Rethinking Digital Literacy to Serve Library Staff and Users, new eCourse!

For Immediate Release
Mon, 06/15/2015

Contact:

Liz Steiner

Marketing Manager

ALA Publishing

esteiner@ala.org

CHICAGO — ALA Editions announces a new eCourse, Rethinking Digital Literacy to Serve Library Staff and Users, facilitated by Paul Signorelli. This four-week asynchronous eCourse starts Monday, July 13, 2015.

What is digital literacy? Do you know how you can foster digital literacy through formal and informal learning opportunities for your library staff and users?

Supporting digital literacy still remains an important part of library staff members’ work, but sometimes we struggle to agree on a simple, meaningful definition of the term. In this four-week eCourse training/learning specialist Paul Signorelli will begin by exploring a variety of definitions, focusing on work by a few leading proponents of the need to foster digital literacy among people of all ages and backgrounds. He will explore a variety of digital-literacy resources – including case studies of how we creatively approach digital-literacy learning opportunities for library staff and users, and will explore a variety of digital tools that will help to encourage further understanding of this topic.

Now, who is ready to build their digital-literacy skills and help their users become digital literate as well?

After participating in this eCourse, you will gain the:

  • Knowledge of and ability to incorporate ever-evolving definitions of digital literacy into learning opportunities
  • Knowledge of and ability to draw upon a variety of digital resources to create digital-learning opportunities
  • Knowledge of and ability to seek additional resources that course participants can use in their continuing efforts to keep up with new developments in digital literacy efforts in libraries and other learning organizations

eCourse outline

Part 1: Digital Literacy: Initial Definitions and Explorations

  • An overview of various definitions of digital literacy
  • Several components of digital literacy
  • Exploring Doug Belshaw’s extensive work on defining and fostering digital literacy

Part 2: Digital Literacy: Crap Detection and Other Skills and Tools

  • Exploring Howard Rheingold’s approach to crap detection and other digital literacy/net literacy skills
  • Participation, collaboration, creativity, and experimentation as digital-literacy skills
  • Building our digital-literacy toolkit

Part 3: Digital Literacy in Learning

  • The varying digital literacy needs of our youngest students, of teens, and of adults
  • Exploring various online resources supporting our digital-literacy training-teaching-learning efforts
  • The myth of the digital native

Part 4: Fostering Digital Literacy: Creating Within a Digital Environment

  • Creating a framework to promote digital literacy
  • Designing workshops and other learning opportunities
  • Keeping up in an evolving digital literacy landscape

About the Instructor

Paul Signorelli, co-author of "Workplace Learning & Leadership" with Lori Reed, is a San Francisco-based writer, trainer, instructional designer, and consultant explores who fosters and documents innovations in learning. Having earned an MLIS through the University of North Texas (with an emphasis on online learning), he remains active in the American Library Association, the New Media Consortium (educational technology), and the Association for Talent Development (formerly the American Society for Training & Development).

Registration for this ALA Editions eCourse, which begins on July 13, 2015, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an Internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files), and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 3244 or editionscoursehelp@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.