Introduction

The ongoing digitalization of society and the economy is fundamentally transforming how we work, live, and interact. Consequently, it is critical for youth to not only acquire the skills to use digital tools and emerging technologies, but also to understand the principles behind how they work. As facilitators, we have a responsibility to help youth effectively navigate our 21st-century digital landscape. Our goal extends beyond developing a new generation of app developers—it is about preparing youth for their future roles as innovators in STEM fields.

As digital technology continues to reshape our world, youth in Canada have become increasingly immersed participants in this transformation. Alongside this shift, the adoption of digital tools is set to grow steadily, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data leading the transformation. These emerging technologies will play a pivotal role in shaping and driving the demand for digital skills (Li et al., 2023).  

Building off our previous module, which laid the groundwork for responsible digital engagement, this module will help you guide youth through the next stage of their digital journey: becoming informed creators in the digital space. Actua’s intention with this module is to equip you with the skills, tools, and knowledge needed to effectively guide youth in developing critical digital skills they need for a rapidly changing world, helping them understand how to use these technologies effectively in everyday life. 

Throughout this module, you will be introduced to a broad range of digital mindsets and resources, aimed at building a foundational understanding of how to integrate digital skills, educational tools, and emerging technology into your STEM workshops, camps, and programs.

Note: It is important that you discuss the use of any online application or account creation with your team and/or supervisor and follow any organizational guidelines and policies related to technology use and/or account creation.

Course Overview

This training module was developed by the Actua team leveraging resources developed in collaboration with subject matter experts in the field. The overview of the course is as follows:

1. Introduction - 15 minutes
2. Digital Skills Decoded - 20 minutes
3. Coding - 30 minutes
4. Artificial Intelligence - 35 minutes
5. Emerging Technology - 15 minutes
6. Future-Ready Lessons - 20 minutes
7. Reflection - 5 minutes

Learning Goals

• Develop an awareness of the skills needed to participate effectively in an increasingly digital world, and understand how emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, and their applications can be leveraged in various contexts.
• Design and create engaging, experiential learning experiences that incorporate digital skills development.
• Use and evaluate digital tools and resources to integrate technology into the learning environment. 

Future Skills Developed

By participating in this module, you will also work on developing the following Future Skills: 

• Initiative
  • This module will explore various emerging technologies and its implications. In addition, this module will support you in various learning practices and frameworks for taking initiative to enact positive learning outcomes for youth. 
• Innovation & Creativity
  • Building great content requires a strong foundational knowledge of the topic areas covered, a good understanding of learning outcomes, and a healthy dose of creativity. Innovation and creativity are skills desirable in any career path. When reflecting on questions in this module, consider the ways that building coding and digital skills content provides an opportunity to exercise creative thinking. 
• Communication
  • You will understand how to present material and information in a way that is engaging and that is appropriately targeted to the audience by aptly leveraging resources to support or reinforce key messaging.
• Problem Solving
  • In this module, we hope to share some tips and practices for approaching and supporting different learning styles of youth as well as ways to teach digital skills and explore emerging technologies. You have an opportunity to add to your problem solving toolkit. 

Activity 1: Mapping the Digital World

Begin this module by exploring your understanding of digital skills. 

• Reflect on the following prompt: "When you think of digital skills, what comes to mind? List the skills or concepts that you associate with digital skills”.
• Create a mind map that starts with "Future-Ready Digital Skills" at the centre. You can prepare this in your workbook on paper or digitally with platforms such as Canva, draw.io, Google Slides, or Microsoft Powerpoint. 

Before moving to the next section, play the following TedxYouth video below to build your awareness on the importance of cultivating digital literacy skills, especially for youth. 

Video (6:30): Digital Literacy Skills to Succeed in Learning and Beyond | Yimin Yang | TEDxYouth@GrandviewHeights (TEDx Talks, 2022)

Reflect on the following: 

• How does your mind map align with the skills highlighted in the video?
• How do these skills relate to the content you are currently developing?
• What challenges or opportunities do you anticipate in teaching these skills?