A8.3: Response to Eshet-Alkali & Amichai-Hamburger

Deidra Darst

10/10/07

 I read and wrote a reader response log during the first week of the semester about Eshet-Alkali and Amichai-Hamburger’s article entitled Experiments in Digital Literacy.  After gaining some insight into this topic through my weekly assignments I am writing a follow-up response to the article.  I now have a different understanding of the components of digital literacy and how they can impact my daily life. 

The authors wrote that digital literacy is comprised of five “major digital skills” (2004).  In my first writing about this article I focused on the study performed and how the five components of digital literacy exhibited themselves within various age groups.  For this follow up response I would like to write about how the CD 315 course material has helped me develop and improve my digital literacy skills. 

My photo-visual skills have improved.  This course, which is mainly conducted via the World Wide Web, has required me to read and understand information from my computer screen.  I do not have tangible hard-copies of assigned readings, instructions, or even of my own work.  I must admit that I was wary about this format at the beginning of the semester.  I felt as if I needed to hold the information in hands to assure myself that “yes, it does exist.”  However, at midterm I am quite comfortable with my course material being accessible via the Internet.  Participation in this class has forced me to be less concrete and expand my ideas about learning and interacting in regard to college classes. 

My skills in reproduction literacy have greatly improved throughout my work in this course.  Mrs. McComas has assignment many articles to read and reflect upon.  I have been led to develop stronger analytical skills through this process.  My ability to read several articles, analyze, summarize and use that information to create a new work has drastically been positively altered.  I now read any article and ask myself, “What is the author trying to tell me?”  I can more effectively read several articles and compare the authors’ motives and reasonings for writing them. 

I am more adept at locating information via the World Wide Web, which means that I am have the skill of branching literacy.  An Internet-surfer can find information about virtually anything, as long as he or she knows where to look.  With such vast amounts of information mysteriously tangled into this Web, I have frequently found searching the Internet a daunting task.  I have utilized the Internet to complete many assignments for this course, and I am finding that the practice is improving my searching skills.  I feel more oriented in regard to finding information, moving away from a particular site, and eventually finding my way back to the previous site.  I particularly find social bookmarking to be a great aid in this endeavor.  When I find a site that I like, I can add it to my social bookmarking account where it can be accessed by anyone from any computer.  This is helpful when I find a great site at home and want to return to it the next day while I am on campus. 

My skills of information literacy are improving as well.  As previously stated, the widespread use and availability of the Internet has allowed access to vast amounts of information, both credible and uncredible.  Week seven’s assignments concerning the evaluation of online material was ever helpful in improving my ability to distinguish between good and bad sources.  The Purdue University and Johns Hopkins University documents provided questions that can be asked about any source of information.  The answers to these questions ultimately lead y to the question “Is this source credible?”  I understanding how to evaluate online material in order to find the most relevant, current, and pertinent information. 

Finally, the CD 315 course material has helped me improve my socio-emotional skills.  Prior to beginning studies in this particular course, I did not feel very comfortable communicating with strangers online.  How could someone I do not even know understand my situation? My needs?  How could they help me accomplish anything?  Mrs. McComas has required me to investigate the world of electronic mailing lists.  These mailing lists form an online community of individuals who are concerned about the same issues.  The people who utilize these lists are genuinely interested in the topic and wish to share information with other users.  While I am yet to receive any emails concerning my pending research topic, I have received some otherwise informative messages.  The mailing lists allow people to communicate important ideas, concerns, and discuss the topic of interest.  They form a connection between otherwise disconnected individuals. 

Eshet-Alkali, Y., & Amichai-Hamburger, Y. (2004, August).  Experiments in digital literacy.  Cyberpsychology and Behavior, 7(4), 421-429.