DL and IL – Let’s have a Heated Debate!

This time of year each project team is still settling into the new term routine, so project reports for this week are quieter than usual.

What hasn’t been so quiet are the ‘heated debates’ (see Mrs.Merton above!) in the Rhos library backroom about the links, differences,  semantics, cross-over, context, symbiosis, reliance or division between what we mean by Information Literacy and Digital Literacy. Depending on the focus, even the royal ‘we’ changed the direction of the conversation, with context and sectoral considerations creating even more subdivisions of skills.

Different projects in the UK – Scotland, Wales, England  for example- are attempting to create a single definition or agreed understanding of IL, including skill subsets for Information Literacy.  JISC  is developing the same approach for Digital Literacies – but is there consensus on where IL ends and DL begins? Or is that the wrong approach to take? Is DL a continuum of IL? Completely distinct? A subset of IL? Or an addition (IL+)? What has Media Literacy got to do with this too? Could being ‘Digitally Literate’ mean that you are a gifted computer programmer rather than relating to information sources and usage?

To revisit this issue and begin planning for Year II of the project – which will include extending and applying specific project activities across participant campuses – the Rhos team felt it was important that we all understood where each other’s opinions and influences in relation to this topic came from.  We are attempting to see the issue from the viewpoint of learner, teaching staff, librarian and ICT technician – multiple groups included in the College population and we need to relate to each group individually for the project to make a meaningful impact.

We have listened, disagreed,  reflected, cajoled, challenged, entreated, guffawed and, most importantly, learned from each other. Despite the arguments on a local, national and international level, the one issue that every party agrees on is that developing strong Digital Literacies is vital!

“So Debbie [McGee], what was it that first attracted you to the millionaire Paul Daniels………..?”

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The next meeting of the full PADDLE group is on the 1st October at Coleg Llandrillo, Rhos on Sea.

For project updates please see the JISC wiki pages, follow this blog or the Twiter hashtag #jiscpaddle.

Siona – Grwp Llandrillo Menai/Student Study Group Stream