Digital Literacy and the Emergence of Technology-Based Curriculum Theories

Abstract

A shifting focus in education is resulting in more networked, technology-enhanced classrooms. Contemporary educators need to be aware of the skill sets students require to thrive in twenty-first century educational environments. This developmental and learnercentered approach, known as digital literacy, enables students to use technology to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate information. This chapter, therefore, proposes a theoretical framework for teaching digital literacy. The authors examine contemporary learning theories, including connectivism and chaos and complexity theories, in an effort to promote further discussion on the epistemological development of digital literacy. Taking into consideration advantages and barriers to promoting digital literacy in the classroom, the authors propose best practices for educators seeking to incorporate these competencies into their curricula.

Description
Keywords
Digital literacy
Citation
Mallon, Melissa N.; Gilstrap, Donald L. (2014): Digital Literacy and the Emergence of Technology-Based Curriculum Theories. In D. Loveless, B. Griffith, M. Bérci, E. Ortlieb, & P. Sullivan (Eds.), Academic Knowledge Construction and Multimodal Curriculum Development, pp. 15-29. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.