This document summarizes a presentation given by Anita Chan and Harriett Green on using collaborative digital pedagogy to teach digital literacies in humanities classrooms. They discuss using tools like Omeka and Scalar for student projects, as well as conducting research visits to local farms and businesses. A food networks class provided an example where students created websites on food sustainability after visiting organic farms and cooperatives in Illinois and Sweden. The presentation emphasized taking a holistic approach to digital literacies training by integrating various skills like information, visual, media and critical literacies throughout project-based assignments.

1. Collaborative Digital Pedagogy for
Digital Literacies in Humanities
Classrooms
Anita Chan, Department of Media and
Cinema Studies, achan@illinois.edu
Harriett Green, University Library,
green19@illinois.edu
HASTAC 2015 conference, May 29, 2015

2. Anita Say Chan
Assistant Professor, Media
& Cinema Studies
Department, UIUC
Harriett Green
English and Digital
Humanities Librarian, UIUC

3. Pedagogical Collaborations for
Media & Cinema Studies Classes

4. Digital Publishing on Omeka.net

5. “Digital Literacies” Missing in
“Generation Digital”?

6. Sources Students have a “High Probability” of Using for Research (2012):
• Google or other Commercial Search Engines (94%)
• Wikipedia or Other Digital Encyclopedias (75%)
• YouTube or other Online Media (52%)
• Other Students (42%)
• Online News (25%)
• Class-Assigned Readings/Books (18%)
• Databases, ie. EBSCO, JSTOR (17%)
• Non-assigned Readings/Books (12%)

7. "The myth [of the Digital Native] is in the direct interest of
education-technology companies and Silicon Valley itself. If
we all decide that young people have some sort of savant-like
talent with digital technology, then we’re easily led to policies
and buying decisions and pedagogical decisions that pander
to Silicon Valley.” – Siva Vaidhyanathan
Confronting the Myth of the ‘Digital Native’:

8. Digital Literacy for
Humanities Undergraduates at Illinois?
1. New Tools and Massive
Scale not the main
selling points
2. Tool use/selection
supports research skills
3. Entire semester used to
integrate layered digital
activities: i.e., not
focused on a “star” tool
4. Leverage existing assets of
humanities students, and
humanities skills in
development

9. Food Networks Class as Platform for
Teaching on Digital Literacy
1. Small scale, study abroad
class (9 students, fr.
College of Media & LAS,
Business, ACES): *NONE
had blogged
2. Focus on Food Production
Economies and their
Sustainability Impact –
comparing IL and Sweden
3. Final project: research &
build 2 websites on
Sustainability in US Food
Corporations, and around
Swedish Food Product

13. Collaboration on Holistic Literacies
”Holistic understandings
… [see digital literacies]
not as de-contextualised
competencies, but
rather as connected to
other aspects of their
learning and localized
experiences… including
those beyond classwork
or course-specific goals.”
– Gillen & Barton, 2010.

14. Librarians + Digital Humanities
• UVA Libraries and Praxis Scholars Lab
• UCLA Digital Humanities Center
• Indiana University Victorian Women Writers
Project and English graduate seminar
(Courtney and Dalmau, 2011)
Training + Digital and Information Literacies

15. Scalar
http://scalar.usc.edu

16. Library Resources
• Library Catalog
• EBSCO Academic
Search Premier
• Lexis Nexis
Academic

17. Voyant
http://voyant-tools.org

18. 2002
2012

19. Easel.ly
http://easel.ly

20. Easel.ly
http://easel.ly

21. Easel.ly
http://easel.ly

22. Not Just Tools  Holistic Use
Digital
Literacies
Information
Visual
Media
Cultural
Critical
Operational
green19@illinois.edu @greenharr
DigEuLit Project:
“The awareness, attitude and
ability of individuals to
appropriately use digital tools and
facilities to identify, access,
manage, integrate, evaluate,
analyse and synthesize digital
resources, construct new
knowledge, create media
expressions, and communicate
with others, in the context of
specific life situations, in order to
enable constructive social action;
and to reflect upon this process.”

23. Holistic Literacies via Site/Company Visits

26. Local Organic Farm Visits

27. Local Coop Visits

28. EXPECTATIONS?
“I knew nothing about the
company upon my visit and it is
so cool to see a co-op in Illinois
and so close to campus…”
REVIEW?:
“I learned what they stand for at
the Co-op and they did well
explaining their focus on
community rather than
communication strategies for
business growth…. This trip was
great!”
TAKEAWAY?:
“There are businesses that
actually care about providing
fresh and clean food.”
BACKGROUND:
“English”

29. BACKGROUND:
“Finance”
EXPECTATIONS:
“I had no idea it existed”
TAKEAWAYS:
“Common Ground is owned
by the community and
geared towards the
community. A healthy and
organic product originating
from local producers can be
sold in an affordable setting.”

30. Site Visits to KTH & Arla Corp. in Sweden

31. Sustainability Workshop with Krav

32. Course Outcomes
• Students all completed 2 Scalar sites each (strongest reported
undergrad outcomes on Scalar – on campus or beyond)
• Most students exceeded course requirements on
media/interviews and visualization production
• Students Report Organizing their own Workshops to Teach
Tools to Peers

33. Outcomes: Publications
• Chan and Green, EDUCAUSE Review article (2014)
• Blog interview with Alliance for Networked Visual
Culture, the creator of Scalar
• Green’s forthcoming book chapter on digital pedagogy,
libraries, and assessment

34. Photo Credits
• "Apple Notebooks” by raneko, on Flickr,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/raneko/5189174260
• "Question Box” by Raymond Bryson, on Flickr,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/f-oxymoron/9647972522
• “test bricks” by Don, on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/donsolo/4460994075
• "Puzzle pieces – 2,” by Yann, on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/yannconz/2796311194
• "Thank you" by Avard Woolaver, on Flickr,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/avardwoolaver/7137096221
• http://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-students-digital-literacy

35. Anita Chan, achan@illinois.edu
Harriett Green, green19@illinois.edu,
@greenharr