The Center for Open Education at Hokkaido University collaborated with Adobe Systems Inc. to develop OER, which fosters critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills required in Digital Literacy (DL) education. In this collaborative research, we create OER to learn design thinking that underpins critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills in first-year college education. Also, we aim to develop a learning program utilizing this OER through production activities that use digital tools. Since the 1990s, there has been a growing interest in digital literacy, which is a general term for the ability to survive in a digital society, and DL refers to the ability to interpret, evaluate, understand, manage, utilize, and produce digital resources that we access and use daily. DL is a comprehensive concept that includes the abilities of computer literacy, ICT literacy, information literacy, and media literacy. Because the scope of the DL concept is so broad and society itself is rapidly changing, it is difficult to determine where to focus. We examined the competencies which the university students should learn and share this OER with the educators who conduct DL education and learners who want to learn the basics of DL, thereby reducing the burden on teachers and helping students to learn autonomously. The competencies this OER include are based on the competencies of the Digital Literacy Global Framework proposed by UNESCO. We focus on the competencies to use digital tools to externalize, share, and develop thoughts through critical reflection. This OER combines the knowledge of DL and design thinking that provides fundamental principles and methodologies to incorporate their learning and research into visual expressions using digital tools and share with others. It can be positioned as a study skill for researchers who are living in the digital age.
The list of OER is below (in Japanese). We are working to develop the English version.
Function of digital product https://spark.adobe.com/page/KOMwLnnHrw2t3/
Observation of digital product https://spark.adobe.com/page/uxNmLGKZzZuMW/
Evaluation of digital product https://spark.adobe.com/page/V2Rq71zGYcC5i/
Learning Outcomes: The audience learns what digital literacy is based on the UNESCO DLGF framework is, and to know how the OER enables educators and students to learn and share the knowledge and skills which is a need in the digital age. Because the digital literacy framework is too broad, focusing on the appropriate knowledge and skills for the specific learners and educators is necessary. We developed this OER for university students and educators. The audience will learn how we examine the broad competencies.
