Exploring digital literacy as a graduate learning outcome in higher education

An analysis of online survey

Abstract

This paper explores the notion of digital literacy as a learning outcome in the context of higher education. As the world becomes increasingly digital and technologically connected, the ways in which universities support the development of student digital literacy are critical in order to equip graduates with the knowledge and skills to engage in society meaningfully and productively. Regardless of its importance, given the current landscape where numerous digital literacy frameworks can be found in the literature, the task of effectively teaching and assessing digital literacy within higher education becomes rather complex and challenging. As such, through the preliminary analysis of an online survey conducted at a large Australian university, we investigate academics’ perceptions of digital literacy as one of the graduate learning outcomes. With a successful application to the university’s Central Research Grant scheme, the year-long research was conducted in 2017. This project integrated the online survey as well as Change Laboratory as part of the activity theory framework informing this research. Findings discussed in this paper include understandings about the perceived enablers that potentially allow academics to better teach and assess digital literacy in the future.