Information, data and media literacies

Information literacy

Information literacy is your ability to find, evaluate, organise and share information, whether you are using it for learning, research or professional purposes.

Data literacy

Data literacy is how you handle data as a special form of information. This includes digital personal data used in all areas of our lives. We all need a basic understanding of legal, ethical and security aspects when providing our own data or when handling data about someone else.

Media literacy

Media literacy covers all the ways you receive and respond to messages in digital media. Media users need to ask why messages are designed as they are and how they affect us, particularly how different media can be used for learning. We also need to understand issues around ownership of digital media such as copyright, referencing, and avoiding plagiarism

In practice:

• Understand how the various university tools and systems work in conjunction with policy and processes.
• Be able to choose the best tool for the task you’re undertaking and where needed, select between different tools to enable collaborative working.
• Understand how data is collected and stored and how it can be processed (and manipulated), particularly in line with law and other regulations.

In teaching:

• Supporting your students, whether directly or indirectly, in their use of digital technologies as part of their studies. This could be through well-constructed learning activities, embedding digital capabilities and literacies into your courses or the appropriate use of tools and services, for example, considering accessibility and inclusion.

In learning:

• Understand how to use digital technologies, whether university tools and systems or external, to manage and facilitate the learning process.
• Understand how data is collected and stored and how it can be processed (and manipulated).

The 3E framework can add an additional (optional) nuance to the examples presented. The framework consists of three descriptors: Enhance, Extend, and Empower. These should be seen more as degrees of engagement rather than levels of attainment and it will be more contextual as to which might be the most appropriate for a given circumstance. These should not be seen as levels of achievement where to reach the next level you must first attain the previous.

The enhance component of the framework focuses on increased productivity. Extend goes deeper and focuses on more collaborative practice and working beyond the obvious. Finally, empower highlights innovative practice often involving others in a creative way. Even the same task performed by different people, or the same person at different times may require a different degree of engagement.

Take a look at the examples below for this dimension of the Jisc digital capability framework. Can you think of some other examples which better relate to your own context and practice? You can also use the Discovery Tool to conduct a self-audit of your skills, generating a report with recommendations of resources and developmental opportunities mapped against your own desired developmental outcomes.

Enhance:

• Show a range of enhanced approaches and methods of research.
• Evaluate information from a range of sources.
• Use digital tools to manipulate and evaluate a basic/simple dataset.
• Apply key principles relating to intellectual property, attribution and accessibility to digital content.

Extend:

• Effectively work and collaborate with others in the finding, managing, curating, and critical evaluation of information for a range of uses.
• Critically receive and respond to messages in a range of media formats.

Empower:

• Design and use innovative and/or creative processes around research or sourcing information.
• Take a critical approach to managing information and presenting information to others.
• Guide and coordinate others in the creation of original material.

Discovery Tool

Assess your digital capabilities with the Discovery Tool. It aims to aid understanding and self-reflection and then highlights opportunities for you to develop your skills. Answer questions relating to your digital skills, understanding and confidence to receive a personalised report. The report provides details of your digital capability levels across various themes and highlights relevant resources, including specially curated resources by OD&PL. The Discovery Tool is based upon the six elements of the Jisc digital capabilities framework.

Case studies

There are some great examples of how the Discovery Tool has been implemented across the sector, find out more by exploring the JISC implementation case studies. We are interested in hearing about your applications of using the Discovery Tool amongst departments, services and with your students.  If you are interested in spotlighting an example of your practice, then please do get in touch: academicdev@leeds.ac.uk.

Further Guidance

• Digital Educations Systems Help site - For how-to guides and practical support in using tools, visit the Digital Educations Systems Help site.
• IT Services - For technical support and to request assistance, visit the IT Services websiteusing your university username and password to log in.
• Organisational Development & Professional Learning (OD&PL) – You can find further development opportunities related to your personal and professional development on the OD&PL website. This includes information about staff and student access to a free LinkedIn Learning
• Embedding into the Curriculum - For support with embedding digital capabilities into the curriculum please discuss with your Faculty Digital Education Enhancement Teams.

Related networks and Communities of Practice

There are several networks and communities of practice at Leeds which can support you and your practice. A list of staff networks on the For Staff website is available, as well as a list of student education networks and communities on the OD&PL Student Education Development website.