MIT 813: Digital Literacy

Welcome to MIT 813: Instructional Message Design

Welcome to MIT 813: Digital Literacy. In this course, we will examine digital literacy, as well as visual, media, and AI literacies, and their roles in teaching and learning across formal and informal settings. Together, we will investigate literacy frameworks and practice designing instructional materials in nontraditional formats, including digital video, concept maps, websites, PSAs, and open educational resources.

A central goal of this course is to critically explore alternative literacies and social contexts that empower learners and expand engagement through digital and media literacy. Expect to experiment with new applications and approaches—you may feel like a beginner at times, but this is part of the creative process.

As you move forward, reflect on the digital and non-digital messages you convey daily in your classrooms or professional settings. How do these messages align or even conflict with your intended meaning? How does digital literacy (and other literacies) shape the ways your own students access, analyze, and apply media in learning?

To spark your thinking, begin with a Tedx Talk by Yimin Yang (2022), a 13-year-old who argues for stronger student guidance in navigating digital literacies (6:30). Then, view Adobe for Education’s (2020) video, What is Digital Literacy (5:25), which provides concrete definitions and frameworks concerning Digital Literacy and not all the "literacies" we begin to consider as a part of MIT 813.

Course Resources

• All readings and media are accessible through the FHSU Tebo Library. Each module contains a references section with direct access to assigned materials. Most resources include built-in accessibility features (text-to-speech, CC, digital reading tools). Please log in with your FHSU account before accessing library links.

• Mini Assignments (1–5) will ask you to utilize APA 7th edition guidelines, including title page, in-text citations, and references. Useful tools include:

  • Purdue OWL: APA Style (example-driven resource)

  • My APA Template (Google Doc., make a personal copy for your work).

I will provide you with feedback after your first Mini Assignment (and all subsequent assignments), but you are responsible for reviewing comments and making revisions to your subsequent work. Remember: learning in this space invites reflection, creativity, and grace as we grow together.

Good luck, open your mind, and press on, 

Dr. Jones

                                                                     References

Adobe for Education. (2020, October 15). What is Digital Literacy |Cultivating Digital Literacy [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU1X3QpX-90

Yang, Y. (2022, September 9). Digital Literacy Skills to Succeed in Learning and Beyond. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgEGbMPJcAo