Digital Pedagogy Librarian
Key Classroom Considerations
This section provides information for evaluating and preparing for the resources, skills, access and accessibility, and elements of privacy and safety that impact students engaged in learning with digital assignments. With a dual focus on the classroom as a whole and the diversity of individual learners, key classroom considerations include:
- Purpose: Why digital?
- Schedule: Impact to course schedule, class meeting times, and student workloads
- Digital Skills: Technical abilities of students and instructors
- Digital Access & Accessibility: Availability & affordability of tools; ADA and language considerations
- Ownership, Privacy, & Safety: Students' rights and agency as authors; digital footprints and online safety
- Digital Scholarship Handbook: ConsiderationsA concise page describing classroom-centered components of digital assignment design and integration.
Purpose
"Why Digital?" in the classroom context considers the purpose of assignments and classwork as they relate to student learning outcomes. Before selecting or designing a digital assignment, it is important to consider whether a digital assignment will help students achieve learning outcomes as well as or better than another assignment medium.
- Understanding Good Tech IntegrationAn article discussing the SAMR model, a conceptual tool for thinking about technology integration in the classroom and impacts to learning.
- Bloom's Digital TaxonomyA framework for considering digital assignments and technology in the context of Bloom's Taxonomy. Includes examples of digital assignments at each level of the taxonomy.
- SAMR and Bloom's Digital TaxonomyA method of connecting technology integration to Bloom's Taxonomy, offering opportunities to consider student impact and learning for digital assignments of varying scale and type.
Schedule
Like any new assignment format, a digital assignment may impact course schedules and syllabi. Schedule considerations include the time needed for:
- Training, skill development, and technical support (both in class meetings and in assignment execution)
- In-class work time and collaboration
- Availability of partners and resources
- Student workload
- Course Workload EstimatorA tool for estimating student workload in a course
- Assignment PlannerA tool from University of Toronto that generates a step-by-step plan based on due date and type of assignment. Intended for students but also useful for assignment design.
Digital Skills
Many digital assignments will carry a learning curve for both learners and educators. Research shows that:
- While many learners are active users of digital technology, the digital skills required for personal and home life do not automatically transfer to learning contexts
- Frequency of technology use is not an indicator of competency
- "Information-savvy digital natives do not exist." (Kirschner & De Bruyckere, 2017)
It is important to consider the skill level of students before selecting tools, and while evaluating the course schedule and content. Assignments should provide support for learning and experimenting with both new tools and familiar tools in new contexts (for example, the curation of an Instagram account to provide informational content).
- The Myths of the Digital Native and the MultitaskerExcellent article discussing the digital and information skills of learners and considerations for teaching.
- Digital LiteracyResources for understanding and supporting students' ability to use, understand, and engage with digital technologies and information in digital environments.
- Prior Knowledge Self-AssessmentsFrom Carnegie Mellon, examples of simple assessment questions for identifying students' existing skills.
Digital Access & Accessibility
Access and accessibility are important considerations when selecting tools and platforms for digital assignments. These considerations include:
- Students' access to internet and broadband connectivity outside of the classroom
- Availability of devices needed to complete work, such as computers and smartphones
- Ability to access software, hardware, and other tools required for assignments
- Accessibility of digital tools and content
- Accommodations for neurodiverse learners, multilingual learners, and learners with disabilities
With proper implementation, digital assignments can support accessibility and inclusivity in learning offer students new means of action and expression of knowledge.
- Universal Design for LearningA brief guide to UDI, providing concepts and guidance for developing inclusive and accessible assignments.
- Inclusive Pedagogy Resource GuideInformation and practical tools to assist in implementing inclusive pedagogy practices, including resources at UD.
- Digital AccessibilityA guide to digital accessibility and resources for digital accessibility at UD.
Ownership, Privacy, and Safety
The meanings and implications of students' engagement with technologies and all scholarship, research, and publishing activities involved with a digital assignment should be defined and clearly understood. Considerations include:
- Privacy and security of personal information in digital tools or environments
- Advantages and disadvantages of publishing work on publicly available platforms
- Where and how work will be published, and alternatives to public work
- Students' ability to edit, delete, and control the sharing of their work
- Where and how students' names will be displayed, especially on the public web
- Students' rights to their work, including copyright, credit/citation, and permissions
- Open Student WorkUniversity of Washington Bothell's statement on student rights and responsibilities for work that is made publicly available. Provides insight to the value of student work and recommendations for students and faculty.
- Student Collaborators' Bill of RightsA resource for considering recognition of students' work on digital projects and ability to remain anonymous or contribute in ways that are not public.
