First-Year writing's Digital Literacy Showcase:
purpose & background
purpose & background
In Spring 2024, San José State University's First-Year Writing Program (FYW) launched a Digital Literacy Initiative with support from Adobe Systems and the Provost's Office.
Participants showcase digital projects they've created in first-year writing. In those classes (ENGL 1AF/S, 1A, 1B, and 2), students are writing and thinking about wildly diverse topics, from food to environmental activism to digital identity. Alongside their formal writing projects, they often create digital texts, including videos, digital identity boards, slide decks, infographics, and more.
The goal of the Showcase is not to celebrate "the best" polished projects but to showcase students' processes--the thought, care, and decisions students work through in developing their writing. To that end, we invite anyone and everyone to attend the Showcase each semester and ask students about their processes, including but not limited to the final product.
What happens at the Digital Literacy Showcase?
Students showcase their digital projects! Taking the best elements of a science-style poster session and visual arts-style art walk, we print a poster that represents students' projects. At the event, they have their full project on a laptop or tablet that they can share in more detail. The idea is that visitors' curiosity will be piqued by the poster, and they'll want to learn more by talking to the creators.
WHAt do we mean by "Digital Literacy"?
In Create to Learn : Introduction to Digital Literacy, critical media scholar and Professor of Communication, Renee Hobbs, defines "digital literacy" this way:
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There's a lot to digest in Hobbs's definition, but we like it because it highlights the many varied skills, knowledges, and relationships involved in digital literacy. Digital literacy isn't just making polished videos or images. It entails a whole series of reading and composing skills that are at the heart of first-year writing.
In our classes, we ask students to engage with digital texts of all sorts, from PDF articles to viral videos, and even AI-generated texts. We work with students to learn how to consume digital and non-digital texts "critically"--that is, by attempting to understand who wrote them, for what purpose, for which audience(s), using what mediums.
Students also produce digital and non-digital texts, often simultaneously. We ask students to write academic essays, for example, and we also invite students to re-imagine their formal essays as videos, infographics, websites, hybrid genres, and more with careful attention to how the audiences, purposes, and contexts change with different media. Your 10-page academic essay isn't going to do numbers on social media, and your short-form video probably won't fly in your organic chemistry class. The challenge is developing rhetorical flexibility for new and changing circumstances.
Developing digital literacy is vital for all university students in the twenty-first century, but we think especially for students living and working in the Bay Area generally and Silicon Valley specifically. SJSU’s identity as Silicon Valley’s Public University demands that we be at the forefront of supporting students’ digital literacy.
WHy Digital Literacy?
In a rapidly changing digital landscape, digital literacy equips college students with the skills needed for lifelong learning and adaptation. Digital literacy takes time and practice, but it has been shown to help students (and others) develop:
Academic Success: Digital literacy helps students effectively use technology to research, collaborate, and present their work. It goes beyond basic computer skills, involving the ability to critically evaluate online information, understand digital tools, and utilize multimedia content to enhance learning and communication. Mastering these skills is vital for writing papers, conducting research, and working on group projects.
Career Readiness: Most jobs today require some level of digital proficiency. Employers look for candidates who can navigate digital tools, manage online communication, and adapt to new technologies. Whether in marketing, healthcare, education, or any other field, digital literacy is a key competency. Being digitally literate makes students more competitive in the job market and better prepared to handle workplace tasks and challenges.
Informed Citizenship: Digital literacy is crucial for understanding the world, especially when it comes to consuming news and information online. It enables students to identify credible sources, avoid misinformation, and engage in informed discussions on social and political issues. This awareness is essential for participating in society as responsible citizens.
Personal Empowerment: Knowing how to use digital tools effectively can help students manage their personal lives, from budgeting with apps to staying connected with friends and family. It also enables them to use social media and online platforms to advocate for causes they care about, share ideas, and build networks.
To see how SJSU is supporting students' digital literacy more generally, check out the CSU-Adobe partnership.
WHY DIGITAL LITERACY IN WRITING CLASSES?
FYW's digital literacy initiative aligns with SJSU and the CSU's lifelong learning goals, as well as best practices in the teaching of writing. These include:
