Paul Crone
Director, National Association of Principals and Deputies
Parents often limit young children’s screen time, concerned about its addictive nature, yet recognise that digital skills are crucial as children grow. What stage should digital literacy be prioritised in students?
My area of experience is in the post-primary schools, and students enter post-primary with a certain level of digital proficiency. However, what we see are young adults that are very familiar with social media, messaging apps and using digital media for entertainment. Post-primary teachers often describe these students as digital natives because they have grown up in the digital world, yet digital tasks such as email, Word, PowerPoint, Canva and Excel are alien to our so-called digital natives.
Neglecting digital literacy education
We teach children how to read and write from a young age, yet we neglect their digital literacy skills. As such, we have no idea what they are learning or how they are learning it. Junior Cycle key skills emphasise digital technology to develop students’ digital literacy in communication, information management, creativity and collaboration. This reflects the modern day workplace, so students should be equipped with the skills they will need to succeed in their working life.
Digital literacy must be prioritised and included in the additional assessment component for each subject.
Prioritising digital literacy assessment
In education, we assess what we value. When we look at the Junior Cycle, there are significant opportunities to use digital skills in the Classroom Based Assessments (CBA) and in other areas of learning. Yet, in the Leaving Certificate, there are limited opportunities to use digital skills for assessment.
In the redevelopment of the Senior Cycle, digital literacy must be prioritised and included in the additional assessment component for each subject. Only then can we deliver for students in the area of digital literacy. This will then filter down, in an age appropriate manner, to all students in our education system, equipping them with the digital literacy skills required for personal and professional success.
