{"id":29,"date":"2015-07-29T20:33:00","date_gmt":"2015-07-30T03:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2015-08-02T19:26:32","modified_gmt":"2015-08-03T02:26:32","slug":"canada-and-digital-literacies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/canada-and-digital-literacies\/","title":{"rendered":"Canada and Digital Literacies"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Historical Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In 2010, the Canada Government requested\u00a0its citizens and organizations to contribute to a consultation paper on how to improve Canada&#8217;s digital economy. \u00a0While this consultation paper brought forth many challenging questions\u00a0regarding\u00a0Canada&#8217;s future digital landscape, one section focused on training and learning. Questions posed were as followed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What can we do to ensure that labour market entrants have digital skills?<\/li>\n<li>How will\u00a0the digital economy impact the learning system in Canada? How we teach? How we learn?<\/li>\n<li>What strategies could be employed to address the digital divide? (Government of Canada, 2010)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In response to these discussion questions, the Media Awareness Network (MNet), Canada&#8217;s not-for-profit center for media and digital literacy composed a strategy to enhance digital literacy in Canada entitled,\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/sites\/mediasmarts\/files\/pdfs\/publication-report\/full\/digitalliteracypaper.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Digital Literacy in Canada: From Inclusion to Transformation<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-66\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-7.39.34-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2015-08-02 at 7.39.34 AM\" width=\"475\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-7.39.34-AM.png 475w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-7.39.34-AM-300x83.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 475px) 100vw, 475px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Barriers to Digital Literacies<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The New London Group&#8217;s assessment of multiliteracies in 1996, suggested incorporating alternative literacies into our education which would\u00a0not only benefit the individual but also society. \u00a0If the benefits outweigh the hardships, why has\u00a0the Canada Government delayed in\u00a0formally addressing the importance of digital literacies? \u00a0According to the MNet, Canada has five\u00a0main barriers to digital literacies in Canada: age, attitude, socio-economic status, language and geography.<\/p>\n<p><em>Age and Attitude<\/em><\/p>\n<p>While many would agree the younger generations have a simpler time with technology because they have been entrenched in it for much of their lives, this may not be the case. \u00a0Many would also agree that the older generations would be less inclined to use technology, therefore, be\u00a0less digitally literate. \u00a0There has been much debate and scepticism surrounding Prensky&#8217;s theory of digital natives. \u00a0Digital natives are characterized as those who have been immersed\u00a0in technological environments and have, therefore, adapted new learning styles because of this. \u00a0Researchers, Margaryan, Littlejohn,\u00a0&amp;\u00a0Vojt (2011), conducted a study\u00a0challenging the notion of digital natives. \u00a0Their results based on\u00a0university students determined they are not technologically fluent, rather they naturally gravitate towards conventional forms of education enhanced by technology. \u00a0While students were engaged with many technological tools their learning was limited by &#8220;their knowledge of the potential affordances and applications&#8221; of the tools and by &#8220;their narrow expectations of learning in higher education&#8221; (Margaryan et al., 2011).<\/p>\n<p>In response to the debate surrounding digital natives, Ofcom, UK&#8217;s Office of Communications, devised an alternative to Prensky&#8217;s theory. \u00a0The 2008\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk\/binaries\/research\/media-literacy\/media-lit-2010\/ml_adults08.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Report on UK adults&#8217; media literacy<\/a>\u00a0created five levels of engagement with digital devices and technology: engaged, pragmatists, economisers, hesitants and resistors (p. 9).\u00a0\u00a0 The engaged and pragmatists embrace technology in their lives, while the hesitants and resistors avoid technology as much as possible. \u00a0The breakdown of ages, as determined by Ofcom, in each category are as follows:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-10.57.38-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-73\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-10.57.38-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2015-08-02 at 10.57.38 AM\" width=\"604\" height=\"187\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-10.57.38-AM.png 604w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-10.57.38-AM-300x93.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 604px) 100vw, 604px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This table highlights an interesting trend suggesting the &#8216;so-called&#8217; digital natives\u00a0are not the only group actively engaged\/immersed in technological environments.<\/p>\n<p><em>Socio-economic Status<\/em><\/p>\n<p>A 2010 article published in the\u00a0<em>Canadian Journal of Communication<\/em> suggested that those with higher incomes and education &#8220;are more likely to own computers, allowing more time to develop technical skills&#8221; (Howard, Busch &amp; Sheets, 2010, p. 112). \u00a0It can be argued that cities and towns provide free access to computers and internet through public libraries or schools to shrink the digital literacy gap between groups. \u00a0However, a Canadian study showed higher levels of digital literacy for those who had access to a home computer (Howard, Busch &amp; Sheets, p. 112).<\/p>\n<p><i>Language<\/i><\/p>\n<p>As most of the Canadian Internet resources are in English, Francophone Canadian and Native dialects are under represented on the Internet. \u00a0As the MNet determines, this issue will quickly resolve as translation services such as Google Translate further develop.<\/p>\n<p><em>Geography<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As the majority of Canadians live close to the American border, internet access is plentiful. \u00a0Those individuals residing in\u00a0rural\u00a0or Northern areas tend to lack reliable or fast\u00a0connection speeds. \u00a0According to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, northern territories and eastern provinces have the lowest connectivity rates hindering their ability to become digitally literate.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-11.34.32-AM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-76\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-11.34.32-AM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2015-08-02 at 11.34.32 AM\" width=\"575\" height=\"474\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-11.34.32-AM.png 719w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-11.34.32-AM-300x247.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 575px) 100vw, 575px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.crtc.gc.ca\/eng\/publications\/reports\/broadband\/bbreport1111.htm\">CRTC data collection, November 2011<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Future of Digital Literacies\u00a0in Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While education in Canada is mandated provincially, the federal government and the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) have created a vision for a digitally literate Canada.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>ICTC\u2019s vision is to ensure that all Canadian workers have a Digital Literacy capability equal to or exceeding the demands of their occupations, to provide an aquifer that allows Canada to grow in the digital age (p. 9).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>To accomplish this, ICTC suggests creating a reference scale to standardize digital literacy knowledge, define the digital literacy levels required for occupations, create a program to educate young and old on digital literacy, and create partnerships with industry to assist in the successful creation of a digitally literate Canada (p. 9-10).<\/p>\n<p>Finally, MediaSmarts, Canada&#8217;s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy, has created a digital literacy framework for Canadian Schools. \u00a0The focus of this framework surrounds 6 concepts:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ethics and Empathy<\/li>\n<li>Privacy and Security<\/li>\n<li>Community Engagement<\/li>\n<li>Digital Health<\/li>\n<li>Consumer Awareness<\/li>\n<li>Finding and Verifying<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mediasmarts.ca\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-98\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-2.27.25-PM.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2015-08-02 at 2.27.25 PM\" width=\"359\" height=\"179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-2.27.25-PM.png 359w, https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/files\/2015\/07\/Screen-Shot-2015-08-02-at-2.27.25-PM-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 359px) 100vw, 359px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>MediaSmarts has compiled an\u00a0outline for\u00a0digital literacy skills to meet the developmental needs for differing divisions. \u00a0For example, Grades K-3 focuses on online feelings and skills for searching strategies. \u00a0Grades 4-6 students will learn effective researching techniques and authenticating online resources and Grades 7-8 will focus on authorship and authority of online information. \u00a0While this is a roadmap for teaching digital literacy for students, it is ultimately the responsibility of the province to determine what types of digital literacies they wish\u00a0for teachers to build into their classroom lessons. \u00a0That being said, teachers in Canada have the freedom to teach with any appropriate technology tools at their disposal, therefore, teachers should be incorporating digital literacies into their lessons. \u00a0The framework provided is a guide to effectively creating engaged, digital literate students able to\u00a0manoeuvre in today&#8217;s society and prepare for whatever the future may hold.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission. (2011).\u00a0<em>Broadband report.<\/em>\u00a0Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/www.crtc.gc.ca\/eng\/publications\/reports\/broadband\/bbreport1111.htm<\/p>\n<p>Government of Canada. (2010).\u00a0<em>Digital Canada 150: Building digital skills for tomorrow.<\/em> Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/www.ic.gc.ca\/eic\/site\/028.nsf\/eng\/00041.html#discussionquestions<\/p>\n<p>Howard, P., Busch, L., &amp; Sheets, P. (2010). Comparing digital divides: Internet access and social inequality in Canada and the United States.\u00a0<em>Canadian Journal of Communications 35<\/em>. pp. 109-128. Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/www.ryerson.ca\/~cmiddlet\/cc8987\/readings\/2192-5865-1-PB.pdf<\/p>\n<p>Indigo, A. (2006).\u00a0<em>Canada<\/em>. [Photograph]. Retrieved from\u00a0https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/alexindigo\/2123523275\/in\/photolist-4eDBug-9H6oVL-u8s4L9-vEz7Nb-vsrgQQ-pUX59G-9ZjY8X-wFwhWr-ndqncV-buaomD-dikXt3-vXaV7C-vkpFZ7-gUXDY8-9Z14Fe-q9LB8x-cvthaQ-4WUDUC-aRJBQi-r3wVzo-pZRa77-9rCepR-qwGo4C-mxVZc7-fC8u7i-tNpwAF-odMtm8-jubx1Z-psXGtb-fCnMBQ-jkwYut-hKZUUH-nTgvmZ-aLYpiv-92SNhn-pZRaP9-bqLd4k-bqL9ez-bqKKii-bqLze2-bXdSxj-8eSr74-pPSEcU-2nMb6j-mxzJ9b-kWPwD-oeTe9c-q3iTcV-bqLpBr-vBRvZu<\/p>\n<p>Information and Communications Technology Council. (n.d.).\u00a0<em>Digital literacy: Canada&#8217;s productivity opportunity<\/em>. Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/www.ictc-ctic.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/06\/ICTC_DigitalLitWP_EN_09-10.pdf<\/p>\n<p>Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A.,\u00a0&amp;\u00a0Vojt, G. (2011). Are Digital Natives a myth or a reality? University student\u2019s use of digital technologies. <em>Computers &amp; Education 56 (<\/em>2).\u00a0<span class=\"skimlinks-unlinked\">pp.429-440<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Media Awareness Network. (2010, July 7).\u00a0<em>Digital literacy in Canada: From inclusion to transformation.\u00a0<\/em>Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/sites\/mediasmarts\/files\/pdfs\/publication-report\/full\/digitalliteracypaper.pdf<\/p>\n<p>MediaSmarts. (2015). <em>Use, understand &amp; Create: A digital literacy framework for Canadian schools<\/em>. Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/mediasmarts.ca\/sites\/mediasmarts\/files\/pdfs\/digital-literacy-framework.pdf<\/p>\n<p>Ofcom. (2008, May 16).\u00a0<em>Media literacy audit: Report on UK adults&#8217; media literacy<\/em>. Retrieved from\u00a0http:\/\/stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk\/binaries\/research\/media-literacy\/media-lit-2010\/ml_adults08.pdf<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Historical Perspective In 2010, the Canada Government requested\u00a0its citizens and organizations to contribute to a consultation paper on how to improve Canada&#8217;s digital economy. \u00a0While this consultation paper brought forth many challenging questions\u00a0regarding\u00a0Canada&#8217;s future digital landscape, one section focused on training and learning. Questions posed were as followed: What can we do to ensure that labour market entrants have digital skills? How will\u00a0the digital economy impact the learning system in Canada? How we teach? How we learn? What strategies could be employed to address the digital divide? (Government of Canada,&#8230;<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/canada-and-digital-literacies\/\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29292,"featured_media":62,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","et-bg-layout-dark","et-white-bg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29292"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions\/103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/etec540digitalliteracy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}