Adult online learning and teaching S2 2017

I found this video of Doug Belshaw speaking about “ digital literacies ” , which although a little lengthy (at 17 minutes and 29 seconds long) is well worth viewing.  I think this explains the concept of literacy versus literacies well, especially in relation to digital literacies practices.   He also talks about memes to highlight the rapidly changing digital world that we now live in – one in which information can be taken, remixed, and spread quickly and widely throughout the world. Belshaw (2012) asserts that rather than speaking about one digital literacy , we need to be talking about multiple digital literacies (in the plural sense), because digital literacies are plural – they are context dependant, and they need to be socially negotiated.  In dealing with digital literacies , Belshaw (2012) states that we actually speak a different language.  These practices have their own vocabulary, their own syntax and their own grammar.  We immer...

QUESTION TWO The purpose of this blog is to answer the question relating to bridging the knowledge gap around digital technology - 'How do educators keep up?' One of the key findings of research conducted by Davis and Fletcher (2010) in relation to e-learning and adult literacy, language and numeracy is that tutors, leaders and support staff require specific professional development to be able to accommodate e-learning in their learning programmes (p. 18).  Not only are they required to develop the necessary ICT skills, and knowledge of the e-based resources available, they also need to consider changes in pedagogy that have resulted from the development of e-learning.  Mitchell, Clayton, Gower, Barr and Bright (2005, cited in Davis & Fletcher, 2010 ) identify challenges that e-learning poses for tutors’ pedagogical practices.  They emphasise the need to raise awareness about the benefits of e-learning , and state that tutors must be encourage...

The purpose of this blog is to answer the question –  ‘How can we teach literacy, using the internet, to support low level literacy learners?’ Davis and Fletcher (2010) discuss the potential of e-learning for adult literacy, language and numeracy (LLN).  They conclude that “[LLN] skills in the 21 st  century include proficiency with digital technologies and practices, including e-learning” (p. 2).  E-learning is defined as “learning that is facilitated through the use of digital technologies”, which includes standalone computers,  the internet  and held-held devices (p. 5).   With this concept of e-learning in mind, I have expanded the scope of the original question for this blog to  ‘How we can teach literacy, using ‘ digital technologies ’ [which includes the internet], to support learners with low level literacy skills?’   According to Davis and Fletcher (2010) some learners feel a sense of embarrassment about t...