Evaluation of Aspects of Digital Literacy Developed Through Digital

In this study, digital storytelling is examined as a strategy for digital literacy learning, with the competencies being the expected learning outcomes: a set of skills, knowledge and abilities that a student should develop after

engagement with digital storytelling. To observe and evaluate these, it is necessary to identify particular aspects of the competencies and the way digital storytelling can act as a strategy to achieve them. Several digital literacy standards and frameworks have been developed in the past in an attempt to integrate digital literacy learning in educational institutions around the world.

The most comprehensive set of digital literacy skills was developed by the ISTE (formerly known as NETs) (2007), which developed a platform that allows planning for technology integration in the classroom and evaluating the skills and knowledge students need to learn effectively and live productively in an

The interconnected components in this model come under the umbrella of digital literacy. Although the model does not provide universal answers for evaluating digital literacy in the classroom, the notion of a “logical progression from the more fundamental skills towards the higher, more transformative levels” is important, as digital literacy development is “not necessarily a sequential process” and it “much depends on the needs of individual users” (Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, 2009). Creating digital stories is a complex

process that involves manipulating various media and contents. It may not necessarily be a sequential process due to the possibility of creating non-linear digital stories, which means that a creator starts with a single piece of media and integrates other pieces of media in any order that he/she chooses. The creation of a digital story may depend on the level of digital literacy that the individual student possesses at the time.

To identify a student’s existing digital literacy and any development in their digital literacy, the researcher developed a set of codes for an evaluation tool (a rubric) that allowed the evaluation of the students’ level of digital literacy before, during and after the completion of the study. This is set out in Table 2.2.

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t Use (1) Understand (2) Create (3)

ermine the nature ormation and media d

Recognises that information and media are required

Skims through information and selects media without being able to justify choice (e.g., select an image because it appears nice to them)

Recognises that information and media are required

Skims through the content and decides whether the information and images are useful for the task and what this source offers that other sources of information do not

Decides whether image resolution is acceptable

Skims through the content and dec the information and images are us task and what this source offers th sources of information do not Decides whether image resolution Identifies technology tools needed ate information _{Navigates and accesses information; however,}

unable to reflect and determine why this information is needed

Uses Wikipedia as a single source

Navigates and accesses information and reflects on why this information is needed; however, unable to demonstrate social awareness of how that information affects others

Uses a single source

Navigates, accesses information, r why this information is needed an demonstrates social awareness of h information affects others and wha own responsibility is in relation to information

Uses multiple sources luate reliability of

ation and media nt

Attempts to identify 1 or 2 of the following criteria for evaluation: author and his expertise in the field, domain, target audience, age appropriateness, copyright date, what this source offers that other sources of information do not; however, unable to explain their significance

Identifies 3 or 4 of the following criteria for evaluation: author and his expertise in the field, domain, target audience, age appropriateness, copyright date, what this source offers that other sources of information do not Attempts to explain their significance

Identifies 3 or 4 of the following c evaluation: author and his expertis domain, target audience, age appro copyright date, what this source of other sources of information do no Able to explain their significance alyse, interpret and

ange of

ation and media to unicate meanings gh multimodal text

Uses modes to construct meanings, but demonstrates poor cohesion

The modes do not complement each other

Uses modes to construct meanings and demonstrates average cohesion

The modes somewhat complement each other

Makes meaningful use of modes t meanings in a cohesive manner

The modes complement each othe

t The linguistic content is minimally

comprehensible due to spelling/punctuation/ grammar error(s)

The linguistic content is comprehensible even though there are a few

spelling/punctuation/grammar error(s)

The linguistic content is comprehe structured in a logical manner, wit punctuation/grammar error(s) ge Selects and uses images but unable to justify

the choice

Selects images and in some instances able to justify the choice

Carefully selects and uses images justify the choice

mation Makes use of the default animated components but unable to justify the choice, or does not use any

Makes use of the default animated components but is not always able to justify the choice

Makes use of the default animated and/or special effects or creates ow dynamic sequencing of the conten to justify the choice

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t Use (1) Understand (2) Create (3)

nd Makes use of the default auditory components, such as music/sound effects, but cannot explain their purpose or does not use any; auditory components used do not complement the content

Makes use of the default auditory components, such as music/sound effects, but is not always able to explain their purpose or does not use any; auditory components used do not complement the content

Makes use of default auditory com such as music/sound effects and c their purpose, or creates own musi complements the content

out There is no specific layout to structure design components

Text/images alignment and/or margins are not carefully planned

There is no specific layout to structure design components

Attempts to plan text/images alignment and/or margins

Creates a specific layout to structu components

Makes use of text/images alignme margins

ration Makes use of recording to create narrations The voice is not projected clearly or the volume is inconsistent from slide to slide

Makes use of recording to create narrations The voice is sometimes projected clearly or the volume is sometimes inconsistent from slide to slide

Makes use of recording to create n

The voice is projected clearly; the consistent from slide to slide

digital ologies in a safe ocially responsible

er

Unaware of socially responsible conduct when using inappropriate, harmful or obscene digital information

Attempts to discuss inappropriate, harmful or obscene digital information with peers

Displays socially responsible cond using inappropriate, harmful or ob information

nage digital ation in ology space ware and software

onents eshooting)

Copies from an Internet page and pastes into a word-processing document chunks of texts, web address or own notes for future use Unable to save and/or retrieve files in/from a designated folder on the local server (e.g., school Pupils Drive) and/or USB and/or Documents folder

Unable to share files with others

Copies from an Internet page and pastes into a word-processing document chunks of texts, web address or own notes for future use Attempts to save and/or retrieve files in/from a designated folder on the local server (e.g., school Pupils Drive) and/or USB and/or Documents folder

Attempts to share files with others

Copies from an Internet page and p word-processing document chunk web address or own notes for futur Able to save and retrieve files in/fr designated folder on the local serv school Pupils Drive) and/or USB a Documents folder

Able to share files with others ically use

ation and media ight)

Able to acknowledge information and media sources created by others by providing a source title (e.g., Wikipedia) or the link

Able to acknowledge information and media sources created by others by providing a source title (e.g., Wikipedia), the link and date when information was retrieved

Able to use royalty-free informatio others (e.g., Creative Commons) a

information and media sources cre others by providing a source title ( Wikipedia), the link and date when was retrieved, and/or able to use r information (e.g., Creative Comm Able to create and use own media

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t Use (1) Understand (2) Create (3)

ply information to n own

entations to ively communicate

edge to others

Able to use few elements of genres to create own piece of information of the same genre Aware of the target audience but cannot apply all skills to convey meanings clearly (e.g., clear, non-blurred images voice projection and clear pronunciation for narration background music/sounds that do not interfere with the narration background music/sounds that enhance the presentation dynamic fonts and colours of texts)

Able to use most elements of genres to create own piece of information of the same genre Aware of the target audience and can apply some skills to convey meanings clearly (e.g., clear, non-blurred images, voice projection and clear pronunciation for narration background, music/sounds that do not interfere with the narration background, music/sounds that enhance the presentation, dynamic fonts and colours of texts)

Able to use all elements of genres piece of information of the same g Recognises the target audience by skills to convey meanings clearly non-blurred images, voice projecti pronunciation for narration backgr music/sounds that do not interfere narration background, music/soun enhance the presentation, dynamic colours of texts)

elop ability in m solving skills flecting on own

ology skills

Able to acknowledge that there are technology- related difficulties; unable to identify needed skills and solve problems

Able to acknowledge that there are technology- related difficulties; demonstrates understanding of needed skills but cannot solve problems independently

Able to critically evaluate needed related skills; develops needed tec skills through independent problem se a variety of

ology tools to digital information

Able to create integrated multimedia product

from a template Able to create integrated multimedia product with authoring tools, but unable to critically evaluate it and edit accordingly

Able to create integrated multimed with authoring tools, using them to advantage (e.g., evaluating and ed work)

Total : _____/30

The ‘Use’ skills and competencies ranged from simply using basic technology to accessing and using knowledge resources such as search engines and online databases (Media Smarts, 2007). ‘Understand’ evaluated the skills that help us to comprehend, contextualise and critically evaluate digital media, to allow an informed decision about what we do and encounter online. This deepens the information management skills to find, evaluate and effectively use

information to communicate, collaborate and solve problems (Media Smarts, 2007). ‘Create’ was “the ability to produce content and effectively communicate through a variety of digital media tools” (Media Smarts, 2007). Creating with multimedia (digital storytelling) is a set of advanced skills that go beyond

“knowing how to use a word processor or write an email: it includes being able to adapt what we produce for various contexts and audiences; to create and

communicate using rich media such as images, video and sound” (Media Smarts, 2007).

Ohler’s 2007 publication Digital storytelling in the classroom : New media

pathways to literacy, learning, and creativity is widely recognised as serving as an

instruction manual for teachers to implement digital storytelling in the classroom effectively. Ohler provides multiple examples of the use of digital storytelling in classroom settings, guiding the reader through the processes of planning, creating and evaluating digital storytelling projects. However, he noted, “I’m always reluctant to propose a specific evaluation rubric for others to use” (Ohler, 2007, p. 64). The author further emphasises that assessing “media grammar and student use of media” is especially challenging, stating, “One person’s photo collage is another person’s waste of time” (p. 66). For him, “Media choices need to be accessible, effective, and, above all, support the story rather than detract from it”

(p. 66). Consequently, it is possible to suggest that evaluation rubrics suit different teaching and learning purposes and there is no universal rubric to assess a digital story.

The purpose of this current study was to examine, based on the existing developments in digital literacy and digital storytelling teaching and learning, what aspects of digital literacy are developed through the engagement of students in the process of multimedia production (digital storytelling) and if there are any factors that can inhibit this development. The rubric developed by the researcher served as a tool for evaluating aspects of digital literacy that were developed through the students’ engagement with digital storytelling.