Overview

Digital literacy is a core 21st Century skill on par with numeracy and literacy. To function effectively in today’s world individuals must know how to access, use and create information and communicate and collaborate effectively within digital contexts. This course is therefore designed to provide the knowledge and technological skills needed to successfully leverage online modalities in personal and professional contexts.

Participants will learn how to create, communicate and share digital content. They will gain functional knowledge in a range of productivity tools such as Microsoft Office 365, Libre Office, Open Office and Google Suite. The goal of this course is to develop digitally conscientious citizens who can leverage their online presence and digital tools for public good.

Objectives

This programme seeks to;

  • Manage their online presence.
  • Leverage digital tools to learn.
  • Understand the risks and threats involved in interacting online.
  • Leverage digital communication tools to create connections and networks to support individual growth.
  • Use collaborative tools to co-author and share digital products.
  • Create standard documents using a variety of document editors.
  • Use spreadsheet applications to solve problems and in decision-making.
  • Design and develop engaging and interactive digital content using a range of presentation and digital editing tools.
  • Employ digital modalities to pitch ideas, concepts and design.

Acquired Competences

  • Leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving, and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
    1. Articulate and set personal learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them and reflect on the learning process itself to improve learning outcomes.
    2. Build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
    3. Use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
    4. Understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies.
  • Recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
    1. Cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.
    2. Engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behaviour when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.
    3. Demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property.
    4. Manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of data-collection technology used to track their navigation online.
  • Critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
    1. Plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits.
    2. Evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.
    3. Curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions.
    4. Build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.
  • Use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
    1. Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
  • Communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
    1. Choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication.
    2. Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
    3. Publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
  • Use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
    1. Use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.
    2. Contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

Programme Summary

  • Managing Your Online Presence

    This module introduces learners to the concept of digital literacy and management of one’s identity in the online environment. Learners will be encouraged to reflect on their roles as digital citizens.

    Learning outcomes will include;

    1. Managing their digital identities and actions in the digital world.
    2. Employing positive, safe and ethical practices when using technology.
    3. Investigating their digital footprint.
    4. Improving their online presence.
    5. Reflecting on their position and responsibilities in the digital world.
  • Communicating in the Online Environment

    This module allows learners to explore tools used for communication and collaboration in virtual spaces. Learners will identify and utilize various communication tools for specific purposes.

    Learning outcomes will include;

    1. Discuss ways in which communication and collaboration has changed with the emergence of Web 2.0.
    2. Discuss the challenges associated with communicating and collaborating using technology.
    3. Compare the features of digital tools used for communication and collaboration.
  • Document Publishing Fundamentals

    This module designed to help learners create, format and share in different formats a variety of documents using standard word processing applications.

    Learning outcomes will include;

    1. Use the word processing tools and features to create engaging and captivating products (brochures, assignments, invitations, cards).
    2. Store digital products on different media and formats.
    3. Use appropriate word processors to share and collaborate on digital products.
  • Analysing and Visualizing Data with Spreadsheets Software

    This module is designed to help learners make sense of data by employing simple spreadsheets strategies, applying standard functions, formulas, graphs and charts. Additionally, learners will develop decision-making skills through data representation.

    Learning outcomes will include;

    1. Describe the uses of electronic spreadsheets.
    2. List the major electronic spreadsheet applications.
    3. Locate spreadsheet elements in a workbook
    4. Create a simple spreadsheet using an electronic spreadsheet application.
    5. Use appropriate functions and formulae in a spreadsheet to generate desired results.
    6. Apply formatting tools to a simple spreadsheet.
    7. Manipulate data in a simple spreadsheet.
    8. Create charts in a simple spreadsheet.
    9. Apply formatting to charts in a simple spreadsheet.
  • Essentials

    This module is designed to provide the guidelines for effective creation and delivery of presentations. Additionally, the module introduces and develops skills in electronic presentations.

    Learning outcomes will include;

    1. Recognize what constitutes effective presentation skills.
    2. Outline the characteristics of a good electronic presentation (e.g. Rule of 6).
    3. Create a standard presentation using a presentation application.
    4. Apply appropriate formatting features to create desired effects.
    5. Apply appropriate editing tools to manipulate the content of a presentation.
    6. Apply appropriate tools to insert graphics into a presentation.
    7. Apply appropriate tools to format graphics in a presentation.
    8. Create and format tables in a presentation.
    9. Integrate presentation application with other office applications.
    10. Insert videos into a presentation.