In the current technology-enhanced world, there's an assumption that most everyone is comfortable with, and capable of online learning. While the ubiquity of digital communication, automated assistance, and constant connectivity supports this assumption, the reality is that many people around the world, from all walks of life, don't have the skills required to effectively use digital resources and technologies for an academic purpose.
Providing a resource to help learners gain more value from Open Educational Resources (OER) is a primary concern for the Open Education Resource universitas (OERu). While designing the 1st Year of Study programme for OERu, the team determined there was a pressing need for a credit-bearing course to improve digital literacy skills, and thus the Learning in a Digital Age (LiDA) course was conceived.
Participants were invited to contribute to the course development via GoogleDocs, social media (#OERuLiDA), or directly on the WikiEducator platform. By drawing from two existing courses from OERu partners, the team designed the curriculum for maximum re-use by OERu partners and other educators interested in sharing this course.
Upon completion, the LiDA course will be made available through OERu, and will also be included in the 1st year of Study programme, a comprehensive offering designed to prepare learners for academic and professional success. The 1st Year of Study is a no-charge programme with optional exit credentials assessed through OERu partners.