'Using some of the data collected for the Digital Literacy JISC project at Worcester College of Technology we were curious to see if there were any major differences between those categorised as Digital Natives and those as Digital Immigrant

1. DIGITAL LITERACY (WORDLE)
Snapshot - An Interesting Insight

2. DIGITAL NATIVES – DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS
 Interesting perspective - Much has been written
about the digital divide and generation gap.
 However this argument by Mark Prensky (2001a) is
now 10 years old.
 Do generations really see things differently?
 And do they all understand the basic associated
Digital Literacy terms and focus areas in the same
way before we start?

3. DIGITAL LITERACY – SNAPSHOT INSIGHT
 Before project really started we took the opportunity
to take a quick snapshot insight into our college
community
 Are the preconceived notions of different
generations or understandings true?
 Why? - Does training need to start right at the
beginning to explain what it is we are doing?
 Why? -Does there need to be clarity for our
audience as to what we are supporting? Do they all
have the same starting point?

4. WE WERE CURIOUS….AND SURVEYED
 We took a cross-section of 21 so called digital immigrants
(adults age 35+ - consisting of mature students, study centre
staff and teachers)
 We took a cross-section of 26 so called Digital Natives (Aged
16-19 FE students consisting of construction and Early Years
L1, Health Social Care L2, Travel & Tourism L3)

5. WE ASKED…
 What words, skills, phrases, tools, resources, activities do you
instinctively associate with the term: Literate
 What words, skills, phrases, tools, resources, activities do you
instinctively associate with the term: Digital
 What words, skills, phrases, tools, resources, activities do you
instinctively associate with the term: Information
 What words, skills, phrases, tools, resources, activities do you
instinctively associate with the term: Research
 What words, skills, phrases, tools, resources, activities do you
instinctively associate with the term: Digital Literacy

6. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘LITERATE’ MEAN?
Natives Profile Immigrants Profile

7. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘DIGITAL’ MEAN?
Natives Profile Immigrants Profile

8. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘INFORMATION’
MEAN?
Natives Profile Immigrants Profile

9. WHAT DOES THE WORD ‘RESEARCH’ MEAN?
Natives Profile Immigrants Profile

10. WHAT DOES ‘DIGITAL LITERACY’ MEAN?
Natives Profile Immigrants Profile

11. NOT CONCLUSIVE, BUT IT DID REFLECT…
 Different levels of interpretation from different
generations
 Different experiences
 Different starting points
 Different backgrounds and context circumstances
 As a college we need to start here…

12. OUR FIRST STEPS..
 To clarify our educational focus for
Digital Literacy and identify the
framework of tools, resources and
people to support all levels
 The whole community need to be
working towards an agreed
understanding of our aim to
support Digital Literacy Skills