic 2, B2; and intermediate 1, I1; and G2: Intermediate 1 to 3, I1, I2, and I3). Subsequently, considering all the elderly who had passed at least one of the literacy levels, we worked with a total sample of 176 older adults. The comparisons showed that, before the pandemic, G1’s pre digital literacy levels increased between B1 and B2 and that the differences continued with that increasing trend between the B1 level and the I1 completely digital treatment, and the same was observed for post measurements. On the other hand, for the G2, the differences in the DILE were statistically significant between the pre-condition of I2 (before the pandemic) and the I3 (completely digital treatment); and between the pre-conditions of I1 and I3; the same results were obtained for post treatments. Also, pre vs post scores on the DILE were statistically significant and older adults increased progressively their digital literacy despite the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped to the digital age.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 307-316
Author(s):  
Mandra Saragih ◽  
Habib Syukri Nst ◽  
Rita Harisma ◽  
Ismail Hanif Batubara

This research aims to develop digital literacy model through a school culture-based. Digital literacy was chosen considering the development of information through digital media. This study used Research and Development (RD). The research step was to collect data and design a product in a literacy model design based on school culture. The components of developing a school culture-based digital literacy model consist of participants, select participants, a digital literacy program in the form of training, the content of digital literacy programs in the form of exercise, media, teaching materials, assessment, program socialization, implementation, evaluation and mentoring. This research is the design of a guideline for implementing a school culture-based digital literacy model that can be used in digital literacy activities in schools.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-37
Author(s):  
Sana Maqsood ◽  
Sonia Chiasson

Tweens are avid users of digital media, which exposes them to various online threats. Teachers are primarily expected to teach children safe online behaviours, despite not necessarily having the required training or classroom tools to support this education. Using the theory of procedural rhetoric and established game design principles, we designed a classroom-based cybersecurity, privacy, and digital literacy game for tweens that has since been deployed to over 300 Canadian elementary schools. The game, A Day in the Life of the JOs , teaches children about 25 cybersecurity, privacy, and digital literacy topics and allows them to practice what they have learned in a simulated environment. We employed a user-centered design process to create the game, iteratively testing its design and effectiveness with children and teachers through five user studies (with a total of 63 child participants and 21 teachers). Our summative evaluation with children showed that the game improved their cybersecurity, privacy, and digital literacy knowledge and behavioural intent and was positively received by them. Our summative evaluation with teachers also showed positive results. Teachers liked that the game represented the authentic experiences of children on digital media and that it aligned with their curriculum requirements; they were interested in using it in their classrooms. In this article, we discuss our process and experience of designing a production quality game for children and provide evidence of its effectiveness with both children and teachers.


Author(s):  
Janette Hughes ◽  
Lorayne Robertson

In this chapter, the authors focus their attention on the case studies of three beginning teachers and their use of digital storytelling in their preservice education English Language Arts classes. They undertook this research to determine if preservice teachers who are exposed to new literacies and a multiliteracies pedagogy will use them in transformative ways. The authors examine their subsequent and transformed use of digital media with their own students in the classroom setting. One uses a digital story to reflect on past injustices. Another finds new spaces for expression in digital literacy. A third uses the affordances of digital media to raise critical awareness of a present global injustice with secondary school students. The authors explore their shifting perceptions of multiple literacies and critical media literacy and how these shifts in thinking help shape or transform their ideas about teaching and learning in English Language Arts.


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