Digital Literacy

 

Designing a Digital Literacy Course

Liberal Studies Digital Literacy courses prepare students to critically understand and use digital resources and technologies in personal, professional, and societal contexts.

A student focusing intently on a software program on her laptop during class.

What are the learning objectives of Digital Literacy courses?

 A minimum of 3 of the below outcomes is required, but more may be included.

  1. Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
  2. Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
  3. Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
  4. Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
  5. Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
  6. Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

What aspects of course design are necessary to certify a course for Digital Literacy?

The course submission must reflect the following information:

In preparing the course syllabus, units should remember that while the course must be approved through the Liberal Studies course approval process to fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement, the academic unit is responsible for defining digital literacy within the context of its own disciplinary framework. This means that units interpret the student learning outcomes based upon discipline norms and expectations.

A “substantial component (or components)” of the course instruction and assessment must focus on the digital literacy outcomes approved for the course. Digital literacy must be a primary element of the course content. Digital Literacy cannot be an “add-on”. In order to meet the Digital Literacy requirement, students must earn a grade of at least a "C-" in the course and also earn at least a "C-" average on the digital literacy component(s) of the course. Accordingly, digital literacy assessments must significantly impact a student’s final course grade.

Instructors should determine the distribution of instruction and assessment across the three selected learning outcomes appropriate for their field. Digital literacy must be evidenced in the course syllabus sample schedule and the proposed assessment exercises.

The course syllabus or an attached appendix must include the following:

  • A sample course schedule including digital literacy instruction (readings, lectures, workshops, etc.).
  • A full description of the activities or assignments which require students to demonstrate digital literacy appropriate to the discipline.
  • A grading rubric or criteria for the assessments.

Credit hours:

  • Graduation Requirement courses can be less than 3 credit hours if desired.
    • State-Mandated Writing courses cannot be less than 3 credit hours.
    • Formative Experiences courses can be variable credit (0 or more hours).
  • Variable credit hour courses should have a clear justification (ex: internship, seminar with rotating topics).

Note: Only college-level courses (1000 or higher) are approved for the Liberal Studies curriculum.

What language must be included in the syllabus?

There are two components of required syllabus language:

  1. Statements approved by the Faculty Senate, and
  2. Statements for each Liberal Studies designation the course is certified for

 

Faculty Senate required syllabus language:
All syllabi are required to include the syllabus language statements approved by the FSU Faculty Senate, available at https://facsenate.fsu.edu/Curriculum-Resources/syllabus-language.

Liberal Studies required syllabus language:

The following statement can either be 1) adapted specifically to the course content, or 2) pasted verbatim into the syllabus. In either case, the meaning of the language should be clearly communicated to students.

Digital Literacy courses prepare students to critically understand and use digital resources and technologies in personal, professional, and societal contexts.

This course has been approved as meeting the requirements for Digital Literacy. As such, a substantial component of the course is dedicated to the instruction, acquisition, and assessment of digital literacy.

The Digital Literacy learning outcomes for this course are as follows:

(List the outcomes selected by the unit for the proposed course. A minimum of 3 of the below outcomes is required, but more may be included.)

  1. Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
  2. Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
  3. Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
  4. Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
  5. Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
  6. Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

In order to meet the Digital Literacy requirement, students must earn a grade of at least a "C-" in the course and also earn at least a "C-" average on the digital literacy component(s) of the course.

If the student does not earn a “C–” average or better on the digital literacy component(s), the student will not earn an overall grade of “C–” or better in the course, no matter how well the student performs in the remaining portion of the course.

Can I combine Digital Literacy with any other Liberal Studies areas?

  • Digital Literacy can be combined with any General Education designation.
  • Digital Literacy can be combined with any of the University Wide Graduation Requirements.
    • If you choose to add a writing designation to your course proposal, note that a course can only fulfill one type of Writing requirement.
      • A course may be E-Series/State-Mandated Writing “W” or Upper-Division Writing.
    • If you are considering a capstone experience for your course proposal, note that a course can carry either the Scholarship in Practice (SIP) or Formative Experience designation, but not both.

Is there a syllabus template I can use to develop a Digital Literacy course?

Yes. While there is no strictly required format for syllabi, our office has created the following document that you may use to facilitate the process of creating a Liberal Studies syllabus:  Syllabus Guide - Digital Literacy

Who should I contact if I have more questions or concerns?

  • Faculty may contact Kestrel Strickland with any questions about Liberal Studies course design, as well as questions about using the Curricular Request Application (CRA) to submit curricular requests for Liberal Studies approval.
  • You may also browse the FAQ for commonly asked questions and answers.

 

The Digital Literacy requirement applies to all undergraduate students entering the university beginning Summer B/Fall 2023. Students who have been enrolled in prior semesters will continue to fulfill the Computer Competency requirement. In addition to courses approved to fulfill the Computer Competency requirement, students can take any course approved for Digital Literacy to meet the Computer Competency requirement.