{"id":4756,"date":"2016-09-06T09:30:49","date_gmt":"2016-09-06T08:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=4756"},"modified":"2016-09-29T15:14:25","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T14:14:25","slug":"digitally-embedding-digital-skills-curriculum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2016\/09\/06\/digitally-embedding-digital-skills-curriculum\/","title":{"rendered":"Doing it digitally: embedding digital skills in the curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"digital<\/a>

flickr photo by mrkrndvs<\/a> shared under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license<\/p><\/div>\n

Whether we talk about digital skills, digital literacy or digital capabilities there is no doubt that students need to develop their use and understanding of digital tools (see <\/span>Digital Skills for the UK Economy<\/span><\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be misled by talk of the \u2018<\/span>digital native<\/span><\/a>\u2019 who by virtue of being born in the internet era has an innate understanding and ability to use technologies. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just because students own smartphones and use social media to communicate with their friends doesn\u2019t mean that they can use digital tools professionally, critically evaluate them and make informed decisions about online security, identity and <\/span>digital wellbeing<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are digital skills and why do we need them?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

According to a recent report from the <\/span>House of Commons Science and Technology Committee<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital skills have no single definition, but have been variously described to include a general ability to use existing computers and digital devices to access digital services, \u201cdigital authoring skills\u201d such as coding and software engineering, and the ability to critically evaluate media and to make informed choices about content and information\u2014\u201cto navigate knowingly through the negative and positive elements of online activity and make informed choices about the content and services they use\u201d.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Importantly they add that \u2018These skills are no longer sector specific.\u2019 Whatever graduate-level career our students go on to will expect digital literacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can students develop digital capabilities at university?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"digital<\/a>

flickr photo by Symo0<\/a> shared under a Creative Commons (BY-ND) license<\/p><\/div>\n

The first recommendation to come out of the UK Government\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Digital Skills for the UK Economy Report (2016)<\/span><\/a> is to \u2018Ensure that digital skills are learned pervasively at all stages of education and training.\u2019 <\/span><\/p>\n

These are not \u2018add-on\u2019 skills, but essential graduate attributes and as such they should be embedded in the curriculum.<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing digital skills as part of a course can be achieved by \u2018doing it digitally\u2019 – it need not be about <\/span>what<\/span><\/i> students are learning but <\/span>how<\/span><\/i> they carry out their studies. Whatever students need to do they can probably \u2018do it digitally\u2019 to gain confidence and skills. <\/span>What have you got planned for this term? Could you \u2018do it digitally\u2019?<\/span><\/p>\n

Doing it digitally<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Whatever your discipline there are likely to be aspects of study that could be done digitally such as note-making, managing resources, time management, presenting ideas and building a Personal Learning Network (PLN).<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the past couple of years we have written several posts that offer suggestions:<\/span><\/p>\n