The Knowledge Tree’s managing editor Jo Murray reviews Martin, A. & Madigan, D. (Eds) 2006, Digital Literacies for Learning, Facet Publishing London. http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/ £39.95

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Digital Literacies for Learning is a comprehensive volume (approx. 500 pages) providing a global collection of contributions discussing theories, concepts and practical case studies of digital literacies in learner centred education settings.

That it is presented in hard cover published format is interesting in itself as it targets those of us who still find the print based traditional book, which one contributor notes totals ‘…a mere 0.1% of new information being produced today’ (Lyman and Varian 2003)’ (Glister 2006:44), an approachable way to access research. As I attempt to scan the 21 chapters for key ideas I’m given cause to reflect on and assess my own digital literacy. What follows is more a summary than a review, given that each chapter is quite dense in itself. One hopes that the whole volume and separate chapters will be available in e-book versions soon.

The introductory section of the book commences with a very useful chapter titled ‘The contributors’ providing background and contact details for all twenty six writers. This is followed by a ‘Foreword’, provided by Hannelore Rader and a ‘Preface’, provided by the editors, which situates digital literacy within a notion of engagement with culture, meaning and change. An extensive index is provided at the rear of the volume.

In Part 1: Literacies in the Digital Age (Chapters 1-11) writers analyse how digital technologies have enabled transformative change and discuss the nature of the new literacies that have emerged.

In Chapter One Allan Martin traces the history and development of the concept and language of ‘literacies’ describing ‘…the pervasion of the digital as a symptom of a listless and uncertain society endeavouring to cope with change’ (2006:3). He outlines various literacies or ‘multiliteracies’ noting that there are ‘… “different kinds of literacies needed to access, interpret, criticize and participate in the emergent new forms of culture and society” (Kahn and Kellner 2006)’ (Martin 2006:16).

Martin quotes Glister (1997), who popularised the term ‘digital literacy’, as identifying critical thinking and evaluation of information, and relevant use of these skills, as the core of digital literacy, rather than any technical competency required to access such information, eg. from the Internet.

Martin then suggests an integration and convergence of these literacies, ‘…which represent the reality of social life where perspectives and situations vary immensely and are constantly changing’ (2006:18), into a concept of digital literacy as ‘…a transformative activity… an ongoing and dynamic process… dependent on the needs of the situation….a condition, not a threshold (Martin 2006:19-20)’, involving the use of critical reflection in authentic situations empowering the whole person throughout life (Martin 2006).

In Chapter Two Terry Mayes and Chris Fowler take a more refreshing stance describing how learners flourish through ‘…”learning to participate” [and form relationships] in social learning systems’ (2006:32). Learner characteristics such as sociality, confidence, willingness to share and a focus ‘…on developing an identity as a learner’ (Mayes & Fowler 2006:26) are crucial in a dialogic world of situated learning where peers become the scaffolders encouraging self explanation and reflection. Individual and peer and learning relationships are key. They recommend the following approach to educators.

Just as our understanding of pedagogy has moved from information processing and skill to meaning, relationships and identity, so our conceptualization of the characteristics needed by learners should move into the same terrain. (Mayes & Fowler 2006:32)

Johannes Cronje (Chapter 3) compares the real activities conducted in a digital environment with physical campus activity finding that they are much the same. He describes visual, cooperative and academic literacies that require in learners ‘…the ability to decode a visual interface; learn from their peers and support their peers and manage their own learning’ (Cronje 2006:40). Mary Ann Kope (Chapter 6) also discusses e-literacy as a convergence of academic literacy, information literacy and computer literacy. She notes that points of connection between these literacies, including cognitive skills, learning strategies and intellectual goals, need to be exploited by academics in building new collaborative services to support student learning.

Paul Glister (Chapter 4) looks at digital publishing and the ‘terra incognita’ the changes the intersection of content and connectivity bring to researchers and librarians, in terms of what is searchable and where to find it. Claire Belisle (Chapter 5) considers the implications of the new approaches to knowledge, knowledge architectures, ethics, accountability and assessment for educators and knowledge workers, noting the need to ‘…re-entrench meaningful production processes, values and beliefs into emerging educational practices’ (2006:65).

Ola Pilerot (Chapter 7) focuses on information literacy and collaborative ways to provide information literacy education, while David Warlick (Chapter 8) returns to the three Rs and transforms them into the three Es: exposing truth, employing information and expressing ideas compellingly, all within an umbrella of ethical use of information.

Renee Hobbs (Chapter 9) provides a very practical discussion of how media literacy educators can update studies of media literacy based on the experiences of young people with ‘…new media,… new message forms… and new social issues’ (2006:99).

Chris Sutton (Chapter 10) discusses research in the Australian Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) sector proposing a framework for e-learning design based on a model which lays three main learner characteristics (multiliteracies, learning style and digital competence) over Six Elements of a Quality Learning Experience (SEQLE). The six elements are:

1. learning materials provided by the teachers
2. other learning materials
3. interaction with learning materials
4. authenticity
5. collaboration and
6. reflection.

Sutton notes however that successful e-learning implementation depends on capability for e-learning, built upon professional development focused on recognising and developing strategies for meeting the mutliliteracy needs of learners.

Denise and Jeff Haywood and Hamish Macleod (Chapter 11) consider the relationship between e-literacies and employability, warning universities to ‘…review and revise their definitions of their graduates’ skill sets’ (2006:130) and to do more about furthering students’ e-literacies, as the range of new technologies employers require graduates to be literate in, expands.

Part 2: Enabling and Supporting Digital Literacies (Chapters 12-21) looks at how to make literacies available to learners in a learner centred environment.

Dan Madigan (Chapter 12), noting that we are at a critical point where initiatives like the ‘One Laptop Per Child’ (OLPC) initiative will soon be impacting the digital divide, gives a thorough summary of the second part of the book in which writers respond with practical examples, to these questions.

• How will our lives change as a result of these new technologies?
• Who gets access to digital technologies?
• How are these points of access supported?
• How do we as educational leaders transform ways of teaching and learning in traditional settings to accommodate new digitally enhanced learning environments?
• What qualities and skills do learners need to achieve the range of digital literacies necessary to function and thrive as a literate citizen in today’s world? (Madigan 2006:136-7)

Stephen Griffiths (Chapter 13) describes a national approach take by Wales. Jesus Lau (Chapter 14) considers southern hemisphere/second world responses suggesting that knowledge and information generation and economic productivity are linked (Madigan 2006).

Martin Jenkins (Chapter 15) looks at supporting a dynamic and student-centred learning environment in a university. Hester Mountfield (Chapter 16) describes how university student services provision can be improved through the use of an ‘information commons’ - a highly collaborative space.

Neil Anderson (Chapter 17) outlines the highs and lows of learning management systems. Alex Reid (Chapter 18) reports on general information and communications technology (ICT) staff development and support programs, defining six principles or benchmarks against which universities can self-assess.

Catherine Cardwell (Chapter 19) looks at specific support initiatives for graduate students in a four part program run by a teaching and learning centre. Cornel Reinhart (Chapter 20) describes an outreach program (University Without Walls) for teachers in the Caribbean. Gill Needham and David Murphy (Chapter 21) provide a very detailed comparison of two online courses offering information literacy support for both teachers and students.

This volume covers a vast amount of complex ground and in some detail. I found reading the editors’ chapters (1 and 12) a very helpful way to pique my interest in specific research projects and encourage further engagement with case studies of implementation.

A highly recommended text for teachers, parents, librarians and administrators and a good January break read!

ISBN-13: 978-1-85604-563-6

ISBN-10: 1-85604-563-3

References

Cronje, J. 2006, ‘Real learning in virtual environments’ in eds A. Martin & D. Madigan, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London, pp.34-41.

Haywood, D., Haywood, J. & Macleod, H. 2006, ‘Graduate e-literacies and employability’ in A. Martin & D. Madigan, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London, pp. 123-131.

Hobbs, R. 2006, ‘Reconceptualizing media literacy for the digital age’ in eds A. Martin & D. Madigan, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London, pp. 99-109.

Martin, A. 2006, ‘Literacies for the digital age: preview of Part 1′ in eds A. Martin & D. Madigan, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London, pp. 3- 25.

Martin, A. & Madigan, D. (eds) 2006, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London.

Mayes T. & Fowler, C. 2006, ‘Learners, learning literacy and pedagogy of e-learning’ in eds A. Martin & D. Madigan, Digital literacies for learning, Facet Publishing, London, pp.26-33.