Learning/WebLiteracies: Difference between revisions

{{Editor toc}}

We’re currently working towards defining web literacies as part of our work around Mozilla Webmaker. We understand web literacies to be comprised of parts of digital literacies, media literacies, computational/algorithmic thinking and computer science. We’re also interested in newly-defined and emerging areas such as 'Hacker Literacies' (Santo, 2012).

The purpose of this white paper is to define and contextualise what we mean by web literacies - and to inform activities for people wanting to work towards gaining those literacies., It also serves as a reference

point for those who want to help create a generation of Webmakers, people who can ‘write’ as well as ‘read’ the web.

We see there being three steps to Web Literacies. First come Web Skills such as searching and using URLs appropriately. Two or more Web Skills combine into Web Competencies that we could call, for example, 'Browser basics' or 'Search Engine basics'. These are bundles of Web Skills for a particular purpose 'assessed' via a lightweight peer review system.

Finally, Web Literacies consist of a range of these Web Competencies - for example, 'Browser basics,' 'Search engine basics,' and 'Web mechanics'. In addition, some element of self-reflection is required here to realise that you’re now able to ‘Explore’ the web at a beginner level.

Let’s look at Web Skills, Web Competencies and Web Literacies in a bit more depth.

<h2>Web Skills</h2>

By ‘skills’ we mean learned capacities to perform specific actions. Skills can be generic (transferable) or domain-specific. In terms of Web Skills the following may be helpful by way of illustration: a generic skill is understanding how code is structured; a domain-specific skill is how to use various elements of HTML (e.g. \<p\>

and \<h1\> tags). In our earlier example, Leo learns both generic and domain-specific skills in his HTML classes.

Teachers in formal education are well aware that skills have objective thresholds. That’s to say the skills they teach young people are assessed by third parties (such as exam boards) against some kind of rubric. In a similar way to Scouting badges, the learner has to prove they have particular learned capacities in a given area. Likewise, the Mozilla Webmaker badges we’re developing require learners to demonstrate such capacities as they ‘level-up’.

Martha, our 46 year-old teacher, is interested in how the Web Skills developed via activities and projects on webmaker.org could be used in her lessons. She maps these skills onto her country’s national curriculum, sharing this on a wiki with other educators who can adapt it for their own purposes.

By ‘competencies’ we mean collections of skills for pre-defined purposes. Web Competencies are bundles of Web Skills that allow individuals to ‘level-up’ in their knowledge, skills and understanding. Abdullah, for example, is interested in showing progression through the workshops and sessions he provides through his nonprofit start-up. He might decide to focus on teaching the skills young people need to gain the Web Design basics competency badge.

Whether someone demonstrates a particular Web Competency depends on their displaying evidence of mastering certain Web Skills in that area. Building in an element of peer assessment at this stage ensures the evidence required stays fresh, current and relevant to what’s required to be effective on the web today.

Returning to our learner scenarios, as Leo progresses in his knowledge, skills and understanding around HTML he realises he’s ready to submit some of his work for peer review. He places a mini-portfolio of his work

online and asks the Webmaker community to look at it. Leo receives 13 up-votes and only 2 down-votes meaning he has received enough peer recognition to be awarded an HTML basics badge.

In the first instance the organisation awarding Webmaker badges will be Mozilla. As the ecosystem develops, however, we very much welcome and encourage other organisations to contribute tools, content and activities. These organisations will also be able to define the mix of skills that lead to competencies they wish to recognise and badge. Martha, for example, might want to tie the work she’s doing even more closely to the national curriculum or standards she is required to teach.

At it’s most basic, ‘literacy’ is the ability to read and write something. As we’re focusing on Web Literacies the ‘thing’ that we’re reading and writing is the web. In addition to this, however, as people become more literate we expect them to think critically and be able to look at the world from more than one perspective. For someone to be ‘literate’ they have to be aware that they are literate and be accepted within a wider community of literate peers.

Let’s take Leo as our example here. He continues attending his Monday HTML classes and starts tinkering with HTML and CSS at home as well. After a few months he gains Web Competencies badges in HTML basics, CSS basics and Web design basics. When a friend asks for help with a website she’s designing, Leo decides start an after-school interest group with her. Soon, he’s creating ‘howto’ videos for the benefit of those in his

nascent community, whilst she’s working towards Javascript basics to be able to teach others. Teaching something you’ve recently learned yourself forces self-reflection on your own knowledge, skills and

Literacy is a condition to be obtained not a threshold to cross. We want people not only to self-identify as Webmakers but demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be part of one or more

web communities. We’re still in the process of defining the process by which individuals obtain Web Literacies badges, but they’ll contain both elements of peer assessment and self-reflection.

<li>Exploring - I navigate the web while learning, questioning and evaluating what it has to offer.</li>

<li>Creating - I create things with the web and solve problems while respecting the work of others.</li>

<li>Connecting - I communicate and participate appropriately in one or more web communities.</li>

<li>Protecting - I protect the web as a public resource for free expression.</li>

The grid below is a flexible framework that we’re using to inform our work around Webmaker badges. It’s not fixed for all time, but will develop with the web - along with input from other interested parties.