Presentation to NALA Adult Literacy Organiser's Forum, 23rd of April 2009

1. Pathways to participation in the Digital World: What happens when people with literacy difficulties begin to use ICT for the first time? Leo Casey, NALA ALO Forum 23rd of April, 2009

2. What is a basic literacy? Digital literacy as a basic literacy Insights from learning for digital literacy How should educators respond?

4. Digital Literacy Print Literacy Computer Literacy Information Literacy Media Literacy Literacy and Literacies

5. What do we mean by a ‘basic’ literacy The question is why we describe some practices, such as using digital technologies, or using numbers in everyday situations, as basic literacies and not others?

7. The Digital World

9. Interview Participants

10. BEN Ben is 48 years old Works in transport Connects with the office for dockets Sees others using computers Feels left out and alienated Wants to be competent - do his own dockets and participate - book holidays on the Internet, send e-mails

13. Competence Desire General Competence Desire Specific Competence Desire

16. Learning Identity

17. Mary, the 53-year-old retail worker The reason I decided to participate in the course was as there was a computer in my home that my son used and he was very good at. I just felt that I was left out of it I mean I tried to use it a few times and he nearly … died because he knew I couldn’t use it properly.

18. Mary, the 53-year-old retail worker (continued) And to be honest even to go on the Internet and look up things or even write a letter or e-mail I always felt excluded and at this moment in life everyone’s talking about e-mails, everyone’s talking about Internet and I was totally out of that , because I didn’t know how to use it properly

19. Ben, 48 year old dockland worker It’s just that I worked around computers that I never went near them ... in the last job I was in. What I didn’t learn from...them, what I could have learned, and I’m just ignorant passing by them every day knowing that ‘here could you print me this’ or ‘do this on it’ and all that

20. Ben, 48 year old dockland worker I remember the teacher saying this’ll do you a world of good. Yeh right! Just give me a shovel and I’ll dig a hole .… what do I need a computer for to dig a hole but now-a-day if you see people digging a hole they have to take measurements … it’s all back, all paperwork’s back into computers

21. Ben, 48 year old dockland worker .... broadband or whatever that is but it’s a new word for me. So what is that? It’s not like I just learn the word . I know the word broadband but you have to learn ... tell me what it is, even though I know the name I don’t know what it means or what it is.

22. Tim -65 year old recent retiree Dear Gerry, I would like to make a suggesting as the people have no trust in the Government. As we have seen what people power can do would it not be better if all the sporting people of the country got behind the Garda. And used the a credential email address to the garda of any thing that could be helpful or any other About this case thing they see if we are to put a stop to all of the murders …. this could happing again to any of us if we are in the wrong place at the wrong time Please don't mention my name.

23. A Grounded Theory

24. How should educators respond? The challenge and the opportunity

25. The Digital World – Narrow the Gap Pedagogic strategies need to deal with the Digital World. Non-users should to be invited in; to explore in confidence and without risk. This may be achieved by means of stories of role models, people like themselves, who are now active with ICT.

30. Thank You