As I\u2019ve noted before, one of the ideas I\u2019m working on with a faculty committee is incorporating digital literacy (e.g., critical consumption of data, the production of data visualization, computational thinking) as a key element of the current educational landscape. If we think seriously about the types of skills we hope to give students as they enter the workforce and citizenry, we do ourselves a disservice if we don\u2019t take digital literacy as seriously as we do, say, writing. Students are naturally adept at consuming digital information, but are they adept as critical consumers and producers of digital ideas via words, sounds and visions?<\/p>\n
One of the ways the committee has talked about enhancing digital literacy is to provide students and faculty with digital resources that encourage them to rethink elements of their coursework. We need to find ways to provide students with both specific tools (i.e., software) and training\/support on how to use those tools if we hope to enhance digital literacy across campus.<\/p>\n
While formulating a digital literacy case study, I was contacted by Lutz Koepnick,<\/u><\/a> Gertrude Conway Professor and Chair of German, Russian and East European Studies, as well and Director of the Joint-Ph.D. Program in Comparative Media Analysis and Practice<\/u><\/a> (CMAP). This is an innovative program that is \u2018layered onto\u2019 a student\u2019s primary field of study (and all fields may link to CMAP) and focuses on the \u201ccritical investigation of modern media culture and the innovative making of digital objects.\u201d Students complete the program in conjunction with their field-specific plan of study and graduate with a Ph.D. in their respective area and in \u201cComparative Media Analysis and Practice.\u201d<\/p>\n Koepnick contacted me because he was just about to begin teaching a Maymester course entitled, \u201cCreative Media Practice.\u201d This course is a four week long series of workshops \u201cdesigned both to foster graduate students\u2019 skills in various areas of digital media practice and to help doctoral candidates to develop creative solutions to present research projects in their fields of specialization and matters of public concern.\u201d The students are taught elements of visual storytelling, documentary filmmaking, sound production, web design, gaming, and 3D\/virtual reality design. Fortunately, my discussion with Koepnick turned into an opportunity to provide digital literacy training and support to his Maymester students.<\/p>\n