PBL and New Literacies

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Derrall Garrison on March 25, 2010 at 10:42am

When I think of literacy now it involves so much more than students understanding a text provided for them.

Literacy involves helping students understand how to access, analyze, and authenticate (notes I took from a Ian Jukes preso). The internet is where students want to find information so they need skills for searching and yet it is fraught with mis-information. Students also need to understand multiple perspectives as before the students were expected to accept the text as being the authority, now they need to understand the viewpoint and source of the author's ideas as well.

Literacy incorporates visual understandings involving "reading" photographs, videos, virtual environments, graphs, charts, and also how to "write" and organize their own student work as they present their ideas with various media. Students can present their ideas in a manner that they believe is appropriate for their group. For a current alternative energy project students can use any of the tools that we have used so far be it Voicethread, Scratch, Google Sketchup, etc. Each tool has it's own organizational challenges so they need to have strategies to approach them.

For a current project I am doing with my students I told them that we are using a science book as a reference and that in their groups on diigo they are each creating their own text book using the internet to answer their essential questions.

Lastly, for myself, one area that is important for my students and which I am still working to accomplish is global collaborations. We need to "globalize the information" for our students as Alan November discusses whenever he shares collaborative student projects that help students understand how the information is shaped and determined.

Permalink Reply by Jeffrey A. Wardlaw on March 26, 2010 at 12:44pm

I don't know that the fundamental concept of literacy has changed dramatically - still focused on the ability to read, write, and communicate - but the scope of literacy, the tools of demonstrating literacy, and the expectations of being "literate" have changed dramatically. We are no longer limited to resources available in the classroom, in the school, or even in our local community. Our communities are now global, and we are expected to demonstrate the ability to connect and communicate with this global community. Consequently, tools for communicating and connecting with an ever expanding spiral of people and ideas were and continue to be developed to meet our changing literacy needs.

The exposure to a wide variety of ideas and viewpoints now available has increased the need for today's student to be more adept at discriminating between valuable and superfluous information, and more skilled at synthesizing a greater quantities of information, both of which are highly useful skills in any career field. Should the ability to "filter" and "synthesize" information also be considered under the umbrella of "literacy," or are they merely resulting from the fundamental read, write, communicate skills traditionally considered when someone is labeled "literate?"

Permalink Reply by Andrea Hildreth on May 24, 2010 at 6:11pm

My reply is specifically about "Visual Literacy" taken from an article by Susan E. Metros. I bring it to the group's attention because Ms Metros discusses skills that are uniquely valuable to "Learners in the Digital Age", including the skill of questioning the truth and accuracy of online information.

Exerpt:
"Defining Visual Literacy
For the purpose of this article, visual literacy is defined as the ability to decode and interpret (make meaning from) visual messages and also to be able to encode and compose meaningful visual communications. It includes the ability to visualize internally, communicate visually, and read and interpret visual images (Bramford, 2003). In addition, it encompasses the ability to be an informed critic of visual information, able to ethically judge accuracy, validity, and worth."

Reference:
The Educator's Role in Preparing Visually Literate Learners.
Full Text Available
By: Metros, Susan E.. Theory Into Practice, Mar2008, Vol. 47 Issue 2, p102-109, 8p, 2 Charts; DOI: 10.1080/00405840801992264; (AN 31657179)

I hope you find it relevant - Andrea Hildreth

Permalink Reply by Jane Krauss on May 25, 2010 at 7:12pm

Thanks Andrea! Sounds like another text I need to add to my staggering pile. I'd like to see how they illustrate with examples.

Permalink Reply by Andrea Hildreth on May 26, 2010 at 11:53am

Yikes - a staggering pile! I know that feeling; so, here's some detail about the illustrations (tables) included in the article. (I don't want you to keep it on your pile if it's not truly valuable - ha ha)

Table #1 Title: "Various Ways to Visually Depict Data, Information and Knowledge."
- The Header for Column 1 is "Type" and includes "Chart/Graph", "Table", "Flowchart", etc.
- The Header for column 2 is "Description"
- Example: the Description for "Chart/Graph" is "Representation of tabular numeric data and/or functions that may show growth or change over time".

Table #2 Title: "New Media Design Rubric" (Metros & Dehoney, 2006).
- The Header for Column 1 is "Dimension" and includes "Aesthetic quality: Sensitivity to the principles of design and successful fulfillment of project criteria".
- Column 2 defines a point scale with 3 sub-columns ranging from "Inadequate, 0-2 points" to "Exceptional, 6 - 8 points".
- Example: the "Aesthetic quality" assessment description
- - 0-2 points: "Visuals are either too simplistic or cluttered and busy. Graphic effects fail to support the message and hamper communication of content; graphics are gratuitous. Concept fails to support design task."
- - 3-5 points: "Visual elements relate to content. Visual design criteria (balance, contrast, proportion, harmony, etc.) expressed. Graphical elements reinforce content and are functional."
- - 6-8 points: "Skillful handling of design elements creates unique and effective style. Visual elements and content reinforce each other. Design strategy supports message. Overall, an effective and functionally sound design."

Oh dear, I'm afraid that instead of reducing your staggering pile; I just added a large lump of words on a side pile. I appreciate the fact that this resource includes a description-rich point-scale applied to terms like "aesthetic quality" and hope that you also find it to be valuable.

Andrea Hildreth

Reference:
The Educator's Role in Preparing Visually Literate Learners.
Full Text Available
By: Metros, Susan E.. Theory Into Practice, Mar2008, Vol. 47 Issue 2, p102-109, 8p, 2 Charts; DOI: 10.1080/00405840801992264; (AN 31657179)