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Module 1 Digital Literacy: Then to Now

By Kathy Sole, Ashford University

Learning Objectives

After reading this module, you should be able to

• Explain what it means to be digitally literate.

• Outline the online educational resources that have transformed the way we learn.

• Explain how technology has transformed the way we work.

• Describe some of the technological advances that have changed how we live.

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Introduction: Welcome to the Digital World!

Throughout history, literacy—the ability to read and write—has allowed people to partici- pate fully and successfully in society. Today, individuals who lack the ability to read and write face tremendous challenges. They cannot pass a driving test or read road signs; they are unable to read important drug and food labels; and they have limited career opportunities.

Success in today’s society demands an additional type of literacy, however. Our 21st-century world depends on technology. Computers run many aspects of our homes, workplaces, and personal lives. Our automobiles are computers on wheels. Our refrigerators and ovens moni- tor their inside temperatures and automatically adjust when necessary. The Global Position- ing System (GPS) links with satellites in the Earth’s atmosphere to show us our exact location on the planet. Technology has also changed many aspects of our personal lives, from the way we communicate with friends and family to the way we access entertainment.

As you read this, you likely have a smartphone within your reach— a mobile device that offers phone, text, and internet capabilities. Do you remember when you first got that phone and how excited you were to learn everything you could about it? Almost every aspect of our lives is tied to technology, and it is critical to understand how to use this tech- nology to participate fully in modern society. It can also be exciting and fun to discover ways technology can help you attain a college degree, develop a rewarding career, and provide for yourself and your family.

Consider Chantal, a single mother with two children. She dropped out of high school after the birth of her daughter, and her son was born a year later. With two infants to care for, completing her education seemed impossible. When her children became a little older, though, she obtained a full-time job, earned her GED (General Educational Development) diploma, and then enrolled at Ashford University to earn a bachelor’s degree and improve her career opportunities. It had been several years since she had been in school, and the online classroom and some of the digital tools were unfamiliar to her. She was intimidated at first by the technology, but by her second or third course, she began to master the tools and learn how they could both help her achieve her educational goals and afford her time to spend with family.

Like Chantal, you may find that some aspects of the Ashford University online classroom are different from your previous learning experiences. Technology has transformed the college classroom and the way students learn, as evidenced by Ashford’s online courses and Constel- lation materials, and the way today’s workplaces operate.

In this module we examine not only how technology has transformed the classroom, but how it has changed the way we work and live. We begin by discussing what it means to be digitally literate.

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Smartphones are just one aspect of our technological lives; they allow people to work and communicate on the go.

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©Credit Goes Here

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Digital literacy—the ability to understand and appropriately use electronic technology to accomplish educational, professional, and personal goals—is vital to your success in school, work, and your personal life. Increasing your digital literacy is a primary goal of this class and this text, and the materials in this course will not only help you build on your current knowl- edge, but also expose you to new technologies that can create opportunities for you in future careers. Don’t worry if some of these technologies are new to you. By the end of this course, you should have all the information you need to complete your Ashford University courses and become digitally literate.

The good news is that you already have a head start! You have already completed at least one course, and there is a good chance you have a smartphone or a tablet, or regularly access the Internet for entertainment or to interact with friends. Your knowledge of these technologies will help you transition to the electronic tools you will use in your Ashford University class- room and in the workplace.

In this new digital world, we don’t usually take out a pen to write a letter to someone; instead, we send an e-mail or a text message. We rarely visit a physical library to search for informa- tion; instead, we search electronic databases on the Internet. Recall that once Chantal learned

1.1 What Is Digital Literacy?

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1.1 What Is Digital Literacy?

how to effectively use the digital tools in her Ashford class, including the digital library and her e-textbook, she quickly found the information she needed to be successful in her degree program.

It is important to be aware that the academic and professional tools you will use for your Ash- ford University courses are different from those you may use in your personal life—or at least you will use them differently. Understanding these differences and adapting your knowledge to the academic classroom or the professional workplace is an important skill to develop. For example, you may send an e-mail to a friend from your home computer and an e-mail to a customer while you are at work. However, the language, tone, and format of these two e-mails will probably be very different. An important part of digital literacy is knowing how to appro- priately interact with others in different situations. We will explore this topic at length in Module 5.

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Being digitally literate will make your academic and professional future more successful.

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1.1 What Is Digital Literacy?

Being digitally literate also means acquiring the skills to search, understand, and evaluate the tremendous amount of data available. You must interpret the data so as to create new infor- mation and know when it is appropriate (and inappropriate) to share this information with others. Finally, being digitally literate means knowing how to use what you learn to become a productive and ethical citizen of the digital world. We will take an in-depth look at digital citizenship in Module 4.

Technology changes quickly in today’s world. It is easy to become comfortable with what you already know and then suddenly realize that technology has passed you by. For example, early computers were not easy to operate, and they did not come with instruction manuals. Using them could be so frustrating that many people resisted giving up their typewriters. Those who were willing to learn to use a computer found themselves with valuable skills as computers grew more and more popular. Those who refused to give up their typewriters, on the other hand, were left behind as the digital age progressed.

Digital literacy helps you adapt to change and modify your tools and behaviors as necessary— to become someone who is not afraid of technology but embraces the tools that can provide new opportunities. This book is designed to help you become comfortable with change, be patient while you learn, and get excited about participating in the digital revolution.

Perhaps you are like Chantal and had never used a computer prior to enrolling at Ashford. If so, the technology may seem overwhelming at first. But remember, you do not have to master the computer; you must simply learn the basics necessary for your class. Other features can be learned over time, and you have instructors, fellow classmates, and technical support staff to help you. Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance if you face a problem you cannot resolve. Oth- ers will be happy to share their knowledge and help you succeed.

With increased knowledge and skill come power and self-confidence. As you learn more in this text about digital literacy and the tools and support available to you, we hope you will also feel less anxious because you know that, with hard work and the support of your Ashford University community, you can complete your college degree and embark on a meaningful and satisfying career.

In Alan Cooper’s (1999) book The Inmates Are Running the Asylum, he concluded that digital literacy really means that “when your program loses your document, you have learned enough not to panic” (p. 35). With this type of power and confidence as our goal, let’s look at some of the ways technology has transformed how we learn, work, and live. As you read through the following sections, reflect on your own attitude toward technology. Do you eagerly embrace new technology, or are you hesitant to try something new? Why do you feel the way you do?

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1.2 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Learn

Our world is rapidly transforming from a literary society, in which information is stored in printed books, to a digital one, in which data is stored electronically. This data is compiled into digital course materials that you can access online and use for your courses. Because technology is constantly changing, new digital tools are continually being developed and may be introduced into your electronic classroom during your degree program. Consider how quickly household computer and Internet use grew in the 13 years from 2000 to 2013, as illustrated in Figure 1.1. Being open to change and adapting to new ways of performing tasks are essential in our rapidly changing world. We all run the risk of being left behind if we are unable to quickly adapt to change, and we will not be able to enjoy all the wonder that tech- nology offers.

These new tools will require you to change and upgrade your skills over time. This means that your goal as a student should not be to memorize facts or learn everything you can about all the electronic tools in your online classroom. Instead, seek to understand the principles of the technology (what it can do for you) and learn what you need to know to successfully complete your course assignments. Then, over time, be open to change and continue to learn as that technology evolves and as new technologies appear. In other words, think of yourself as a lifelong learner.

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1.2 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Learn

Your Course Materials Are Electronic and Portable

To understand digital materials, con- sider the words you are reading right now on the screen. They may not be printed on paper; they are not bound into a textbook. They exist as digital data, electronic signals that are trans- lated by the computer into written words. Your course “textbook” can be printed on paper and bound with a cover to create a physical book. But keeping the content in a digital form allows changes to be made quickly, errors to be corrected if necessary, and content to be added to the text if desired. The digital form is also more engaging because it allows you to access video, interactive exercises, and links to additional resources.

Figure 1.1: Household computer and Internet use: 1984–2013

This graph clearly indicates the growth in use of computers and the Internet. Those who resist embracing technology run the risk of being left behind.

Data from “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: Population Characteristics,” by T. File, 2013 (http://www.census.gov/prod /2013pubs/p20-569.pdf); “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: American Community Survey Reports,” by T. File and C. Ryan, 2014 (http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-28.pdf); and “Computer & Internet Trends in America,” by US Census Bureau, 2014 (http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/files/2012/Computer_Use_Infographic_FINAL.pdf).

Blend Images/Blend Images/SuperStock

New forms of technological communication have allowed for more interactive learning.

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1.2 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Learn

When you log in to a course, any digital course materials will be linked within the classroom, as well as from the Ashford University Student Portal. The textbook for this course is stored on an e-reading platform called Constellation, which you can access through your Internet browser on a desktop or laptop computer by logging in to the Student Portal or the Constella- tion website (http://content.ashford.edu) or on portable devices such as smartphones or tab- lets. You simply click the link to the text from the classroom to begin reading and interacting with the materials. This digital format has several advantages for you as a student. You don’t have to carry heavy textbooks; you don’t have to keep track of a paper syllabus; and your course materials are available to you at any time, wherever you have Internet access.

You can also work with a digital textbook in ways you couldn’t (or were taught not to) with a traditional book. You can highlight information you think is important, using different-colored highlights. You can use the Search tool to find specific words in the text. You can also add your own electronic notes (known as annotations) and move from one online location to another by clicking highlighted text known as a hyperlink, or just link, to obtain additional information about a subject. Constella- tion books include not only your digi- tal text, but also videos and interactive activities to supplement your reading and clarify concepts you are studying.

Once you have accessed your materials, there are many ways to use them. Aside from reading your textbook on your Internet browser, you can download your book to multiple devices, including your e-reader (e.g., Kindle, iBooks app, Nook), or listen to the audio (MP3) files on your MP3 player or phone. Features like this have helped Chantal, the Ashford student you met at the beginning of this module, better juggle school, work, and family. For example, she takes public transit to work and can easily read her digital textbook while she travels. How can you use travel, waiting time, or other activities more effectively to put more minutes into your busy day? You can also download PDFs or print the materials to create a study guide for your- self, share the materials with others, or simply keep them for future reference. Click the fol- lowing link for tutorials and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding your digital course materials on Constellation: https://content.ashford.edu/support.

You Decide Where and When to Study

Another way technology is changing the way we learn involves where and when we study. Your Ashford courses don’t require you to sit in a specific room or be available at a specific time. Classes don’t meet in a physical space but in a virtual classroom that exists electronically by

Szefei/iStock/Thinkstock

Downloading audio files is a great way to listen to textbooks on the go.

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1.2 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Learn

means of digital equipment. You can enter this virtual classroom anywhere you have an Inter- net connection and at any time you choose, 24 hours a day. For example, Chantal established a family homework time after dinner at her house. She and her children, Jayden and Layla, sit at the same table, and she logs in to her classes and does her assignments while her kids work on their homework. That way, everyone studies together, and Chantal is able to help her children if they need her.

Online learning enables you to participate in a course and do your assignments at home, at work (with your supervisor’s permission, of course), at a local library, or at hotspots—physi- cal locations such as coffee shops, bookstores, and other establishments that offer Internet access over a wireless network. You might attend class on the go with your smartphone, tab- let, or laptop computer. When you travel, you may be able to access your class on the many types of public transportation that have Internet connections, such as commercial airplanes, trains, subways, buses, or ferries.

Your local library probably has digital materials available 24/7, which you can download to your computer, so you don’t have to worry about getting to the library before it closes to conduct research for assignments. Even more importantly, you have an entire electronic library avail- able to you immediately when you log in to your Ashford University Student Portal. The Ashford Online Library consists of multiple databases of books, scholarly journals, magazines, news- papers, and other resources in electronic form. The resources in these library collections are extensive. For example, the ebrary database, a collection of electronic books, contains more than 116,000 e-books that cover all academic disciplines. Subscriptions to these databases are very expensive, and many of them are accessed only through libraries that are not avail- able to the general public. As an Ashford student you can access them for free, anytime you wish.

You Do Not Learn Alone

One of the most important impacts of technology on learning has been the transition from individual learning to collaborative learning. No longer do you work alone in your college courses; you have the support of other students, instructors, and university staff, if you need it. All of your Ashford courses include discussion forums, where you will post your thoughts and ideas about weekly discussion topics. In addition to your posts, you will respond to the posts of other students and read their responses to you. This interaction among all members of the class means that you learn from other people and they learn from you—as a commu- nity. You may even learn you have something in common with one of your classmates (see A Closer Look: Connecting With Classmates). In Module 5 we will talk more about communicat- ing effectively with your fellow students and using the discussion boards.

If you don’t understand an assignment, your course has an Ask Your Instructor discussion forum. You can post your question there, and everyone in the class benefits from seeing the instructor’s response. Or if you prefer, you can contact your instructor privately by e-mail at any time, and your instructor will respond as soon as possible.

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1.2 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Learn

Last, but certainly not least, you have a team of university staff members who are eager to assist you and a wealth of electronic tutorials and other resources to help you learn. By clicking on the bottom left icon in your online course, you can load a Help menu that includes contact information for the Ashford University 24-hour Technical Support Center. The technical support center can help you with problems concerning the course website or with accessing, sending, or retrieving course materials on your computer. You can reach the support center through a link in your current class or by phone. The Ashford Writing Center (http://awc.ashford.edu) and Ashford Online Library links also contain learning resources—they can connect you with writing tutors or librarians who can help you succeed in your classes.

A Closer Look: Connecting With Classmates

Sometimes your discussions with your classmates will reveal you have something in common, or you might want to carry on a conversation with them about something unrelated to the assignment. For this purpose, you have the online Ashford Café. Like a city coffee shop, the Ashford Café is the place to get to know your classmates; talk with them about your personal life, favorite sports teams, or other topics; and share experiences. You will also find links to social media sites such as Pinterest, LinkedIn®, Google+, Twitter, and Instagram, where you can connect with classmates outside of class. (Social media links are also available in the Student Portal.) Watch the following video to discover how you can break the ice and get to know your classmates: http:// ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Using+the+Ashford +Cafe /0_er04pg2k/19511472.

You can also join one of Ashford University’s online student groups and organizations, which are listed here: https://www.ashford.edu/online-learning-experience/student- support/student-organization. You are also welcome to join the CHAMPS Peer Mentoring Program, which will con-nect you with experienced, successful Ashford students. Check out the following link for more information: http://www.ashford.edu/student_services/ champs.htm.

Reflection Questions

1. In what ways have you already begun connecting with classmates? 2. What groups and organizations are you interested in joining?

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http://awc.ashford.edu

http://ashford.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Using+the+Ashford+Cafe/0_er04pg2k/19511472

http://www.ashford.edu/student_services/champs.htm

https://www.ashford.edu/online-learning-experience/student-support/student-organization

1.3 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Work

Fifty years ago, people typically graduated from high school and found a job. They often held an entry-level position at a company and over the years worked their way up through posi- tions of greater responsibility. They often stayed at the same company until they retired at age 65, when they received a gold watch, their Social Security income, and a company-paid pension that afforded them income through their retirement.

Today a college education affords an individual many more career opportunities than a high school or GED diploma does, and it is rare for contemporary companies to provide pensions to their employees. Workers must save money on their own for their retirement, and as you may have heard, the Social Security system may not have enough funds to support people who retire in the future (Ferrara, 2015). In Module 10 we will explore the topic of financial literacy and suggest ways you can manage your finances to ensure you have enough money to live well and retire comfortably.

We can point to many social and economic changes that have altered the way we work. Per- haps the greatest source of change, however, has been the growth of new technology (see A Closer Look: Do You Remember When. . .?). The downsizing of businesses in the United States began in the 1980s, primarily due to technological advances. Computers could make deci- sions faster and often better than people, and people who processed or analyzed information and made routine decisions found their jobs in danger (Boyett & Cohn, 1991).

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1.3 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Work

In 1995 Jeremy Rifkin, who has writ- ten extensively on the impact of sci- entific and technological changes on society, published a book titled The End of Work, in which he argued that com- puters would eliminate jobs on a mas- sive scale. In one sense Rifkin was right; computers have eliminated many jobs. However, another writer, Lars Svend- sen (2008), noted that computers are both a threat and a liberator. They can process boring, dull, monotonous work more efficiently than humans and free us up to use our minds for more cre- ative, exciting types of work.

Some people’s fears that computers would eventually replace people in the workforce have not come to fruition. In fact, after Rifkin’s book was published, more than 20 million new jobs were created between 1995 and 2008 in the United States alone (Svend- sen, 2008). The Bay Area Council Economic Institute showed that between 2001 and 2011, technology jobs (those most closely related to science, technology, engineering, and math- ematics) grew 27 times faster than other occupations. Each new high-tech job also resulted in 4.3 other new jobs, including support positions, lawyers, dentists, schoolteachers, cooks, retail clerks, and others (Bay Area Council Economic Institute, 2015). So far, technology has created far more jobs than it has destroyed. Many of these jobs, such as web designers, game developers, and instructional designers, did not exist before the advent of computer technol- ogy. Your college education will prepare you for other, new jobs that may not yet exist.

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New technology has created many jobs and new types of work that would never have existed without the shift toward the digital age.

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1.3 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Work

A Closer Look: Do You Remember When. . .?

The 21st-century workplace would be surprising to someone traveling here from, say, 1980. In the short span of 35 years, our time traveler would notice that all the desks in an office now have a large desktop or portable monitor and keyboard on them. “What hap- pened to the typewriters?” they might ask. The telephone system looks vaguely familiar, but the office no longer has a switchboard operator or a receptionist who routes phone calls and takes written messages if someone is out of the office.

The desks in this 21st-century office are often empty, and people walk by who seem to be talking to themselves. The traveler notices they have a strange-looking device called a Bluetooth receiver attached to their ear or an earplug connected to a wire that disap- pears into their clothing. When our traveler asks why the office has so many empty desks, the answer is because many employees work remotely in other cities or states and rarely come into the office. Also, several employees telecommute and work from home several days a week.

With the ever-increasing cost of real estate, the virtual office has become an attractive option for many businesspeople. Company employees can work from different locations; technology allows work teams to communicate via video software such as GoToMeeting or WebEx, collaborate through secure websites, and share documents through secure cloud-based storage sites, which will be discussed in Module 2. The time traveler would also note that people can make phone calls, send text messages, teleconference, video- conference, send e-mail, listen to and share music, and take photos wherever they are— and all on a device as small as the average disposable camera developed in the 1980s.

Evening Standard/Singer/Getty Images Hero Images Inc./Hero Images/SuperStock

The typical office setting has changed since the 1960s. Computers and laptops have replaced typewriters, and people can now conduct business in a mobile setting.

(Continued)

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1.3 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Work

Today technology is so complex and changing so quickly that no one can master all there is to know about it. Instead, to maintain your digital literacy, you must take it upon yourself to be a lifelong learner and constantly strive to sharpen your computer skills. You can then carry these skills with you and transfer them from one employer or company to another. You may even find you want to reinvent yourself and apply your current skills and talents to an entirely new career (AARP Foundation, 2015). In Modules 7 and 8 we will explore your skill sets, including your computer skills, and talk about how you can promote yourself, discover career opportunities, and network with others in this new digital world. Career Services at Ashford University offers many digital resources in these areas.

A Closer Look: Do You Remember When. . .? (Continued)

Jnan R. Dash, a former executive at Oracle Corporation and IBM, stated that the most fun- damental technologies disappear (Heisterberg & Verma, 2014). They weave themselves into our everyday lives so completely that we take them for granted and almost don’t remember not having them. Consider this: Most of today’s smartphones have greater computing power than that of the Apollo 11 spacecraft when it transported a man to the moon (Gibbs, 2012). Yet how often do we stop to think about how far we’ve come in mere decades? For example, our time traveler from 1980 probably would be amazed at our 21st-century workplace, but we generally take our office technology for granted and don’t think much about it while we work.

Reflection Questions

1. Do you remember what it was like before you had a cell phone? How did you communicate with your friends and family?

2. Did you or your parents ever have to find a pay phone to make a call as you drove through an unfamiliar area?

3. How has a cell phone changed your life and the way you keep in touch with others? What are the drawbacks of a cell phone?

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1.4 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Live

The most obvious change technology has heralded what Rodney Heisterberg and Alakh Verma (2014), authors of Creating Business Agility, call “the age of hyperconnectivity” (p. 69)—a state in which we are always connected to the Internet through some kind of device. You may experience this hyperconnectivity yourself. Many people today are rarely disconnected from others. They can interact with anyone or anything, no matter what time it is or where they are located. They can continually access information and applications for any number of reasons.

For example, Chantal always has her smartphone with her. She is available if her children’s school calls or a friend or family member needs to reach her. When shopping at the mall, she scans a product’s bar code with her smartphone to compare the price at various online retail- ers. If the product is cheaper online, she does another quick search to see if she can get extra savings with a coupon or other incentive offer. She also checks in on her Ashford class and responds to classmates’ posts while she eats lunch at the food court.

While Chantal is shopping, she receives text alerts from nearby stores about sales and special offers. These stores have used location services such as Foursquare or Google to find nearby customers. She also receives a text alert from her local television station that the highway near her home is closed due to a traffic accident, so Chantal uses a smartphone app to map an alternate route to pick up her children from school.

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1.4 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Live

Ashford University students are currently taking online classes from locations around the world. Some are serving in the U.S. armed forces and are studying this text aboard naval ves- sels at sea or in field camps in Afghanistan, Europe, and other duty stations. Others are on vacation or live in cities and towns across the United States. Figure 1.2 shows some of the places where Ashford students have been located while enrolled in courses.

Figure 1.2: Location of Ashford University students

Thanks to digital technology, Ashford students can earn a college degree from almost anywhere in the world.

These scenarios are just a few examples of how our technology-filled world has changed the way we live. Another example involves how we obtain information. Reading the morning newspaper and watching the 6:00 p.m. news on television are no longer the only ways to learn about events in our communities and in the world. People now get information from the Internet, television, social networks, and recommendations from friends on social media. News organizations such as CNN send out e-mail alerts when major news events occur, and some television stations provide 24-hour news, weather, and sports coverage, allowing users to tune in and get updates on demand.

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1.4 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Live

Smart Devices Perform Multiple Functions

Gone are the days when mobile phones were used only for telephone conversations. We now check our smart devices for e-mails and text messages, as well as run various applications on them. We can also search for web content, listen to music, watch videos, and do work. For many people, that small computer in their pocket or purse is a lifeline to a dynamic and ever- changing world. We have become accustomed to using smartphones for everything from pay- ing bills and conducting business transactions to buying movie tickets, making dinner reser- vations, shopping, and booking weekend leisure activities. Figure 1.3 shows the evolution of the mobile phone into the smart device it is today.

Figure 1.3: Evolution of mobile phones

The evolution of the mobile phone is illustrated here and shows very distinct changes from the early 1980s to 2014. Before the advent of the smartphone, mobile phones were used solely to place and receive phone calls. However, the smartphone allows individuals to perform many tasks on one device.

Adapted from “Evolution of Cell Phones,” by A. Ranjan, 2014 (http://www.techtricksworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06 /evolution-of-cellphones.jpg).

Smartphones are not the only smart devices these days. In the past, consumers bought dif- ferent electronic devices for each function they wanted to perform. A telephone was used to make calls; a camcorder created videos; a camera took pictures; an iPod played music; a tele- vision picked up live broadcast signals; and to watch movies, you had to visit a local theater or movie rental store. Today the trend is toward combining as many functions as possible on one device. Most devices have Internet connectivity and provide functions for information, communications, and entertainment. Tablets, eReaders, notebooks or laptops, and 2-in-1 convertible computers (which we will discuss in Module 2) are some of the other multifunc- tion devices that are becoming more rapidly available.

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1.4 How Technology Has Transformed the Way We Live

Consumers Have More Power Than Ever Before

In our connected society, we have many opportunities and ways to voice our approval or disapproval of something. We can vote for our favorite entertain- ers on television shows such as Danc- ing With the Stars and The Voice, post positive and negative reviews of prod- ucts and services we use, and share our complaints and compliments on the web through social media and by posting videos.

One example of consumers’ power comes from 2008, when United Air- lines baggage handlers damaged Dave Carroll’s $3,500 guitar. After trying several times to make a claim for the damages through the airline’s stan- dard channels and getting no results, Carroll, a professional singer and songwriter from Canada, wrote a song titled “United Breaks Guitars” and posted it on YouTube. To date, the song has been viewed more than 15 million times and prompted United Airlines to contact Carroll, promise to do better, and ask if it could use the video in its company training program (Cosh, 2015).

Thanks to the Internet and social media, the inner workings of corporations are more trans- parent than ever. Stakeholders are therefore able to keep a closer eye on company practices and policies. If consumers discover something they don’t like or believe is ethically question- able, they can simply choose to spend their money elsewhere. In this way consumers can influence what types of products companies offer and how they conduct business. These are just a couple of examples of how social media has given consumers unprecedented power to hold corporations accountable for their actions.

Christin Gilbert/age fotostock/SuperStock

The Internet and social media allow individuals to state how they feel about certain products, compa- nies, or policies, which gives them more power to hold corporations accountable for their actions.

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Summary & Resources

Module Summary By enrolling in an Ashford University online program, you have decided to embark on an exciting journey to transform your life. Over the course of your studies, you will meet new people, explore your subject area, learn new skills, and enhance your career opportunities . . . all from the convenience of your own personal computer! Yet to get the most out of your expe- rience, you need to become digitally literate, or capable of understanding and appropriately using electronic technology to accomplish educational, professional, and personal goals. The following are important skills you must develop and use regularly in the digital world:

• Know which digital tools are best suited for personal use versus academic and pro- fessional use.

• Adapt your knowledge and actions to the academic classroom, the professional workplace, and the digital world.

• Acquire the knowledge and skills to search, understand, and evaluate the tremen- dous amount of data available today; interpret it correctly to create new informa- tion; and know when it is appropriate and inappropriate to share this information with others.

• Know how to use what you learn to become a productive and ethical citizen of the digital world.

By the end of this text, you should be well on your way to achieving digital literacy.

In recent decades technology has revolutionized the way we learn. Your course materials are electronic and portable, allowing you to study when and where it is most convenient. Just a few decades ago, in order to pursue this degree, you would have taken significantly more time out of your week to travel to and from campus. You would have written all of your papers on a typewriter and used correction fluid to fix your mistakes. You would have spent countless hours at the library doing research for your papers and projects. For many, the sheer amount of time required to take classes would have been a barrier to pursuing higher education. As a student of Ashford University, you can tap into the collective knowledge of your instructors, your classmates, and the vast electronic databases of information that are at your fingertips.

Technology has also revolutionized the way we work and the way we live. Rather than com- muting to the office and working from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. using cumbersome, stationary office equipment, many people now enjoy the benefits of being able to work wherever they are, whenever the need arises. This flexibility translates into our personal lives as well. Smart devices that connect to the Internet offer unprecedented time savings, convenience, enter- tainment, and access to opportunity.

Critical-Thinking Questions

1. How has digital technology changed your life over the past 10 years? Overall, how has it improved your life? How has technology made it more challenging?

2. What changes in technology would you like to see in the next 10 years? How, as a consumer, might you influence or effect that change?

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Summary & Resources

Key Terms Ashford Café A discussion board in your course where you can get to know your classmates; talk with them about your per- sonal lives, your favorite sports teams, or other topics; and share experiences with one another. You will also find links in the café to social media sites such as Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, Twitter, and Instagram, where you can connect with classmates outside of class.

Ashford Online Library Multiple data- bases of books, scholarly journals, maga- zines, newspapers, and other resources in electronic form.

Ashford University Student Portal The entry point to your personal Ashford Uni- versity student home page and your college courses. You can access your home page by clicking the Student Portal hyperlink in the upper right corner of the Ashford University website at http://www.ashford.edu and entering your login information.

Ashford University 24-hour Technical Support Center The technical support cen- ter can help you with problems concerning a course website or with accessing, sending, or retrieving course materials on your com- puter. You can reach the center through a link in your current class, by phone at (800) 285-9796, by e-mail at helpdesk@online .ashford.edu, or online at http://247support .custhelp.com.

Ashford Writing Center The Writing Center offers learning resources and opportunities to connect with writing tutors or librarians who can help you succeed in your classes.

Ask Your Instructor An Ashford University discussion forum (available in your course) where you can post your question; everyone in the class benefits from the instructor’s response.

Career Services The Ashford University career services center, which offers digi- tal resources and guidance related to skill set identification, career exploration, self- promotion, and networking with others in this new digital world. You can reach the center through a link in your current class, by phone at (866) 974-5700 (ext. 20057), by e-mail at careerservices@ashford.edu or online at http://www.ashford.edu/student _services/careerservices.htm.

Constellation The e-reading platform that houses digital textbooks for Ashford Univer- sity courses.

digital literacy The ability to understand and appropriately use electronic technology to accomplish educational, professional, and personal goals.

discussion forums Online class discussions that occur in class on a weekly basis.

hotspots Physical locations such as coffee shops, bookstores, and other establishments that offer Internet access over a wireless network.

hyperconnectivity A state in which we are always connected to the Internet through some kind of device.

literacy The ability to read and write.

smartphone Mobile devices that offer phone, text, and Internet capabilities. Fast connection speeds, a wide range of storage options, and an ever-increasing number of downloadable software applications make these devices popular and user-friendly.

virtual classroom A learning space that exists electronically and is accessed any time of the day by means of digital devices with an Internet connection.

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mailto:helpdesk%40online.ashford.edu?subject=

http://247support.custhelp.com

mailto:careerservices%40ashford.edu?subject=