2. Digital Skills Decoded
What are Digital Skills?
Digital skills are commonly associated with computer science and engineering, with a focus on coding and the skills to develop technology. However, they go far beyond just building hardware and software.
Cultivating digital skills in youth means empowering them to create, collaborate, and engage with technology in meaningful and impacting ways, rather than merely consuming it. These skills equip youth for opportunities of today and tomorrow by enabling them to use tools and applications to solve problems, innovate, and bring ideas to life, while also fostering key skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
Why is it important?
Activity 2: A Digital Journey
Complete this self-assessment quiz designed to help you evaluate your current digital skills, recognize your strengths, and identify areas that might benefit from further development. As you complete the quiz, consider your familiarity and comfort level with various digital tools and concepts.
Quiz: Digital Dexterity - Self Assessment (Griffith University) (Griffith University Library, 2018)
Note: This quiz has 8 questions and will take 15-20 minutes to complete. You will be able to leave anytime and resume later.
After finishing the quiz, take a moment to reflect on your results using the questions below:
- Review Your Strengths: Consider the areas where you felt most confident. Why do you think you’re more comfortable with these tasks? How have you used these skills in content development or everyday life?
- Recognize Areas of Growth: Reflect on the tasks where you felt less confident or comfortable. What might be the reasons for this? Are these tasks you’ve rarely encountered, or do they involve skills that you find particularly challenging when considering ways to integrate technology into your STEM program?
- Identify Your Learning Goals: Based on your responses, what are the top three digital skills or tasks you’d like to build more confidence in? How might increasing your comfort level with these skills or tasks help you create engaging digital skills activities for your STEM camps and workshops?
- Explore Resources: The quiz results offer resources aimed at strengthening your skills and confidence in specific areas. Take a look at these resources and consider how you can use them to improve your overall digital skills and in developing content for your STEM programs.
SAMR Model
As we explore various digital tools and emerging technologies throughout this module, it is important to consider how these resources can be effectively integrated into your STEM workshops, camps, and programs to enhance their impact on learning. The SAMR model is a framework designed to help facilitators assess and reflect on how technology can enhance learning experiences. It consists of a four-level taxonomy, with each level representing the degree to which digital technology is integrated into a task (Bates, 2019; Best, 2020). Play the video and check out the examples below to understand how technology can transform learning experiences at each stage of the SAMR model.
Video: What is the SAMR Model and what does it look like in schools? (John Spencer, 2015)
Example of the SAMR Model
| No Tech | Substitution | Augmentation | Modification | Redefinition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study the water cycle using a textbook. | Use a website to read about the water cycle. | Use a simulation or app to manipulate variables within the water cycle (temperature, precipitation). | Collaborate on a digital storyboard or presentation where students create and share multimedia presentations detailing aspects of the water cycle. | Use data logging sensors and online platforms to collect real-time data on local weather patterns, analyze trends, and create predictive models of the water cycle in their region. |
| A traditional way to approach a concept. | Provides an alternate way to access the information. | Provides a more dynamic and interactive experience. | Allows for more collaboration and creativity. | Engages students in authentic scientific inquiry and experimentation, transforming their understanding of the water cycle. |
Reflection Questions
As you work through this module and explore how the SAMR model can enhance your content development with various digital tools and technologies, take a moment to reflect on these questions:
- Tech Integration: How can you differentiate between using technology as a substitute and using it to transform or enhance an activity in a meaningful way?
- Skill Development: How does the use of technology in each stage foster 21st century skills?
- Engagement: How does the technology keep youth engaged and excited about STEM?
- Resource Availability: Are the necessary devices and tools available to effectively implement different levels of the SAMR model? Can the devices and tools (i.e., software) be reused for multiple sessions, or will new tools need to be purchased regularly?
- Learning Environment: How adaptable is the technology to various learning environments, whether online, in-person, or hybrid? Should activities be designed for offline settings or will there be reliable internet access?
- Adaptability: Can technology-based tasks and activities be easily adjusted for different age groups and meet the diverse needs of all youth?
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