Section 2 The Digital Literacy Project:
Initial Responses from Trainee Teachers Geraldine Murphy
Geraldine is a PhD student at Birmingham City University. Her research interests are digital literacy, further education and teacher training. For more information and for project updates visit
http://digitalliteraciesblog.wordpress.com or contact her at
Geraldine.murphy@
mail.bcu.ac.uk
Context
Literacy research within the lifelong learning sector has mainly focused on the experiences of the recipients of Further Education (FE) (Kendall & McGrath, in press) or the practices of literacy within the cultural and contextual environments of the FE landscape (Mannon & Ivaniè 2007; Miller et al 2007; Ivaniè 2009, cited in Kendall &
Current research into digital literacy provides mounting evidence of the benefit of digital literacy when employed in an educational setting, although it has yet to be formally recognised by policy makers. Arguably, the promotion of digital literacy onto the policy agenda could add value to current educational initiatives. Digital literacy could enhance the
McGrath, in press). There is a lack of attention to professionalism of the sector, promote an research in digital literacy from the perspective of the teachers currently working within FE in the UK. As this is an under-researched area we have no clear picture of any dominant or
competing discourses, nor do we understand how they are framed or constructed by policy and how they are played out within an FE context.
Literacy studies offers us a useful way to examine what it means to live, learn and work within a digital society. Literacy relates to real-
life needs and as a means to participate within the world (Barton 2000), either through
established and traditional media or in new and innovative digital ways. The understanding of digital literacy among educators is confused; the awkward coupling of 'digital' and 'literacy' has shaped the contentious nature of the phrase, its
position in the formal curriculum and in educational policy (Buckingham 2008).
A clearer understanding of new communication practices and the concept of digital literacy has never been so important. It is essential that
inclusive approach to the development and training of educators and empower teachers to explore new ways to engage with their students and add value to their learning experiences.
However, this work arrives at a time when statutory qualification regulations look likely to
be revoked. Change in how teachers are to be trained and gain qualifications in work within the sector is imminent, and the sector is awaiting new guidance on the future of teacher training and regulatory arrangements.
With regard to digital literacy policy, the terrain of the sector is highly fragmented; institutions under the current regulations are able to implement their own digital literacy policies, leading to an inconsistent approach to the training and support of staff.
Methodology
This report provides an initial discursive analysis of qualitative data gathered from a small-scale survey of a group of in-service trainee teachers in their understanding of digital literacy. It forms
teachers are supported in their own development part of a larger body of work that aims to and understanding of digital technology so that they are confident to embed digital literacy in their teaching. We are in a time of change, as Merchant (2007) suggests, a clearer
understanding of the word literacy in a world of new communications is needed in order to re-
align the curriculum with changes in society. As March (2008) acknowledges, the increasingly embedded nature of technology and the
'messiness' of digital technologies and how they interact and intersect with daily life will continue
examine the understanding of digital literacy among teachers working within the FE sector in the West Midlands. Through this work I hope to open up a sector-specific discussion of digital literacy and to promote further research in this area.
This work utilises Gee's (1997) approach to discourse analysis to investigate the situated meanings of the participants to illustrate the discourses of digital literacy that resonate within
to shape the future of how people work, live and teachers working in FE. The pilot group consisted communicate within a globally networked society (JISC 2009).
of 9 first-year part-time Post Compulsory
Education and Training teachers, with a range of teaching experience and subject specialisms.
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