A digitally literate organisation is better equipped to address a range of challenges so building capacity for strategic thinking and leadership around digital literacy at all levels is critical for organisational change in this area.

There are a number of approaches institutions can take to help drive forward digital literacies across the organisation in a consistent, holistic and sustainable way.

This section will focus on:

• Developing a strategic vision underpinned by institutional values and effective leadership
• Translating the vision into different strategies, policies and processes and taking a joined up approach
• Providing support services and opportunities which enable students and staff to develop their digital capabilities
• Enabling a supportive IT infrastructure which supports diverse digital practices and flexibility
• Promoting a culture of innovation and change where staff and students at all levels are involved in strategic conversations around digital literacies and a range of engagement models are supported
• Reviewing current policies, processes and practices to better understand existing support for digital literacy and help prioritise areas for development

Developing a vision for what a digitally literate university or college looks like will underpin the institutional strategies, policies and processes which enable digital literacy to flourish.

Some of the questions for institutions in helping articulate a vision for digital literacy include:

• How does our institutional mission recognise the importance of digital capability?
• What learner or graduate attributes do we make it our mission to develop, promote and support in our learners?
• What part do digital technologies play in the learning experience at our institution?
• How are learners involved in decisions about ICT?
• How are we helping learners to thrive in a networked social context, where boundaries of many kinds are crossed?
• Do we actively address learners’ expectations about the digital environment and forms of digital learning in which they will be engaged?

Developing an institutional vision cannot be done in isolation and will need to involve a range of different stakeholders.

Consultation events, focus groups, workshops or think tanks can help to engage staff and a range of tools and techniques can help such as scenario planning or using participatory approaches like rich pictures.

Influencing strategy is impossible unless senior managers can be convinced that your vision has merit.
University of Plymouth Seedpod project

Strategic aspirations about digital literacy, if they exist, are usually expressed in different written statements and strategies such as digital, e-learning or learning and teaching strategies. For some institutions, these strategies focus on specific ‘digital’ objectives while for others these are normalised across a range of statements. Either way, digital literacy aspirations need to be clearly articulated and words turned to actions through strategic planning.

This is different to developing a digital literacy framework or model which has a different purpose although it can be useful in guiding plans and activities. Activities that are currently happening need to clearly align with existing strategies for them to be supported and prioritised.

Engaging senior managers

Balancing resources and prioritising activities is a key concern for decision makers.

Decisions will be influenced by a number of factors such as how closely strategic objectives are connected, costing and resourcing and evidence gathered through a review and audit process. Short briefings and hard evidence around efficiencies, cost savings and enhanced student satisfaction are a useful way of convincing senior managers.

Communication and engagement

Underpinning all successful strategic activity around digital literacy is effective communication and engagement to ensure staff, students and other stakeholders are informed and actively involved in ongoing dialogue around change. The term ‘strategic conversation’ is sometimes used to describe this process and although there are tools and approaches which can help make these more effective, the organisational culture and environment will ultimately influence the nature of these (see section on culture and change).

Support services

Support for digital literacy is delivered by a wide range of services and through various support models which are distributed, connected or integrated in different ways. Making support activities more coherent is important.

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Plymouth University ASTI model

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Joining up activities through a ‘hub and spoke’ model where a central team coordinates and oversees these, such as the ASTI model at Plymouth University, is a good approach. Others include:

• Developing collaborative digital projects between support services to build better links
• Recognising the value of informal support networks between peers
• Engaging students alongside staff in co-mentoring roles
• Improving signposting for staff and students to appropriate support
• Ensuring mechanisms are in place to appropriately assess and progress the digital capabilities of students and staff
• Recognising that support services staff need to upskill their own digital literacy
• Recognition and reward are key motivators for staff and students to engage in development activities

Staff development

Investment in the professional development of staff across the institution is an important factor in the strategic development of digital literacy. Routes to this range from accredited programmes to in-house workshops and training to developing communities of practice. The section on supporting staff digital literacies explores tools and approaches but a key message for institutions is that policies and processes need to support development across different academic and support roles in a range of ways.

A number of professional associations have staff development programmes and resources which support digital literacy development including competence frameworks, online courses, development conferences and networking opportunities for their members. These are useful sources of support for developing staff in a range of different roles. A number of these associations, working with projects, have reviewed, adapted or mapped their professional standards and frameworks to help embed digital capabilities. The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) provide CPD courses for staff such as ocTEL (Open Course in Technology Enhanced Learning).

Developing a digital infrastructure which creates a supportive, adaptable and secure digital environment is critical for digital literacy development to flourish. As the use of personal mobile devices increases so does the need to provide more flexible and personalised access to institutional services and technologies through fast, reliable and secure networks and services across multiple locations.

IT strategies, policies and processes will set the direction for the development of the digital environment so develop these continuously and engage users throughout the process.

Student engagement with technology

The Jisc digital student project is working with a number of partners to investigate the expectations incoming students have of technology provision in further and higher education.

The findings and recommendations from an initial scoping study on students’ expectations and experiences of the digital environment (2013) already highlights some key considerations for institutions around connectivity and access to IT as well as staff capability and support services.

The Institute of Education’s digital literacies as a postgraduate attribute project also has some key findings around the digital environment and student engagement with technology.

e-safety

The increasing use of personal devices and social media tools in learning and teaching brings with it responsibilities to keep vulnerable learners safe online and manage and monitor access to content appropriately. The e-safety detailed guide provides guidance and resources in this area, especially for the further education and skills sector.

User engagement

A key message from institutions is – involve students! This will help focus on developing institutional technology that really meet students’ needs and help make core institutional systems more usable and personal through student testing of new services and applications.

More generally continuous dialogue between ICT teams and users is important to find out how the environment is inhibiting or supporting innovation and how policies need to be adapted to better reflect digital practices across the organisation.

The visitors and residents approach provides a model for engaging users and evaluating digital services to users through an exploration of individual behaviours and preferences.

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Map was created as part of the HE Academy’s Challenges of Residency project by a master’s level Biomedical Science student.

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Digital literacy development requires a range of approaches to change which both respond to and help shape organisational culture.  Culture is complex but is essentially about ‘the way we do things around here’.

Each institution will have its own culture and a web of sub-cultures across subject disciplines, departments, teams, role groups etc. Working with these is important but changing the culture itself is an opportunity which requires skilled leadership.

A key finding from the Institute of Education project  in relation to change management is that:

the classic opposition of “top down” and “bottom up” change failed to explain how the project could achieve institutional change. Instead, opportunistic “middle out” change proved most effective: spotting institutional developments and either weaving them through our analysis work, or supporting particular initiatives by providing them with the evidence base they needed to secure institutional support and resourcing.

The project team presented on their model of organisational change to the Jisc online conference in session called projects, policy and digital literacies: from student experience to organisational change.

The change management detailed guide looks at culture and approaches to change in detail but here are some key messages from the existing digital literacy initiatives:

• Invest in partnership approaches which engage staff, students and other stakeholders across the institution – students as change agents are particularly effective
• Create opportunities for conversation and development through workshops, events and other development opportunities
• Work digital literacies into other change agendas is more effective than pursuing a consensus through more isolated initiatives
• Understand what influences and motivates different groups ie forms of communication, reward and recognition etc
• Know your audience and always talk about digital literacy in context ie what it means to different subject disciplines, professional roles etc
• Enable communities of practice or peer networks to develop and encourage links across departments and roles while maintaining a strategic overview
• Provide seed funding for mini projects

Students as change agents

Institutions are engaging students in digital literacy projects through a range of roles such as co-researchers, mentors, and technical support. The advantages are that students are generally more digitally confident and fluent than staff in the use of personal and social media. Although students need support in applying this digital know-how successfully to academic study, they are often more willing to explore the possibilities that technology can bring to their learning.

These practices can be developed effectively by working in partnership with staff and other students. Students can also feel empowered by their involvement in change, benefiting from new personal and work-related skills as initiatives at Oxford Brookes University and the University of Greenwich show.

Measuring change

Evaluating the impact of digital literacy initiatives will provide evidence of change, identify successful and unsuccessful approaches and build a case for continuing development activities. The review section will look at tools and approaches to help understand the current ‘as is’ situation and evaluate progress against objectives.

Further resources

• Change management detailed guide
• Organisational development resources
• Change Agents Network effective practice resources
• Students as digital pioneers - outcomes and lessons from the developing digital literacies programme
• Students as change agents - resources from across Jisc programmes
• Planning a participatory workshop

Investigating how digital literacies are currently supported and reviewing skills levels across the organisation can help prioritise areas for development and baseline the institutional starting point for change.

Although potentially time-consuming, undertaking this kind of research is essential to providing an evidence base for change and a business case for investing in digital literacy development. It also provides a starting point against which you can evaluate progress, inform planning and generally contribute to the business intelligence of the organisation.

There will be different approaches required to investigating these different areas. While some of these could be informed from existing institutional documentation or light touch interviews with key players, other areas will be more complex. The main areas to consider include (a more detailed set of possible questions is available):

• Strategies and policies eg external and institutional strategies and statements
• Infrastructure eg IT hardware, software, mobile access, learning spaces
• Support eg support services, online resources, tutor/peer support
• Practice eg technologies in use, learning experience, co-curricular activities
• Expertise and attitudes eg staff and student capabilities and perceptions
• Needs and expectations eg stakeholder expectations, needs analysis

Institutional audit and review tool

This audit tool developed by Jisc supports evidence gathering around digital literacy support across the organisation. It provides questions and points for reflection around key areas: strategies and policies, support from professional services, support in programmes of study, IT infrastructure and support, developing expertise, special projects or initiatives and conclusions/recommendations.  

Measuring change

Understanding the baseline will enable evidence-based decision-making and inform future strategies. It also provides a starting point against which initiatives can be evaluated to provide evidence of impact and support a case for further investment of resources. There are a number of tools and approaches including evaluation resources used in digital literacy projects.

Plymouth year one impact video.

Further resources

• Tools and resources for baselining digital literacy
• Digital literacies evaluation resources

Strategies and policies will guide direction but change happens ‘on the ground’ through ‘change agents’ working to support staff and students in developing their skills and practice.  This section will focus on approaches and resources which can help those involved in staff and student support.

The curriculum provides the framework for developing student digital literacies and engaging staff in dialogue around what it means to be a digitally literate student, teacher, professional etc in a particular discipline. The curriculum design process is key to ensuring that digital literacies are embedded in learning and teaching. Supporting student digital literacies tends to be the focus of support activities but teaching staff need support to help address confidence and capability issues and support staff need to continually develop skills and knowledge. Although researchers self-direct their digital practice, they still need opportunities to build confidence and develop their capabilities.

There are a range of approaches to support including:

• Implementing different support models such as students as digital pioneers/change agents
• Developing digital literacy frameworks with staff and students to encourage engagement and ownership and using these as tools for dialogue and evaluating skills and competence
• Assessing student and staff skills through surveys and engagement activities to ensure these are understood and appropriate support developed
• Developing digital literacies for employability and exploring recognition and reward schemes
• Developing different levels of support from short online guidance and briefings to more hands-on workshop activities
• Embedding digital literacies in continuing professional development (CPD) and staff development programmes
• Focusing on digital identity and reputation as a powerful motivator to engage with digital issues

The curriculum provides a framework for engaging with technologies that are educationally relevant.

For students, digital practices in the learning environment are shaped within their programme of study where they tend to look to teaching staff for guidance on recommended technologies or adopt those required by the curriculum. Embedding digital capability into the curriculum aligns with their educational aspirations and helps make sense of the tasks and technologies in use.

However, there is generally a lack of consistency within institutions in how students are introduced to technology in their studies, how technology is used in curriculum activities and how digital skills are assessed if at all. Engaging staff and students in development activities and systematically designing digital literacy into the curriculum will help address some of these issues.

Taking a discipline focus

Focusing on digital literacies within different subject disciplines is the most meaningful way of engaging staff and students in discussions around the types of technologies and related capabilities that are of most relevance to them.

For staff, the sense of being overwhelmed by the digital can be managed through a focus on what is really relevant in their specialism and on the ways they can add value to students’ digital know-how.

For students, the discipline provides the context for shaping their digital practices to support their studies and, in many cases, professional development.

Curriculum design and development

The curriculum design process is key to ensuring that digital literacies are embedded in learning and teaching. Course validation and review provide opportunities to rethink how digital literacy can be reflected in learning outcomes and the tasks and assessments which support these so working with course teams at these critical points is key. The involvement of specialist professionals in this process (eg library staff, TEL staff, academic advisors) also allows new ideas to spread across subject boundaries.

A resource set on developing digital Literacies in the curriculum provides a range of resources such as case studies, workshop materials, guides and briefings, frameworks and learning design tools which can be used with staff and students.

Further resources

• Developing digital literacies in the curriculum
• Learning design resources
• Students as digital pioneers
• 20 tips for course teams

The use of digital technologies and media by researchers potentially is changing what it means to be an effective researcher or skilled academic/professional in higher education.
Vitae baseline report

Research skills and competences are integral to academic practice at all levels but this section will focus on developing the digital literacies of research students and career researchers.

Researchers are increasingly using digital technologies in a social and professional context to enhance their research activities as these open up new possibilities in terms of networking, communication and collaboration, data capture, analysis and visualisation, project management and open publishing and research.  However, Vitae, an organisation championing the development of researchers in the UK, has recognised that there is a general lack of expertise within the researcher development community when it comes to digital literacy development. 

Through its involvement in the developing digital literacies programme, Vitae is working more proactively with this community to help prioritise activities and support.

Developing a culture of digital research practice is important in research-intensive institutions and across research networks. There are examples of approaches to this, including the involvement of researchers in change programmes.

Resources

• Resources for digital scholars and researchers
• Handbook of social media for researchers and supervisors

Developing staff digital literacies can often be overlooked but it is key that institutions invest in development opportunities for both academic and support staff so that they can support students more effectively and enhance their own professional competences. While many staff are advocates of the benefits of technology to learning and teaching, there are pockets of resistance due to eg lack of confidence, lack of time to engage with new tools, distrust of the academic benefits or cultural attitudes. 

Universities and colleges provide a range of services from conventional IT training to more tailored e-learning support which help staff explore technology options and how they can enhance the curriculum. Professional development programmes also offer opportunities to raise awareness of how digital tools can support teaching practice and help staff reflect on their own competences.

Often though it is about engaging staff in change so creating opportunities for conversations is key. Here are some approaches which might help:

Focus on the curriculum

Context is key so focusing on the subject specialism is the best way to engage teaching, support staff and students in conversations about what it means to be digitally literate in a particular discipline. Aligned with that is the curriculum design process. Learning design workshops and curriculum approval processes should help ensure that digital literacies are developed through appropriate tasks and articulated in learning outcomes (see section on curriculum change).

Use frameworks or models as tools for engagement

Focusing on theoretical aspects of digital literacies by developing definitions, frameworks and models of digital literacy can be beneficial as a way of engaging staff. These can provide a reference point going forward or a visualisation of a shared understanding of what digital literacy means but the key benefit is that they provide a focus or tool for engagement and discussion.

Essentially, the process is as important as the end product. See examples from Bath, Cardiff and Greenwich universities.

Provide timely information, guidance and support

Staff are time-poor and need access to on-demand, highly accessible, bite-sized ICT guidance such as online videos or drop-in sessions (may be mixed with students).

Staff appreciate case studies and examples of good practice particularly those relevant to their discipline but probably need some kind of personal mediation to really make good use of these eg through a staff development event. Examples include the Plymouth guide to digital literacies and ‘Digital tools for busy academics’. See a summary of briefings and guides here.

Develop partnerships, networks and communities of practice

Working in partnership with students (see culture and change) and other staff on focused projects can be an excellent way of developing capabilities and confidence. These can lead to the development of new or existing networks, interest groups and communities of practice which help embed digital literacies in the longer term.

The University of Bath worked with faculty learning communities and workshop resources are available to reuse/repurpose.

The University of the Arts London developed a number of communities of practice and cluster groups to focus on different projects and themes.

Embed digital literacies in CPD and staff development programmes

CPD, accredited routes, award schemes and secondments are all means of encouraging staff engagement alongside giving ‘softer’ but essential incentives such as making time available. Worcester College has developed online digital literacy courses for staff which are accredited at Level 2 by the Open College Network.

The PADDLE project also established an online digital practice for teachers course to encourage digital practices in the curriculum. As part of this the project has also defined a digital competence framework for FE.

Digital literacy is increasingly being expressed in different professional frameworks which help map the capabilities, attitudes and values of various professional roles.

In higher education, for example, the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for teaching and supporting learning is for institutions to apply to their professional development programmes. A guide to Implementing the UKPSF in the digital university developed by a range of professional associations involved in the Jisc programme provides examples and case studies mapped to the UKPSF dimensions.

Focus on digital identity and reputation

Developing a professional/academic digital identity is a powerful motivator for staff to engage with digital issues so using online reputation as a ‘hook’ for staff engagement and development is a useful approach generating open discussion about digital competences and issues.

Digital choices are aspects of personal identity so, as the University of the Arts London has found, staff need time, space and support to assess their individual capabilities, anxieties and needs, and decide which tools are right for them. 

Self-assessment and diagnostic tools can also help staff define their own development goals and training needs.

Further resources

• Staff development resources
• Embedding work-with-IT project
• CAMEL model to build a community of practice
• Guide to Implementing the UKPSF in the digital university

Students enter further or higher education with a broad spectrum of digital capabilities, experience of and confidence in using technology. However, even students who are confident and proficient users of social and digital media in their personal and social lives need support using digital technologies effectively for learning and in employment-related contexts.

The Institute of Education explored the digital literacies of their students (postgraduate) and their research findings have identified practical challenges and conceptual issues around the use of technology in their studies such as their developing sense of professional and scholarly identity.

Student partnerships and peer support

The range of services which can support digital capabilities are discussed in Support and Development but it is worth highlighting again the effectiveness of involving students as partners or mentors to develop their own skills and provide peer support. See examples under culture and change.

Learning Zone

The Learning Zone at the University of the Arts, London is a peer support and co-mentoring initiative which employs students alongside professional staff and has been considered among the most forward-thinking aspects of institutional provision.

It is a dynamic social learning space that supports the development of study and transferable professional skills. It combines traditional and modern tools alongside state of the art technology in a flexible, informal and fully accessible space which supports group and individual study. Student assistants and professional staff are available to advise and guide students as they explore innovative ways of doing their coursework.

Focusing on online identity

A key hook to engage students is focusing on online identity and reputation which can be well supported through separate modules or workshops as well as online resources.

• The University of Bath is developing workshops on creating and managing professional online identities to be offered via faculties as part of student induction and by the Students’ Union as a component of their skills training workshops
• The University of the Arts London developed a pilot programme around professional online identities and a supporting workshop
• Reading’s ‘This is Me’ website collates a range of learning materials around digital identity including workbooks and worksheets, identity stories and workshop materials
• Grŵp Llandrillo Menai has developed a set of module-linked resources for college tutors to use with students around digital culture and identity

Assessing and progressing students’ digital literacies

Understanding the digital capabilities of students helps inform how they are best supported both within and alongside the curriculum. Survey tools such as the student survey tool developed by Jisc's learners’ experiences of e-learning programme can support larger scale audits of learners’ access and preferences.

Digital literacy frameworks such as the European digital competence framework and other institutional or professional frameworks can provide a basis for evaluating and progressing digital capabilities. The visitors and residents approach provides a more exploratory means of understanding digital practices and identity.

Digital choices are aspects of personal identity so students need time, space and support to assess their own individual capabilities and development needs in different contexts. Ideally this opportunity should be offered at the start of their course and regularly as they progress. There are a range of self-assessment tools which students could be introduced to although supporting reflection and action planning around this is important.

Digital literacies and the learning journey

Support should be progressive throughout the learning experience but providing this as early as possible (ie from pre-entry to induction) is critical for managing expectations and initiating the processes of self-assessment and personal development planning. Digital literacies need addressing throughout the learner journey at the transition points between different levels of study.

Digital literacies in transition at Greenwich

The digital literacies in transition project at the University of Greenwich project has focused on the student journey and understanding students needs at critical points in their progression through higher education.

The principles of aligning digital literacy with transition is based upon research performed by the University of Greenwich as well as drawing from best practice from the sector. It is designed to support practitioners in supporting their students and thus enhance the transitional experience of higher education (HE). Combined with the 5 resource model of critical literacy it provides a supporting mode for developing graduate attributes aligned to transition.

See transition in HE for more information and resources.

Employability, recognition and reward

The curriculum provides the core learning context for digital literacy development and extra- or co-curricular activities which can also help develop wider skills including employability. Partnerships with professional bodies to accredit digital literacy skills such as the Oxford Brookes/Institute for Leadership and Management (ILM) initiative to develop a course for future consultants can raise the profile of digital literacy for employability.

Schemes which recognise student digital skills such as the Bath Award or accreditation in the form of badges or academic credit can be effective ways to incentivise student engagement with digital literacy initiatives and develop skills in professional contexts. Institutions such as Cardiff provide a range of online resources to support employability skills.

Resources

• 20 tips for support services
• 20 tips for students
• Students as change agents
• Resources for working with students
• Assessing and progressing digital literacy
• Developing digital literacy for employability
• Cardiff case employability case study

Some of our suggestions may seem to state the obvious but they reflect outcomes from the Jisc programme and are a useful reminder for when you are developing digital literacies in your institution.

These materials provide a core set of staff development resources to help you think about digital literacies in your organisation.  They include templates, slides and cards and discussion questions which are free to reuse and repurpose.

Strategy, change and evaluating digital literacies take a whole organisation view of digital literacy development

Developing digital literacies in the curriculum focus on developing digital literacies for learning and teaching

Resource kits for specific purposes/users

• Developing digital literacies in the curriculum for curriculum teams and teaching staff
• Developing digital literacies for digital scholars and researchers
• Developing digital literacies for employability for students, employers, and staff concerned with employability issues
• Developing digital pioneers for managers, staff and students working as change agents across the institution
• Developing digitally literate institutions for strategic managers and governors
• Developing your digital literacies for staff and students in all roles

Types of resource

• General digital literacy resources including resources from outside the programme
• Staff development materials produced by the programme
• Materials designed for/with students
• Organisational development materials and resources on organisational change
• Case studies from the programme
• Briefings on a range of specific technologies and approaches
• Conceptual frameworks for understanding digital literacy and digital competence
• Professional frameworks for supporting and enhancing digital literacy with specific groups of staff/students
• Self-assessment and diagnostic tools for digital literacy skills
• Evaluation resources specific to digital literacies
• Reports and presentations from the funded projects
• Final synthesis report