Annotated Bibliography (ENGLISH First year level)

ENGL 1101: Introduction to University Writing 1

TRU Open Learning

Focusing the Research Topic (Sample Answers)

Topic:

Digital Literacy and Education

What do you want to know about digital literacy?

What is digital literacy? What skills are included in the definition of digital literacy?

Who has digital literacy? Who does not?

How can we ensure students have digital literacy?

What do you want to know about the relationship between digital literacy and education?

Does our education system teach digital literacy? Should our education system teach digital literacy? How can we ensure the education system teaches digital literacy?

What education can be considered digital literacy?

What problems are there with understanding digital literacy?

Do we know what skills we need? Do we know what digital literacy is? Should we focus on access to digital technology, or the ability to use it, or the ability to build with it?

Is the concept of digital literacy clearly defined?

Debate exists over how to define digital literacy (i.e., Wohlsen and Prensky). The debate looks at the difference between access to and use of technology, as well as particular ways of thinking. The debate includes discussion over whether younger people simply have digital literacy or have to learn it.

2 Focusing the Research Topic (Sample Answers)

TRU Open Learning

Is the relationship between digital literacy and education clearly understood?

Based on readings of Wohlsen and Prensky, this relationship is not well understood. Debate exists around how and why the education system can support the goal of digital literacy. Should the education system change to provide digital literacy? Should it change to respond to already digitally literate students? What skills are truly necessary for the future, and which ones are trends in technology? What role do teachers play in this?

Are there social debates suggested by the question of digital literacy and education? What is at stake in this topic?

1. What skills do young people need in order to be successful in the future? 2. Is the use of technology a necessary part of learning and education? 3. How should technology be integrated into learning and education? 4. Is digital literacy really necessary? How should it be defined? 5. Should teachers really change the classroom to meet the needs of a

technology-focused generation?

Why is this topic important?

Digital technology is pervasive in the work, social, and educational domains of our lives. But how much of this is excitement over new ways of communicating, and how much is a fundamental difference in how we interact and learn?

We need to understand what we really need to know when it comes to digital technology so that we can make informed choices about things like our education system.

While Prensky and Wohlsen have different perspectives, both are concerned about what skills are being taught and how they are being taught.

ENGL 1101: Introduction to University Writing 3

TRU Open Learning

List some questions related to the topic.

Sample questions have been offered in all of the categories above. Any one of those questions could form the basis of a research project. You may find that similar ideas and questions keep appearing as you work through this template; this means you are focusing in on something that interests you.

Here, we can list the questions that seem the most relevant and pressing, based on the answers above:

1. What is digital literacy? What skills are going to be necessary for future success? Are all of these skills tied to using digital technology? Are there other new skills needed because we live in a digital time?

2. What skills should the education system provide to ensure that students achieve the digital literacy they need?

3. Does the education system meet the needs of digitally literate students? Of a technology-focused society?

4. Should teachers change the classroom to meet the needs of a technology- focused generation? How?

5. Is there a debate about what skills are needed in the 21st century? Do we all really need to code? Is using technology the most important thing?

As you can see, this process allows us to uncover many different possible approaches to this topic. We have enough questions here for several essays, and your own answers may have uncovered even more.

In the next step, we will select one approach, and focus it for research.