91 Digital Fluency in a Public Liberal Arts Institution
Speakers
Jeff McClurken and Lee Skallerup Bessette
Abstract
In 2006, the University of Mary Washington (UMW)’s History program added Digital Literacy as a programmatic learning outcome for its majors, a reflection of a focus in the department and at the institution of the value of these skills for Mary Washington students. Over the next ten years, UMW saw the creation of a digital studies minor and then major, as well as the opening of the Hurley Convergence Center. Simultaneously, UMW pioneered the technological innovations needed to support these developments, first with UMW Blogs, and then with Domain of One’s Own (Shaffer & Haarstad 2016; Burtis 2017a; Burtis 2017b). By 2016, UMW approved a University-wide strategic plan where two of the goals were: “pursue strategies to make UMW a nationally recognized center for the digital liberal arts, where the curriculum will promote advanced digital fluency for all students” and to “Incorporate digital fluency in the curriculum, either as part of general education or by enhancing the digital content within major programs.” (Mary Washington 2020). This vision for UMW was a result of decades of work by faculty and staff in the area of digital pedagogy, which included the creation of UMW Blogs and the Domain of One’s Own project. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the process undertaken to achieve those twin goals, culminating in a 2019 Faculty Senate approval of a new “digital intensive” general education requirement, modeled after the successful “writing intensive” and “speaking intensive” requirements already in place. We will share strategies and lessons learned from the process, providing a roadmap for other institutions looking to incorporate digital literacy and fluency more fully at their institution. We will also provide specific examples from newly approved DI courses in a variety of disciplines and look forward to how it will continue to be implemented and refined.
Burtis, M. (2017a). Messy & Chaotic Learning: A Domains Presentation at Keene State College. The Fish Wrapper. Retrieved on February 10, 2021, from http://wrapping.marthaburtis.net/2017/04/05/messy-chaotic/
Burtis, M. (2017b). Neither Locked Out Nor Locked In. The Fish Wrapper. Retrieved on February 10, 2021, from http://wrapping.marthaburtis.net/2017/06/05/locked-in-out/
Mary Washington 2020: Excellence. Impact. Distinction. Retrieved on February 10, 2021, from http://provost.umw.edu/files/2016/03/UMW2020.pdf
Shaffer, K. & Haarstad, N. (2016). An Infographic of One’s Own. DTLT Blog. Retrieved on February 10, 2021, from http://umwdtlt.com/an-infographic-of-ones-own/