On National Teacher Day, meet the 2024-25 Kenan Fellows
An Anthropological Enquiry into Notions of 'Empowment' in a Digital Age
1. DIGITAL LITERACIES
An Anthropological Enquiry into Notions of
„Empowerment‟ in a Digital Age
Hana Mori
UCL BSc Anthropology 3rd Year
Digital Literacies Officer, E-Learning Environments ISD UCL
hana.mori.11@ucl.ac.uk
2. My Background
Visual Communications, Foundation Degree Chelsea
College of Art & Design
BSc Anthropology 3rd Year
Digital Literacies Officer, E-Learning Environments
Information Services Division
Interested in Policy Design and International
Development
3. Introduction
- What are we trying to achieve through digital literacies?
- What is the wider context?
- How are students responding to it?
- A Digital University?
5. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
6. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the
World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
7. The Digital Revolution:
A way of Seeing the World
• Overthrown business models,
• The economy,
• Analytical models,
• Citizenship
• Sociality
• Knowledge
“ People around the world
feel the winds of
multidimensional social
change without truly
understanding it,
let alone feeling a grasp
upon the process of
change ”
Castells, 2000
8. A Beautiful Future
Technology = Progress
Desirable
Video: Internet.org
The Digital Revolution:
A way of Seeing the World
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdWaZkvAJfM
9. “We… declare our common desire and commitment
to build a people-centred, inclusive and
development-oriented Information Society, where
everyone can create, access, utilize and share
information and knowledge, enabling individuals,
communities and peoples to achieve their full
potential in promoting their sustainable development
and improving their quality of life.”
(United Nations, 2003:1, my own emphasis)
The Digital Revolution:
A way of Seeing the World
13. What does this mean?
We embrace the Digital Revolution,
We embrace Change,
Becomes our Reality.
The Digital Revolution:
A way of Seeing the World
14. In Summary…
The vision of the digital revolution is very attractive.
It conjures universal values.
It has been naturalized.
It is thrilling and encourages participation.
The Digital Revolution:
A way of Seeing the World
15. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
16. Digital Skills for Development
“Each person should have the opportunity to acquire
the necessary skills and knowledge in order to
understand, participate actively in, and benefit fully
from, the Information Society and the knowledge
economy. Literacy and universal primary education
are key factors for building a fully inclusive information
society.”
(United Nations, 2003)
17. Who are we targeting?
Vulnerable and Marginalized
in the EU:
“people aged 65 to 74 years old, people on low incomes,
the unemployed and the less educated.”
(European Commission 2010:25)
Digital Skills for Development
18. What are we trying to achieve?
“I think it’s inherently flawed to try and teach
literacy. In language, it’s like the bare minimum,
it really is an insult. It’s like being digitally
illiterate means you don’t understand anything
about computers I suppose. Digitally literate is
really the bare minimum.”
Donald, from 18/10/13 ELE focus group
Digital Skills for Development
19. In Summary…
Basic Human Right to Participate
Digital Literacy = entry ticket to Digital Society
„Empowerment‟ is being included
20. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
21. Case Study: Coding &
Entrepreneurship
UCL Entrepreneurship Society
Cookies & Coding, October 2013
148 people attended.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKIu9yen5nc
24. Case Study: Coding &
Entrepreneurship
THE EPIC GOAL:
To be a Part of the “NEXT BIG THING”
How? WORK – ETHIC
“Everyone has a million dollar idea, but only the top 0.5% actually go
through with it”
“if you hit your head against the wall hard enough and at the right
angle, you can do practically anything”
“You can replace any skill with the skill of learning fast”
25. UK is a facilitator rather than a catalyst
Give OPPORTUNITIES
Provide a VISION
Case Study: Coding &
Entrepreneurship
26. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
27. Learning Skills ≠ Using Skills
Identity building
Community of Practice, Social Capital
A sense of Belonging
Not a Causal Relationship
Reconsidering the Role of the
University
28. Reconsidering the Role of the
University
“You can replace any skill with the skill of learning
fast”
Not about transforming our students
But allowing them to transform
30. Content
The Digital Revolution: A Way of Understanding the World
Digital Literacies for Development?
Case Study: Coding & Entrepreneurship
Reconsidering the Role of University
Conclusions
31. CONCLUSIONS
The Digital Revolution provides an EPIC GOAL
„Empowerment‟ is PARTICIPATION
Limits to the Institution‟s Influence
Act as a FACILITATOR, not a CATALYST