Born wired or logging on late:
Supporting digital learning across generations
Background
- Digital divide
- urban and rural
- socioeconomic status
- education
- Post covid- internet use but access and extent of use is limited.
- Digital natives & immigrants
Digital Equity
What is digital equity? K-12 schools, Higher Education, Communities
- Digital Literacy and Citizenship
- Access to devices and connectivity
- Leadership and digital transformation
- Systems, resources, & policies
+ info
From Digital Promise: https://digitalpromise.org/digital-equity/higher-ed-framework/
Digital Literacy
What does it mean to be digitally literate in 2025?
- I can navigate, evaluate, and create information across a wide range of digital environments.
- I understanding how technology works, shapes communication, access to information, and participation in society.
- I can adapt to new technologies, recognize misinformation, protect my privacy, and contribute positively to online communities.
+ info
Digital Competencies
What does it mean to have digital competency?
- access and use the internet on a variety of digital devices; troubleshoot issues.
- hardware: know different digital devices including specifications for processing, storage, and memory.
- download, edit, and resize images; compress and unzip files; use cloud storage
- create accessible text documents, record and add captions to videos, create ALT text for images
- keep personal and student information secure
- identify deepfakes; analyze AI output
adult Learner Model
Learner Variability Project
Digital Promise- focused resources and strategies for meeting the needs of all learners. Recognizes differences, experiences, and context for learners.
Content
Cognition
Social & Emotional Learning
Background
Components
Photovisual & Reproduction Literacy
Real Time Thinking
Branching Literacy
- Navigate a website
- where to click
- button functions
- Create multimedia.
- design a presentation
- record and edit a video
- crop and resize photos
- remove background
- Working memory
- Processing multiple sources of information
- Determining meaning and context
- Searching online
- Scheduling appointments
- Searching for news articles
- Non-linear, multidimensional formats: links; hyperlinks; QR
Adult Learner Factors
Background
Social & Emotional Learning
Language & Literacy
Cognition
- Background knowledge
- Composition
- Digital literacy
- Disciplinary literacy
- Numeracy
- Oral communication
- Problem solving
- Adverse experiences
- Technophobia
- Literacy
- Hearing, vision
- Sleep; health
- Social support
- Socioeconomic status
- Attention
- Auditory processing
- Cognitive flexibility
- Inhibition
- Self-regulation
- Sense of belonging
Resource: Promoting Digital Literacy for Adult Learners
- Digital promise
- Based on Adult Learner Factors
- Background information and guide for teaching digital literacy
Additional Resources
UNESCO: September 2025 International Literacy Day EuroPass: Test your digital skills UNESCO: Digital Competencies European Commission: Digital Competence Framework (DigComp)
Best Practices
Needs Assessment
Design
Assess digital literacy and digital competency
IntentionalUniversal design for Learning
Lifelong Learning
Skill Development
Continuously update skills
Multimodal Multiple means to demonstrate
Scaffolding
Intentionally prepare for tech and digital skill use
Contact
Dr. Jacqueline McGinty Professor Indiana University of Pennsylvania jmcginty@iup.edu
Born wired or logging on late:
Jacqueline McGinty
Created on October 6, 2025
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Transcript
Born wired or logging on late:
Supporting digital learning across generations
Background
Digital Equity
What is digital equity? K-12 schools, Higher Education, Communities
+ info
From Digital Promise: https://digitalpromise.org/digital-equity/higher-ed-framework/
Digital Literacy
What does it mean to be digitally literate in 2025?
+ info
Digital Competencies
What does it mean to have digital competency?
adult Learner Model
Learner Variability Project
Digital Promise- focused resources and strategies for meeting the needs of all learners. Recognizes differences, experiences, and context for learners.
Content
Cognition
Social & Emotional Learning
Background
Components
Photovisual & Reproduction Literacy
Real Time Thinking
Branching Literacy
Adult Learner Factors
Background
Social & Emotional Learning
Language & Literacy
Cognition
Resource: Promoting Digital Literacy for Adult Learners
Additional Resources
UNESCO: September 2025 International Literacy Day EuroPass: Test your digital skills UNESCO: Digital Competencies European Commission: Digital Competence Framework (DigComp)
Best Practices
Needs Assessment
Design
Assess digital literacy and digital competency
IntentionalUniversal design for Learning
Lifelong Learning
Skill Development
Continuously update skills
Multimodal Multiple means to demonstrate
Scaffolding
Intentionally prepare for tech and digital skill use
Contact
Dr. Jacqueline McGinty Professor Indiana University of Pennsylvania jmcginty@iup.edu