Discipline-specific

knowledge and
capabilities

Communication skills

Digital literacy

Critical thinking

Problem solving

Self-management

Teamwork

Global citizenship
ABSTRACT
While digital literacy may be understood and defined differently within disciplines, the concept
is primarily about literacies rather than digital technologies or digital competence. Digital literacy
involves finding, using and disseminating information in a digital world. Digital Literacy underpins
teaching and research, regardless of discipline, and is an essential graduate skill for effective
participation in employment and all aspects of life. Building on all Deakin Graduate Attributes,
digital literacy already has a good foundation in many unit curricula, with many academic staff
modelling aspects of this literacy both in their teaching and their research practice.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WHAT IS DIGITAL LITERACY? 1

WHY ARE DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS? 1

ASPECTS OF DIGITAL LITERACY TO CONSIDER 2

TEACHING DIGITAL LITERACY 2

ASSESSING DIGITAL LITERACY AND RUBRICS AT DEAKIN UNIVERSITY 4

• HOW TO ASSESS DIGITAL LITERACY 4
• GETTING ASSISTANCE 8
FURTHER READINGS AND OTHER RESOURCES 9

REFERENCES 11

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL LITERACIES TEACHING RESOURCE 12

WHAT IS DIGITAL LITERACY?
Deakin University’s Graduate Learning Outcome 3 (DU GLO3) defines digital literacy as using
technologies to find, use and disseminate information.
Paul Gilster first popularised the term in his book, Digital Literacy, published in 1997. He
conceived of digital literacy as, simply, ‘literacy for a digital age’. A recent review of the Digital
Literacy literature (Hagel 2012a) enhances our understanding of this learning outcome. Digital
literacy often understood differently depending on disciplines, however, fundamentally, it
focuses more on literacies rather than media and involves finding, using and disseminating
information in a digital world. Many courses at Deakin University already include the
development of digital literacy and some have assessment rubrics for various aspects of this
literacy – these are taken up in the detail of this guide.
With digital media sources utilised everyday as part of life and work, we know that the volume,
choice, range and complexity of information can be overwhelming. This then can lead to poor
selection of sources and time wasted on re-tracing materials. Navigation skills and information
management can ensure that up to date, relevant sources are located in an accessible format
and sources are well organised and documented to enable efficient retrieval – as and when
needed. The sheer influence and ubiquity of digital media mean that synthesis and critical
assessment of a diverse array of resources are also key skills. Further, ethical and legal use of
information and maintaining the security and privacy of the user’s – and others’ – information
are paramount.
Digital literacy is not a stationary concept: as ICT changes, what it means to be digitally literate
also needs to evolve to ensure that students develop and apply skills in appropriate new
technologies for information discovery, transfer, analysis, review and communication.

WHY ARE DIGITAL LITERACY SKILLS IMPORTANT

FOR STUDENTS?
Digital Literacy is a key 21st Century skill which significantly enhances graduate employability.
The AQF specifies that students will develop skills to ‘analyse and evaluate information to
complete a range of activities, and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to others’.1 Integrating
Digital Literacy in course curricula aligns with the AQF requirement to future-proof students for
evolving careers. Achieving a minimum standard of digital literacy, students will graduate with
the capabilities associated with information use required by the AQF Level 7 Bachelor Degree.
Many courses and units already include activities and assessment tasks for digital literacy
development. Deakin University’s Course Enhancement and curriculum review processes build
on existing areas of good and evolving digital literacy practice.
When integrated in course curricula and evidenced in aligned assessments, good digital
literacy practice contributes to students’ effective engagement in premium cloud and located
learning environments. These skills also impact students’ employability, with recruitment being
increasingly undertaken via social media and a professional digital identity being key to future
networking within a profession, seeking opportunities and ensuring mobility over a career.

1
(Deakin University 2013, ‘Appendix 1’, Deakin Learning Futures AGENDA 2020: Stage 2: Assessment and Learning
Design, Deakin University, Victoria, March, pp. 1–55.).

Digital literacy 1
ASPECTS OF DIGITAL LITERACY TO CONSIDER
Bawdon (2008, pp. 29–30) has developed a useful conceptualisation of digital literacy which
comprises four dimensions: underpinnings, background knowledge, central competencies, and
attitudes and perspectives:
• Underpinnings: Foundational literacy; Basic ICT skills
• Background knowledge: The nature of information – forms, sources/origins, understanding
of the ‘publication chains’, authorship, provenance
• Central competencies: Finding/searching; Navigating; Synthesising; Critically analysing;
Creating; and Communicating
• Perspectives: Independent learning; Ethical use of information (respect for privacy); and
Ethical behaviour in digital communication.
In a higher education environment, foundational literacy and basic ICT skills are a student pre-
requisite and not part of digital literacy programs.
The other dimensions identified by Bawdon are all incorporated in the DLF ‘Course Learning
Outcomes Standards Templates for AQF Level 7 Bachelor Degree Courses’ for CLO3 – Digital
Literacy.

TEACHING DIGITAL LITERACY

As a key learning outcome for your unit, Digital Literacy can build on what is already taught –
especially where current curriculum is based on inquiry-based teaching and learning practices,
such as evidence-based practice (EBP); problem-based learning (PBL); case-based learning; or
project-based and design-based learning.
The following examples illustrate how faculty and library staff are collaborating at Deakin
University to integrate digital literacy development and assessment in the curriculum.
Evidence-based practice (EBP) requires students to make ‘clinical’ decisions informed by the
most relevant, valid and robust evidence (Illic 2009). Deakin University’s Medical students
are introduced to the fundamentals of Evidence-based Practice in the first year of their
course where they are required to find and critique medical research outcomes. The teaching
approach encompasses lectures and case-based tutorials in which students are presented with
a scenario and questions, and asked to find evidence to support hypothetical decisions.
http://deakin.libguides.com/ebp
Problem-based learning (PBL) involves students in addressing real world problems. The
curricula for Deakin University’s Nursing students includes authentic nursing problem based
scenarios in clinical situations. Each PBL assessment involves students being provided the
scenario (including a video recorded handover by a nurse on the previous shift and descriptive
patients’ profiles), activities to support students’ learning needs and additional resources on
the topic or a related general area.
Case-based learning focuses on the analysis of case narratives that may include wide-ranging
information or require students to do further research (Aditomo et al. 2011). Through
the presentation of a topical case, case-based learning in the Bachelor of Health Sciences
encourages students to reflect on their skills and identify their own learning gaps. The
approach requires learners to find and evaluate appropriate information to support their
knowledge development to then address those gaps.

Digital literacy 2
Project based and design based learning. Curriculum and learning activities in SEB121
Engineering Practice, employ real world problems designed to assist first year students to
develop skills in applying critical judgement in evaluating the quality, validity and reliability
of source material.
The professions require their practitioners to source the latest and most accurate information
to inform their work.
Digital literacy is closely aligned with several other Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes,
including:
• CLO1 Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
• CLO2 Communication
• CLO4 Critical thinking
• CL05 Problem solving
• CL08 Global citizenship
These learning outcomes can be developed and assessed through an integrated approach
within a program of inquiry-based learning.
Having established the elements of digital literacy: What constitutes good practice in
evidencing digital literacy? Hagel (2012b) identifies eight, interrelated criteria of good practice
in the development, assessment and evaluation of discipline-specific, digital literacy integrated
in course curricula underpinned by sound educational principles.
1. Does the practice address digital literacy?
2. Does the practice use the affordances (design aspect) of the digital technology? The focus
of should be on what students are asked to do with a technology, rather than what the
technology can do (Burden & Atkinson 2008).
3. Is the practice consistent with principles of good learning, teaching and assessment?
4. Is the practice consistent with effective evaluation procedures for the assurance of
graduate outcomes?
5. Is the practice deeply integrated with discipline learning?
6. Does the practice involve authentic assessment in support of graduate employability
in the discipline? Students need to be provided with opportunities to use their digital
competences in authentic or real world contexts for the discipline or profession.
7. Is the practice sustainable? Can it be applied across teaching periods, to more than one
context and be cost efficient?
8. Does the practice cater for a diverse student body? Good practice involves testing
assumptions made about the knowledge, experience and preferences of learners, such
as ‘digital natives’, and ensuring that disadvantaged groups are not further impeded by
choices about the uses to which digital technologies are put.
What it means to be literate is socially-situated: within a university there are various
disciplinary and professional practices that influence how people engage in making meaning
of texts. The key is to adopt the practices that best influence students’ development as
professional, responsible and engaged graduates in their desired profession or career.

Digital literacy 3
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines can ensure digital literacy activities and
assessment tasks are developed in line with inclusive pedagogy to stimulate social diversity,
difference and academic engagement in students. The three principles of UDL provide:
• multiple means for representation,
• multiple means for expression and action
• multiple means for engagement
As an educational framework, UDL acknowledges that learner variability is the norm and that
students will arrive at a learning situation with unique differences and approaches (CAST 2012;
The National Center on UDL 2012). For instance, e-readers offer both audio and visual text for
learning. The goal of UDL is to stress the best possible design, resulting in little or no need for
assistive technologies or individual accommodations.

ASSESSING DIGITAL LITERACY AND RUBRICS AT

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY
The Deakin Learning Futures (DLF) Course Enhancement Program Sandpits Stage 2.2 document
Appendix 1 ‘Course Learning Outcomes Standards Templates for AQF Level 7 Bachelor Degree
Courses’ highlights the key elements of each Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).
For GLO 3: Digital Literacy there are eight potential performance criteria and for each criteria,
associated minimum standards. The criteria and standards build our operational understanding
of Digital Literacy. The criteria include: digital proficiency; determining the extent of
information needed; accessing required information; sources and evidence; evaluating
information critically; using information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose; accessing
and using information ethically and legally; and digital communication.
It’s important to note that six of these criteria are defined without reference to format or
technology, no reference to digital. These six criteria will be familiar – they underpin the well-
established capabilities of information literacy.

How to assess digital literacy

As mentioned, eight potential performance criteria have been identified by DLF which
incorporate AQF graduate learning outcome requirements. Together, these criteria offer a
comprehensive approach to developing digital literacy across a course. These are represented
in Table 1. Digital literacy potential performance criteria and assessment characteristics.

Digital literacy 4
Digital literacy 5
Table 1: Digital literacy potential performance criteria and assessment characteristics
DIGITAL LITERACY POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE RESOURCES EXAMPLES IN CURRENT DEAKIN
CRITERIA (developed by Deakin Learning COURSES / UNITS
Futures)

Digital proficiency: Lynn Riddell and Susie School of Exercise and Nutrition
Macfarlane Sciences – Staff capacity building
Appropriate, efficient and effective use
project ‘Assembling your digital
of technology. Selection and use of School of Exercise and
toolkit’.
contemporary technologies to access, Nutrition Sciences,
organise, share and communicate information. Liaison Librarians Contacts – Susie Macfarlane and
Lynn Riddell
Learning@Deakin
Topical discussions via
the Deakin Yammer
community

Determining extent of information needed: Essay success (PDF) HSW219 Self and Society
Effectively defining the scope of a research Library search planner Contact – Linlin Zhao
inquiry; identification of key concepts and
Library videos and SRA215 Utopian Ideals in the
selection of relevant sources. Students analyse
tutorials on effective Modern World
and deconstruct a research topic identifying
search techniques.
key concepts and ideas and planning their Contact – Josephine le Clerc
search and discovery approach.

Accessing required information: Discipline-specific ALC101 Contemporary

Library Resource Communication: Making Sense of
Effectively accessing appropriate and
Guides embedded in Text, Image and Meaning
relevant sources using well-designed search
CloudDeakin unit sites
strategies? Students access quality sources Contact – Marina Minns
and demonstrate evidence of the use of these
resources in their assessment tasks.

Sources and evidence: Library extensive HME201 Medicine 2A

collection, including
Using quality, credible and relevant sources to Contact – Fiona Russell
ebooks, journals and
support and develop ideas. Assessment tasks
databases
require students to demonstrate evidence of
their ability to select the most appropriate and Library resources,
relevant sources of information important to their videos and tutorials
discipline or area of research.

Evaluating information critically: Critical analysis SEB121 Engineering Practice

Discriminating between opinion and information Graduate Learning Contact – Chris Rawson
substantiated by evidence; identifying and Outcome resources on
rectifying logical fallacies and errors. Students Critical thinking
apply critical judgement when evaluating
wide-ranging information sources for currency,
reliability, authority, perspective.

Using information effectively to accomplish a Cloud based tools ASL219/319 Drugs, Crime and
specific purpose: including Zotero and Society
citeulike
Effectively communicate manage and Contact – Marion Churkovich
synthesise information from a broad range EndNote
ePortfolio projects
of sources, establishing effective information
Scoop.it
management processes and skills to organise School of Education
and communicate information using Storify
School of Exercise and Nutrition
information curation tools.
Pearltrees Sciences
School of Nursing

Digital literacy 6
 Accessing and using information ethically and Licensing and MLL110 Legal Principles and Skills
legally: copyright
Contact – Helen Wood
Know, respect and comply with ethical and legal Referencing and
aspects of using published and unpublished avoiding plagiarism
information use according to access terms of
use in open and restricted licenses. Students
correctly acknowledge the work of other authors,
respect privacy and confidentiality and freedom
of information.

Digital communication: Lynn Riddell and Susie School of Exercise and Nutrition
Macfarlane Sciences – Staff capacity building
Appropriate, efficient and effective use of
project ‘Assembling your digital
technologies to communicate information School of Exercise and
toolkit’.
clearly and coherently. Assessment may Nutrition Sciences,
include participation in online discussions, Liaison Librarians Contacts – Susie Macfarlane and
contributing via social media, industry Tweet Lynn Riddell
Deakin Jobshop
ups, professional, industry and open forums.
MMP111 Introduction to Property
Graduate Learning
Students develop their ‘digital footprint’
Outcome resources on Contact – Sharon Chua
appropriately managing personal and
Communication
professional online identities. Jobshop support for career
Graduate Learning management and employability
Online collaboration and teamwork are key
Outcome resources on using social media – cloud concepts
aspects of communication.
Teamwork available later in 2013
Mediawiki

Furthermore, the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy

Competency Standards for Higher Education (ACRL 2000) provides an invaluable framework of
standards, performance indicators and outcomes, which align with many of the performance
criteria in Table 1. Liaison Librarians can assist in identifying those standards which align with
digital literacy course learning outcomes and which can inform the development of suitable
activities and assessment tasks. An ACRL review task force is currently undertaking a major
project to ensure the standards are revised or rescinded as needed, to continue to be relevant
in the digital environment (ACRL 2012).
The following websites and documents outline a variety of digital literacy assessment tools
and instruments that can assist when considering how best to assess and evidence students’
achievement of digital literacy.
Research on Digital Literacy assessment: Steve Covello’s site includes a sample of instruments
available for use with high school students, higher education students, and with pre- and in-
service teachers
http://apescience.com/id/fulltext/research-on-digital-literacy-assessment-instruments
Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (RAILS): funded by the Institute for Museum
and Library Services to facilitate the assessment of digital literacy, information literacy, and
critical thinking skills provides example rubrics, training materials, readings and a discussion
forum.
https://www.railsontrack.info

Digital literacy 7
Effective assessment in the digital age by JISC provides further information about effective
design of technology-enabled assessment and feedback practices http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/
documents/programmes/elearning/digiassass_eada.pdf
Research skills development framework (RSD): developed by the University of Adelaide and designed
as a structure to provide support in the development of research skill teaching and assessment.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/
Fresno Tool: developed to provide a validated, reliable assessment tool for skills in evidence-
based practice. Useful information to establish a base level of skill.
http://www.bmj.com/content/suppl/2003/02/10/326.7384.319.DC1
Assessing student learning by EdTechTeacher provides links to many rubrics to measure student
learning. It may be useful for developing your own assessment rubric.
https://edtechteacher.org/assessment/

Getting assistance
There are a wide range of valuable educational materials, services and expertise within
Faculties, Deakin Learning Futures, the Library, Deakin Student Life, Equity and Diversity and
other support areas who can assist you in developing curriculum and learning activities to
support your students’ development of digital literacy.

University Library
https://www.deakin.edu.au/library/about/contact-your-librarian
Liaison librarians are available to work with you to
• ensure your students develop effective digital literacy skills utilising technologies to find,
evaluate and disseminate quality information supporting their learning
• provide training in the use of the latest information discovery and information
management tools including EndNote, Zotero, social media and more
• show you how to incorporate more digital media in CloudDeakin units by locating and
embedding quality video and images and linking to databases, e-books, journal articles and
e-readings.

Equity and Diversity

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines can ensure digital literacy activities and
assessment tasks are developed in line with inclusive teaching practice.
Equity and Diversity can assist faculties on how to frame a course with UDL principles. There
are helpful UDL tools and research-based strategies that support staff in reflecting upon ‘what
they teach,’ ‘how they teach,’ and ‘how they assess’ student learning in light of the selected
Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs). Staff can then develop and implement UDL
changes associated with the selected Course and Graduate Learning Outcomes.

Deakin Learning Futures (DLF)

Experts in the development of authentic assessment of digital literacy, along with cloud
concepts and learning materials can contribute to your curriculum and learning resources. DLF
provide capacity building activities to support staff in this area. Also, the Course Enhancement
process provides a supported opportunity to embed this literacy into course review and
assessment redesign.

Digital literacy 8
Deakin Student Life
Study skills: language and learning for study success
https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/study-support/academic-skills
Language and Learning Advisors can support critical thinking skills at research and writing
stages, including how to evaluate texts and integrate the ideas of others; create discipline or
course based resources that highlight the linguistic features of critical analysis, for example
compare and contrast, strong versus weak arguments in a discipline and how it is achieved.

Careers
Provide a professional perspective on students’ digital footprint and personal branding.

FURTHER READINGS AND OTHER RESOURCES

Ala-Mutka, K, Punie, Y & Redecker, C 2008, Digital competence for lifelong learning, Policy Brief,
JRC Technical Notes, European Communities, European Commission, Spain, retrieved 24 May
2013. ftp://ftp.jrc.es/pub/EURdoc/JRC48708.TN.pdf
Ghaith, G 2010, ‘An exploratory study of the achievement of the twenty-first century skills in
higher education’, Education & Training, vol. 52, no. 6/7, pp. 489–98.
Jones-Kavalier, BR & Flannigan, SL 2006, ‘Connecting the dgital dots: literacy of the 21st
century’, Educause Quarterly, no. 2, January, pp. 8–10, retrieved 24 May 2013.
http://er.educause.edu/articles/2006/1/connecting-the-digital-dots-literacy-of-the-21st-
century
Lakkala, M, Ilomäki, L & Kantosalo, A 2011, ‘Which areas of digital competence are important
for a teacher?’, What is digital Competence?, EUN Partnership, AISBL, University of Helsinki,
Finland, March, retrieved 24 May 2013. http://linked.eun.org/c/document_library/get_ file?
p_l_id=22345&folderId=23768&name=DLFE-742.pdf
Lea, MR & Jones, S 2011, ‘Digital literacies in higher education: exploring textual and
technological practice’, Studies in Higher Education., vol. 36, no. 4, pp. 377–93.
Leeds Metropolitan University 2011, Embedding digital literacy as a graduate attribute at
Leeds Metropolitan University: Refocusing the undergraduate curriculum, Centre for Learning
and Teaching, Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom, vol. 2, December, pp. 1–12,
retrieved 24 May 2013. https://teachlearn.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/-/media/files/clt/
clt_beckett_embedding_digital_literacy_icons.pdf
Nelson, KM, Courier, M & Joseph, GW 2011, ‘Teaching tip: an investigation of digital literacy
needs of students’, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 547–56.
Sefton-Green, J, Nixon, H & Erstad, O 2009, ‘Reviewing approaches and perspectives on “digital
literacy”’, Pedagogies: An International Journal, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 107–25.

Digital literacy 9
Digital literacy 10
REFERENCES
Aditomo, A, Goodyear, P, Bliuc, A & Ellis, RA 2011, ‘Inquiry-based learning in higher
education: principal forms, educational objectives, and disciplinary variations?’, Studies in
Higher Education, vol. 36, pp. 1–20, retrieved 24 May 2013. http://ezproxy.deakin.edu.au/
login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.616584
American Library Association 2000, Information literacy competency standards for Higher
Education, The Association of College and Research Libraries, American Library Association,
Chicago, Illinois, January, retrieved 24 May 2013. https://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/7668?
show=full
ACRL 2012, ACRL Information literacy competency standards for Higher Education task force,
retrieved 24 May 2013. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
Bawden, D 2008, ‘Origins and concepts of digital literacy’, in C Lankshear & M Knobel (eds),
Digital literacies: concepts, policies and practices, Peter Lang Publishing, New York, pp. 17–32.
Bawden, D & Robinson, L 2009, ‘The dark side of information: overload, anxiety and other
paradoxes and pathologies’, Journal of Information Science, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 108–191.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0165551508095781
Deakin University 2013, ‘Appendix 1’, Deakin Learning Futures AGENDA 2020: Stage 2:
Assessment and Learning Design, Deakin University, Victoria, March, pp. 1–55.
Gilster, P 1997, Digital literacy, John Wiley, New York.
Hagel, P 2012a, ‘Towards an understanding of ‘Digtial Literacy(ies)’, Unpublished report,
Deakin University Library, Victoria.
Hagel, P 2012b, ‘Establishing what is good practice in digital literacy development, assessment
and evaluation for graduate employability’, Unpublished report, Deakin University Library,
Victoria.
Ilic, D 2009, ‘Assessing competency in evidence based practice: strengths and limitations of
current tools in practice’, BMC Medical Education, no. 9, p. 53, retrieved 24 May 2013. http://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2728711/
CAST 2012, Universal design for learning guidelines, National Center on Universal Design for
Learning, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), retrieved 24 May 2013. http://www.
udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0.pdf

Digital literacy 11
DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL LITERACIES
TEACHING RESOURCE
This resource was prepared by: Sue Owen, Associate University Librarian
Dr Pauline Hagel, former Associate Head of School, Teaching and Learning, School of
Management and Marketing, Faculty of Business & Law
Bernie Lingham, Manager Faculty Library Services, Science Engineering and Built Environment
Daisy Tyson, Manager Faculty Library Services, Arts and Education
Graphic Design work by Johnny Terziovski.
The series of Teaching Resources was edited by Dr. Teresa De Fazio, Deakin Learning Futures
with the assistance of Assoc. Prof. Kylie O’Brien and Anna Grbin.

Digital literacy 12