Learning journeys: exploring approaches to learner digital literacy acquisition

Abstract Digital literacy skills are a crucial attribute for today’s students. The JISC-funded Anytime Learning Literacies Environment (ALLE) project has created an online learning resource to help students acquire digital literacy skills in the form of a learner journey. The journey comprises a series of learning objects, which enable learners to embark on their own interactive journey and help them develop their learning and literacy skills. A prototype of the learner journey has been used and evaluated by over 200 first-year business students in two universities using contrasting teaching approaches. The University of West London (UWL) has scaffolded the journey in the curriculum, while at London Metropolitan University (London Met) students have been encouraged to use the journey according to their needs. Initial analysis of some of the evaluation data from pre-and post-testing of students’ digital literacy skills in both institutions has shown that students’ skill levels have increased. The picture is very complex, but there is evidence that the students at UWL have increased their skills more than those at London Met, suggesting that the more heavily scaffolded approach has produced more successful results.