About the Course

Digital Literacies and Open Practices is a 15 credit module taught at City, University of London as part of the MA in Academic Practice. The course has been taught online since October 2020, with 3 days of live synchronous online teaching and one face to face session. The module aims are to:

  • evaluate how technology creates both opportunities for innovation and challenges in learning and teaching practice, and to consider how to integrate technologies into current learning and teaching strategies in an effective manner
  • analyse the use of digital resources appropriate to the content, audience and aims of your current courses
  • develop transferrable skills, including your own digital literacies and how to better support students in this area
  • develop an understanding of open practices and reflect on what it means in your own context as a teacher and researcher.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, you will be expected to be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:

  • Demonstrate a working knowledge of the current uses of digital technologies in teaching and learning in higher education (UKPSF K4) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Critically evaluate the impact of new technologies on staff and student digital literacies (UKPSF A2, K4) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Reflect on your approach to open practices with regards to your teaching and research outputs. (UKPSF A5) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)

Skills:

  • Acquire an evaluative framework for the deployment of digital resources (UKPSF K4, K5) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Reflect systematically and critically on professional practice (UKPSF A5) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Enhance professional practice and routines (UKPSF A5) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Demonstrate enhanced and developing information and digital literacy skills to use a range of tools and technologies in your academic practice (UKPSF A5, K4) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)

Values and attitudes:

  • Respond to the needs of a diverse learning community (UKPSF V1) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)
  • Discuss evidence as a rationale for innovation and change in academic practice (UKPSF V3) (this is assessed through synchronous and asynchronous online activities and both assessments)

Teaching methods

A range of teaching and learning methods will be deployed including online learning, workshops, group work, case studies, self-reflection, peer review and collaboration and evidence-based practice. This course requires you attend 1 teaching day held at City, University of London and cannot be studied entirely online.

There is also independent study time allocated to this module. For some of this, you will be engaged in online activities such as sharing and discussing literature, and you will also develop your assessment during this time.

Assessments 

You will make a 5 minute video exploring an aspect of digital literacies or open practice and how it relates to your own practice and complete a 500 word reflective evaluation.

You will complete a 2,000 word reflective essay on an aspect of either open practice or digital literacy and its impact on your own professional practice. This should include evidence of a critical engagement with the appropriate literature. The final title is to be agreed with the module lead.

The essay should be published, by the submission date on a suitable open platform such as a personal or departmental blog or the EDM122 blog with appropriate licensing in place.

You must choose whichever topic you did not cover in the video assessment, e.g. if your video was about digital literacies, then your essay must focus on open practices and vice versa.