DSD Input Document
DSD Input Document
Project Overview
Project Overview
The Digital Standards Development Project is an initiative of the British Council, the Department of Education, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
The British Council is supporting the DBE to develop Digital Standards for the basic education sector.
The Department of Basic Education drives the project's development and implementation.
The project is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
What is the goal?
What is the goal?
The Digital Standards Project is a collaborative co-creative process that draws together diverse stakeholders from the education sector to develop digital standards for learning and teaching in South Africa's schools and beyond.
Why digital standards?
Why digital standards?
The White Paper on e-Education (2004) provided South African education with a vision and long-term goals to implement digital learning in all education spaces. We need digital standards for different role players and for institutions to operationalise the White Paper in a practical and contextually relevant way.
What are standards?
What are standards?
Standards are different to policies. Policies provide long-term goals, visions and guidance to entire corporations or countries. Standards operationalise policies in short-term or medium-term goals that target specific role players or institutional functions and processes. This project develops digital standards to operationalise the guidelines from the White Paper.
Policies
Policies
Long-term, high-level guidance
Drive by legal concerns and regulations
Prioritises goals, objectives and roles
Standards
Standards
Procedures, rules or technical controls to operationalise policies
May be short- , medium- or long-term
For individual / groups / whole organisation
Input Document
Input Document
View the DSD Input Document here or use the download link to get your own copy.
Theoretical approach
Theoretical approach
Capital Theory
Capital Theory
We are using capital theory developed from the sociologist Pierre Bourdieu's work. As humans, we engage with, collect and 'trade' using these types of capitals:
Non-Digital Capital
Non-Digital Capital
Some capitals are not reliant on digital technologies, but operate outside of digital spaces. However, these also operate in digital spaces. To show the different between capitals that operate in digital spaces, and the rest, we call the capitals that operate in and outside of digital spaces, non-digital capitals.
Digital Capital
Digital Capital
Digital capitals operate in digital spaces, and can be used to accumulate capital outside of digital spaces. Think for example of qualifications earned online that lead to a promotion or higher salary at work, or earning money from the gig economy.
Cultural Capital
Cultural Capital
What we know how to do, what we've learnt and/or our education.
Social Capital
Social Capital
Our relationships and networks, who we know.
Economic Capital
Economic Capital
Our income and assets we have collected like homes, cars, etc.
Personal Capital
Personal Capital
Our motivation, purpose and feelings of control.
Digital Capital
Digital Capital
Digital capital is a combination of Digital Competencies, Digital Agency, and Digital Citizenship.
Digital Competencies
Digital Competencies
Digital competencies are developed from:
Digital skills
Digital Literacies
These are not the same. Put very simply:
Digital skills is about computer / keyboard skills.
Digital literacies is using digital skills to create, produce or curate digital products in specific contexts.
Digital Agency
Digital Agency
Digital agency consists of:
Individual Agency
Group Agency
Digital Efficacy
Agency is about controlling and managing digital technologies and the social contexts that surround digital spaces. Digital efficacy is about self-belief and confidence to achieve one's goals and purposes.
Agency is a human capacity and should not be confused with a company or group that is called 'an agency' (like an advertising agency).
Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship consists of:
Cyber Safety
Digital Engagement
Cyber Wellness
It is about our engagement in digital spaces, how we learn to keep safe, remain balanced and practice cyber wellness, and how to protect ourselves and others online.
The map below details the various aspects of the digital capital in more detail.
Can you map your Digital Capital?
Can you map your Digital Capital?
1.
1.
Print a copy of the Digital Capital Map.
2.
2.
Use the descriptions of the different elements of digital capital above. Measure your own digital capital for each element.
Place a dot on the appropriate colour. Low scores are in the lightest range, while high scores are in the bolder colours.
3.
3.
Connect the dots on your digital capital map. You should see a shape forming.
Can you see where your strengths lie?
Can you see where you want to improve on your digital capital?
Working groups
Working groups
Different stakeholders are warmly invited to participate in developing digital standards. There are six working groups that meet online for 4 sessions of brainstorming and discussion to iteratively develop and refine standards for particular role players or institutions.
The project started with an in-person roundtable event where diverse stakeholders brainstormed initial ideas around digital standards. The roundtable meeting took place on 7 - 8 June 2023 in Johannesburg.
After the roundtable, six working groups were created to address the five groups of role players and institutions. Participants from the roundtable were invited to join the different working groups, and invitations were shared on social media to invite further participants to join.
Principles for Developing Standards
Principles for Developing Standards
Various design principles were created from the research on policy and standard development. The different working groups can use these to guide their standard development process.
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