Digital Media Literacy Draft specification for Junior Cycle Short Course October 2013
Contents INTRODUCTION TO JUNIOR CYCLE 3 RATIONALE 4 AIM 4 LINKS 5 COURSE OVERVIEW 8 EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS 9 STRAND 1 MY DIGITAL WORLD 9 STRAND 2 FOLLOWING MY INTERESTS ONLINE 10 STRAND 3 CHECKING THE FACTS 11 STRAND 4 PUBLISHING MYSELF 12 ASSESSMENT AND CERTIFICATION 13 RESOURCES 18 APPENDIX 1: SAMPLE ONGOING ASSESSMENT TASKS: 19 APPENDIX 2: LEVEL INDICATORS FOR LEVEL 3 OF THE NATIONAL FRAMEWORK OF QUALIFICATIONS 21 2
Digital Media Literacy Introduction to junior cycle Junior cycle education places students at the centre of the educational experience, enabling them to actively participate in their communities and in society and to be resourceful and confident learners in all aspects and stages of their lives. Junior cycle is inclusive of all students and contributes to equality of opportunity, participation and outcome for all. Junior cycle allows students to make a strong connection with learning by focusing on the quality of learning that takes place and by offering experiences that are engaging and enjoyable for them, and relevant to their lives. These experiences are of a high quality, contribute to the physical, mental and social wellbeing of students, and where possible, provide opportunities for them to develop their abilities and talents in the areas of creativity and enterprise. The student's junior cycle programme builds on their learning in primary school. It supports their further progress in learning. It helps students to develop the learning skills that can assist them in meeting the challenges of life beyond school. 3
Rationale Young people are becoming very fluent in online communication; for them, posting, linking, sharing, and searching are how they participate in their communities and socialise. This digital media course offers students the chance to build on this by giving them opportunities to explore and discover the information and knowledge accessible online to pursue their interests and solve problems that are relevant to their lives. In studying digital media students learn to use digital technology, communication tools, and the internet to engage in self-directed enquiry. As students develop their digital literacy skills, they improve their capacity to know what they are looking for, what information to ignore or discard, and how to identify what can be useful or significant. They learn to discriminate between the multiple sources of information available online and to challenge the views they find there. Students have an opportunity to express themselves online and reproduce data and images through digital manipulation. Aim This course aims to develop students ability to use digital technology, communication tools, and the internet creatively, innovatively and safely to support their learning and participate effectively in their communities. 4
Links Statements of learning (SOL) Statement The student uses technology and digital media tools to learn, communicate, work and think collaboratively and creatively in a responsible and ethical manner SOL 24 The student creates, appreciates and critically interprets a wide range of texts SOL 3 The student communicates effectively using a variety of means in a range of contexts in L1 Examples of relevant learning in the course Students work in teams to produce digital content on topics that are relevant to their lives. Students find, critically appraise, and use digital content. They will learn to navigate and make judgements about the quality and reliability of content online. Students share, present and publish their stories, ideas and opinions in a personal and creative way using digital technology. SOL 1 5
Literacy and numeracy Literacy includes the capacity to read, understand and critically appreciate various forms of communication including digital media. This course contributes to the development of language and literacy skills through activities where students: search and locate information effectively online critically evaluate and critique digital media texts communicate opinions and ideas using different digital technologies and communication tools use language and broader codes and conventions consistent with different digital media formats read and respond to different digital media texts present and discuss topics with different audiences. This course contributes to the development of numeracy skills through activities where students: gather, read, analyse and present data interpret and or present content graphically engage in problem solving identify patterns which arise in the analysis and editing of digital media texts use logic and algorithmic thinking when searching for information on the internet. 6
Other key skills Each key skill has a number of elements which clarify the knowledge, skills and attitudes related to that key skill. The elements and their learning outcomes are set out in Key Skills of Junior Cycle. There are opportunities to support all key skills in this short course but some are particularly significant. The examples below identify the key skills and elements that are related to the learning activities of Digital Media Literacy. Teachers can also build many of the other elements of particular key skills into their classroom planning. Key Skill Key skill element Student learning activity Being Creative Communicating Managing information and thinking Managing myself Stimulating creativity using digital technology Use digital technology to communicate. Using digital technology to access, manage and share content. Using digital technology to manage myself and my Students examine different digital technologies and communication tools to understand how they are used creatively to convey messages. Students use digital technologies and communication tools and the internet to research topics of interest to them and to express, share and present their opinions on these topics, taking into account different audiences. Students search and evaluate content in different digital formats online. Students use digital technologies and 7
learning. communication tools to keep an online learning diary and reflection journal. Staying well Being safe Students develop a charter of online rights and responsibilities that define acceptable use of digital technologies in the school. Working with others Working with others through digital technology. Students work collaboratively using digital technologies including providing feedback to peers Course overview Strand 1 My Digital World Strand 2 Following My Interests Online Strand 3 Checking the Facts Strand 4 Publishing Myself Students will develop a greater sense of what it takes to thrive in the digital environment, where they fit in and how to harness the creative and innovative aspects of it. In particular, the course prompts students to examine their own attitudes to their use of social networks and other communication tools; to consider their safety and that of others when using them. Students are also made aware of their online rights and how to assert them effectively. The learning outcomes in this short course are aligned with the Level Indicators for Level 3 of the National Framework of Qualifications (Appendix 2). The course has been designed for at least 100 hours of student engagement. 8
Expectations for students With the publication of the specification online, examples of student work will be used to illustrate the expectations for students in the short course. These examples will be related directly to a learning outcome or groups of learning outcomes. They will be annotated, indicating whether the work is in line with, ahead of, or behind expectations for students. Strand 1 My Digital World Students learn about My digital life Respectful and responsible use Students should be able to.. 1.1 describe how they use digital technologies, communication tools, and the internet in their lives. 1.2 illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of using digital technologies, communication tools, and the internet. 1.3 present examples of the impact of digital technologies, communication tools, and the internet on the creative industries giving reasons for choices 1.4 debate the ethical and legal issues around downloading music and video content from the Internet 1.5 demonstrate an understanding of respectful use of digital media texts including concepts of copyright, fair use, plagiarism and intellectual property ownership 1.6 discuss their personal safety concerns when using digital technologies, communication tools, and the internet 9
1.7 create a charter of online rights and responsibilities for the class 1.8 describe appropriate responses to potentially harmful situations. Strand 2 Following my interests online Students learn about.. Students should be able to.. What is digital content? Searching and evaluating Expressing through digital images 2.1 analyse the characteristics of digital media texts that make them different from analogue 2.2 give examples of digital media texts that serve different purposes 2.3 demonstrate how digital media texts are published on the internet 2.4 search the internet to gather information on a specific topic of interest 2.5 find digital media texts illustrating different points of view on an issue of concern to young people in Ireland 2.6 compare information from various sources in order to evaluate its reliability, validity, accuracy, authority, and timeliness 2.7 create a digital image montage from images sourced online 2.8 present examples where image and video manipulation has been used for example in the worlds of fashion and news reporting 2.9 represent information about a topic that is relevant to their lives in a graphical format. 10
Strand 3 Checking the facts Students learn about Digital media formats Looking for bias The role of digital media in our society Students should be able to 3.1 discuss how traditional media are converging with new media in society 3.2 analyse a piece of digital media text to identify the theme, purpose and audience 3.3 analyse how the choice of digital media format influences the kind of information accessed/transmitted 3.4 re-present a digital media text from one online format to another e.g. video -> blog 3.5 act as a critical consumer by presenting digital media texts that highlight bias 3.6 research the ownership of major websites and the impact on access and choice 3.7 discuss the business model that allows users to access free services online 3.8 give examples of how digital media texts can support citizenship and inform decision-making 3.9 critique the role of digital technologies, communication tools, and the internet in a democratic society. 11
Strand 4 Publishing myself Students learn about Social media and me Following my passion Students should be able to 4.1 outline the opportunities and risks presented by young people s use of social networks 4.2 document young people s online rights the right to information, free expression, protection of minors, and the role of parents, governments and civil society in enforcing their rights 4.3 discuss the concept of privacy and its application by young people on social networks 4.4 examine the general terms and conditions, codes of conduct and privacy regulations of different internet applications used by young people 4.5 experiment with the privacy settings of a social networking website 4.6 demonstrate how best to share personal information, express opinions, and emotions online in a responsible and respectful manner 4.7 publish an item online presenting their views on a subject or topic that is relevant to their lives 4.8 cite and reference online sourced material accurately 4.9 document the planning and research history 4.10 reflect on their learning associated with the task. 12
Assessment and certification This short course supports a wide variety of approaches to assessment. Although not all learning outcomes need to be assessed, every learning outcome provides an opportunity for assessment. It is envisaged that students will provide evidence of their learning in a variety of ways including digital media, audio recording and written pieces. Active participation from the student in the evaluation and creation of digital items through online interaction and discussion with peers is an essential component of the learning in this course. In Digital Media Literacy students are provided with many opportunities to reflect on their learning, to set clear goals and targets based on the quality focused feedback they get in support of their learning. When students participate in activities such as critiquing digital content, analysing digital media, creating digital content, sourcing digital content, publishing online self and peer assessment, they can reflect on their learning using the shared features of quality for those activities to identify where they are at in the learning and to plan their next steps. Ongoing assessment tasks Ongoing assessment tasks support the student on their learning journey and also prepare them for the assessment related to the certification of the short course. Students will have opportunities to demonstrate their learning at the end of each strand through assessment tasks based on the learning outcomes in the strand. The tasks require students to provide evidence of the knowledge, understanding and skills that they have gained in the different strands. Sample tasks can be seen in the Appendix 1. The sample assessment tasks draw on learning outcomes from across the course as well as literacy, numeracy and other key skills. These learning outcomes are particularly significant: Strand 1 Strand 2 Strand 3 Strand 4 2,3,4,5,7 2,3,5,6,7,9 4,5,6,7,8,9 1,2,4,5,6,7 13
The sample tasks should not be seen as a definitive list. Rather, the assessment tasks are agreed in consultation with students to ensure that they will be seen as being meaningful and relevant to them. The tasks are designed to gather evidence of students learning in relation to selected learning outcomes in the particular strand. Students are encouraged to choose the most suitable format (or formats) in which to complete the assessment tasks; written, digital, visual or audio formats. The completed tasks are referred to as digital artefacts and may be completed individually or as part of a group. Assessment for certification Assessment for certification will be school-based. There are three digital artefacts required to complete the digital portfolio and a reflection on what it means to be a digital citizen. The tasks will be weighted as follows: Digital Portfolio 75% Digital Citizenship Reflection 25% Digital Portfolio (75%) Students compile this digital portfolio by choosing three pieces of work that they have created from strands one, two and three. The selected digital artefacts should illustrate significant personal learning whether completed individually or as part of a group. Digital artefacts completed as a group Many of the assessment tasks in DML can be completed with a partner or in a group. Working with others is important in this short course as it requires that students learn to negotiate how they will plan for and complete the assessment task. The group should include no more than three students to help ensure that every student contributes to the process. The grade awarded for the artefact is the grade that each member of the group receives. 14
Digital Citizenship Reflection (25 %): This piece of work is based on a task associated with strand 4. It is a reflective piece of work that could encompass awareness of how to remain safe online, how to respond to potentially harmful situations, the benefits and risks of social networking, and how to be respectful and responsible online. This can be presented in any format that is deemed suitable by the student and appropriate for capturing the essence of the reflection. Rationale for the assessment tasks: The assessment tasks in DML are designed to capture evidence of students learning throughout the strands. The teacher in consultation with the students can identify other assessment tasks that are meaningful for the students and that can support and deepen their learning in the particular strand. Students can use the features of quality to challenge themselves and each other to respond to the assessment tasks in creative and informed ways. Where students work in pairs or groups, they have an opportunity to learn to collaborate and take responsibility for completing the task. Features of Quality Features of quality related to student work on the portfolio and reflection are set out below. In general terms, these can be used by students and by teachers to support their discussions about and judgements of work generated in response to the assessment task. More specifically, the features of quality are the criteria that will be used by teachers, in the process of marking and at moderation meetings, to assess and discuss the student s work on the assessment tasks. Features of quality for the digital portfolio Achieved with Distinction (90-100%) The digital portfolio demonstrates an excellent understanding of the topics and a high level of creativity in its presentation. The work demonstrates a very positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Communication is clear and convincing and shows a comprehensive knowledge of the subject and real flair throughout the work. 15
Achieved with Higher Merit (75-89%) The digital portfolio demonstrates a very good understanding of the topics and a moderate level of creativity in its presentation. The work demonstrates a positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Communication is clear for the most part, and shows a comprehensive knowledge of the subject and flair throughout the work. Achieved with Merit (55-74%) The digital portfolio demonstrates a good understanding of the topics and a good level of creativity in its presentation. The work demonstrates a mostly positive attitude towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning and productivity. Communication is clear at times, showing some knowledge of the subject and some flair throughout the work. Achieved (40-54%) The digital portfolio demonstrates some understanding of the topics and some level of creativity in its presentation. The work is limited in demonstrating how technology can support collaboration, learning and productivity. Communication is reasonably clear with limited knowledge of the subject throughout the work. Not achieved (0-39%) The digital portfolio demonstrates little understanding of the topics and lacks creativity in its presentation. The work lacks in demonstrating how technology can support collaboration, learning and productivity. Communication is unclear and unconvincing and shows little knowledge of the subject throughout the work. Digital Citizenship Reflection Achieved with Distinction (90-100%) The work demonstrates an excellent level of understanding of leadership for digital citizenship. It includes excellent awareness of the ethical/legal reasons around the respectful use of digital media texts. There is substantial evidence of a capacity to reflect 16
on how digital media is influencing attitudes, opinions and behaviour and an appreciation of the importance of this topic for young people generally. Achieved with Higher Merit (75-89%) The work demonstrates a high level of understanding of leadership for digital citizenship. It includes an awareness of the ethical/legal reasons around the respectful use of digital media texts. There is very good evidence of a capacity to reflect on how digital media is influencing their attitudes, opinions and behaviour and an appreciation of the importance of this topic for young people generally. Achieved with Merit (55-74%) The work demonstrates a good level of understanding of leadership for digital citizenship. It includes some awareness of the ethical/legal reasons around the respectful use of digital media texts. There is good evidence of a capacity to reflect on how digital media is influencing their attitudes, opinions and behaviour and an appreciation of the importance of this topic for young people generally. Achieved (40-54%) The work demonstrates some level of understanding of leadership for digital citizenship. It includes a basic awareness of the ethical/legal reasons around the respectful use of digital media texts. There is some evidence of a capacity to reflect on how digital media is influencing their attitudes, opinions and behaviour and some appreciation of the importance of this topic for young people generally. Not achieved (0-39%) The work demonstrates a limited level of understanding of leadership for digital citizenship. It includes limited awareness of the ethical/legal reasons around the respectful use of digital media texts. There is little or no evidence of a capacity to reflect on how digital media is influencing their attitudes, opinions and behaviour and little or no appreciation of the importance of this topic for young people generally. 17
Resources This part of the specification will identify resources that will support teaching and learning in the short course. 18
Appendix 1: Sample ongoing assessment tasks: Strand 1 Based on a study of the students in your class/school, develop and facilitate a presentation to positively support and promote the ethical and legal issues around downloading music and video from the internet [1.4] Or Discuss, create and publish a charter of online rights and responsibilities for your class [1.7] Strand 2 Research, compile and present, using the digital technology of your choice, your own/group's points of view on an issue of concern to young people in Ireland [2.5] Or Create an infographic to display the digital tools most used by your class [2.9] (This could be changed to reflect what the school offers; what s great about my school/my area etc ) Strand 3 Re-present a digital media text from one digital format to another taking care to cite all references [3.4] Or Research, and using a digital tool of your choice, present on either the influence that the ownership of major websites has on the impact on access and choice [3.6] or the business model that allows users to access free services online [3.7] 19
Strand 4 Document, in a digital format young people s online rights the right to information, free expression, protection of minors, and the role of parents, governments and civil society in enforcing their rights [4.2] Or Survey your class/year/school on the use of social media sites with a view to the students' understanding of the general terms and conditions, codes of conduct and privacy regulations of different internet applications used by young people [4.4] 20
Appendix 2: Level Indicators for Level 3 of the National Framework of Qualifications This short course has been developed in alignment with the Level Indicators for Level 3 of the National Framework of Qualifications. Usually, for level 3 certification and awards, the knowledge, kill and competence acquired are relevant to personal development, participation in society and community, employment and access to additional education and training. NFQ Level 3 Knowledge Breadth Knowledge Kind Know-how and skill Range Know-how and skill Selectivity Competence Context Competence Role Competence Learning to Learn Competence Insight Knowledge moderately broad in range Mainly concrete in reference and with some comprehension of relationship between knowledge elements Demonstrate a limited range of practical and cognitive skills and tools Select from a limited range of varied procedures and apply known solutions to a limited range of predictable problems Act within a limited range of contexts Act under direction with limited autonomy.; function within familiar, homogenous groups Learn to learn within a managed environment. Assume limited responsibility for consistency of selfunderstanding and behaviour 21