The year 2020 was a year that many of us want to put far behind us, but in some ways what made it the worst year in terms of digital access and advancement also made it pivotal year for many in higher education.
The year 2020 put us all on a new journey of digital innovation that was totally unexpected? For some, resources and support were in place to help ease the transition.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this presentation, participations will be able to...
- Recall why digital literacy and digital fluency are necessary for leveraging student success initiatives
- Demonstrate how our campus uses the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite to create transformative educational experiences and thus closing the digital divide for our students.
Why Is Digital Literacy Important to WSSU?
Common Student Profile:
- Many of our students come from household incomes of $50K or less
- A large number of Pell Grant recipients;
- A large population of First-Generation College Students
BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE IS a priority
"WSSU provides access to digital tools for students, faculty, and staff, establishing support and resources to close the digital divide, and creating partnerships that will enhance creativity and digital fluency for all." Chancellor Elwood Robinson
- The Class of 2022 was the first graduating class in which all of the students who entered WSSU in 2018 have had access to the Adobe Creative Cloud for their entire tenure at WSSU.
Winston- Salem State University has been working to leverage Digital Fluency skills to faculty and students through the Creative Cloud.
Supporting Our Faculty With Digital Resources and Opportunities
OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTER INCORPORATES USING DIGITAL TOOLS, SPECIFICALLY ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD IN 95% OF OUR WORKSHOPS AND TRAININGS.
- CITI seeks to engage faculty more extensively than with single workshops by focusing on the benefits of the tool for instructional success
- Find a tool. Learn the tool. Use the tool. Don't try to learn them all at once is KEY.
A Premiere Faculty Learning Experience: The Adobe Instructor Course Design Project (Fall '21)
.......
How WSSU Faculty are Expanding Digital Fluency and Integrating it into Instruction
Applying Social Justice in a Digital Age - SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE
- Through the use of digital media in the form of Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Spark) flyers posted on social media and in email campaigns, Dr. Monell, Dr. Denise Nation and their students in social justice courses led a movement that was a major contribution to Mr. Ronnie Long being released from wrongful conviction of a rape that happened in 1977.
- Mr. Long spend over 40 years in prison for a rape that he did not commit.
- This is digital fluency in action in the classroom!
WSSU nursing faculty, Dr. Kimya Nance, uses digital tools in a transformative way to introduce students to Adobe Creative Cloud applications to create new learning activities that address the 21st century needs of mobile, digital learners in an online asynchronous RN-BSN program.
One Example is the Infographic Assignment which highlights global medical problems around the world.
"Transforming higher education for the twenty-first century is not about throwing a lot of tech into classrooms. What we need instead is to rethink higher education so that our students are digitally literate-so that they understand, gain insight into, and maybe even exert more control over the technologies that have changed and sometimes dominated our lives and will do so even more in the future" (Davidson, 2017, p. 80).
Davidson, C. N. (2017). The new education: How to revolutionize the university to prepare students for a world in flux. Basic Books: New York, NY.
Credits:
Created with images by Flamingo Images - "Smiling young African college student doing homework on campus" • Rawpixel.com - "Innovation Technology Be Creative Futuristic Concept" • jan_S - "Removing white cubes with letters l and e of the word challenge creating new word change on grey background with miniature figurines" • Dzmitry - "Chance or challenge symbol. Businessman turns wooden cubes and changes the concept word challenge to chance. Beautiful grey table grey background. Business challenge or chance concept. Copy space." • Cagkan - "Inspirational motivational quote of embrace the journey on a tree in nature. New experience, discovery, direction or achievement in life or business." • nali - "Challenge in golden stars background" • thinglass - "What Do You Need to Succeed?" • magele-picture - "Get Results " • Thitiwat.Day - "martarboard or graduation cap with red tassel and diploma tied with red ribbon on wooden table, vintage tone" • Artur - "Writing note showing Bridge The Gap. Business concept for Overcome the obstacles Challenge Courage Empowerment" • ibreakstock - "Digital divide word cloud" • Roman Motizov - "money background. american hundred dollar bills. copy space" • pathdoc - "Motivated woman pulling a red banner with success word overcoming a failure" • geralt - "skills can startup" • Michail Petrov - "Word IMPACT made with wood building blocks" • Artur - "Text sign showing Let s is Work Together. Conceptual photo Unite and Join Forces to Achieve a Common Goal." • Mat Hayward - "Group of protesters holding a sign " • New Africa - "Sticky notes with words Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and stationery on wooden table, closeup" • Africa Studio - "Stethoscope and red heart on table" • Dragana Gordic - "Closeup shot of a young woman holding a senior man's hands in comfort. Cropped shot of a senior man and a nurse holding hands. Not just a caregiver but a confidant" • alice_photo - "Medical icon on jigsaw puzzle for global health care" • Tierney - "Innovation concept with smartphone" • Christian Horz - "top view of words thank you written on sticky note on laptop computer"