Digital Literacy Adoption with Academic Technology

293 Pages·2017·3.55 MB·English

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Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses
Educational Foundations & Leadership
& Dissertations
Spring 2017
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Nancy Adam-Turner
Old Dominion University
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Adam-Turner, Nancy. "Digital Literacy Adoption with Academic Technology: Namely Digital Information
Literacy to Enhance Student Learning Outcomes" (2017). Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Dissertation,
Educational Foundations & Leadership, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/bhfh-hn02
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/efl_etds/39
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DIGITAL LITERACY ADOPTION WITH ACADEMIC TECHNOLOGY: NAMELY
DIGITAL INFORMATION LITERACY TO ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOMES

by

Nancy Adam-Turner
Master in Education, 1985
Masters of Library Science, 1996

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of
Old Dominion University in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP

OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY
2017

Approved by:

________________________
Dr. Dana Burnett (Director)

________________________
Dr. Chris Glass (Member)

________________________
Dr. Gail Dickinson (Member)

________________________
Dr. Marsha Krotseng (Member)
ABSTRACT
Digital Literacy Adoption with Academic Technology Namely: Digital Information
Literacy (DIL) to Enhance Student Learning Outcomes?
Nancy Adam-Turner
Old Dominion University, 2016
Director: Dr. Dana Burnett

This study explores Arts & Science faculty and librarians’ attitude of learning theory
and perceptions of digital literacy (DL) and how digital information literacy (DIL)
might improve and enhance student learning outcomes. Digital literacy (DL),
information literacy (IL), and digital information literacy (DIL) consists of interaction
with academic technology (AT) programs and tools. A literature review tracing the
course in the rise of IL within the parameters of DL and discuss the birth of DIL,
examine the modes of adoption and explore the levels of inclusion for faculty and
librarians’ concepts of DL with DIL instruction with AT, define the IL phenomenon,
and how IL affects faculty and librarian pedagogy. The study reveals the tension and
distinction between DL and IL. The key research question is how does
epistemological perception bridge the connection between technology skills and
technology self-efficacy, and subsequently; what are Arts & Science faculties’ digital
literacy (DL) epistemology? What is the librarian’s/ library digital literacy (DL)
epistemology perspectives? And what are Arts & Science faculties’ concept of DIL?
iii
iii

Copyright, 2016, by Nancy Adam-Turner, All Rights Reserved.

NEA, “Tree of Life, Book of Knowledge and Heart of Learning”. © 1996.
iv

This dissertation is dedicated to my wonderful husband Mr. Aaron Burleigh Turner, my
parents Col John Ewing Adam (deceased 1972) and Mrs. Yvonne Walburga Adam, ne.
Baroness Paola von Wecus (deceased 2000), and to all the teachers, instructors and
professors who believe in the success of their students.
v

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

There have been so many wonderful people who supported me, during all my
education endeavors.
I wish to recognize Mrs. Helen Arkell, Farnham, United Kingdom, for the great
work she does for Dyslexic students, young and adults. My family here in the United
States, my friends here in America, and across the “big pond” in England, France, Spain,
Germany and the Middle East. A special thank you goes to my committee chair, Dr. Dana
Burnett for his attentiveness in guiding me along this journey. To my committee
members Dr. Chris Glass, Dr. Gail Dickinson and Dr. March Krotseng for their
directions, and to all professors of the Community College Leadership (CCL) program
and colleagues of cohort 10 and cohort 11 at Old Dominion University- “Go Monarchs!”
A resounding “cheers” for all the encouragement I have received from my
colleagues here at Bluefield State College, West Virginia. Especially remembering my
colleague and dear friend Audrey L.A. Biggs, Director of the Virtual College (interim)
for her positive encouragement and support to stay focused along this dissertation journey
“Au revoir - Dieu bénisse - jusqu'à ce que nous nous retrouvons dans le grand bleu là-
basaurevoir mon ami”.
vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... x-xi

LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................... xii-xiii

Chapter 1……………………………………………………………………………………………….1-22
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1-4
Digital Technology is Academic Technology ..................................................... 4-6
Exploring components of digital literacy ...........................….....………………..…..….6-8
Community College Academic Technology-the Faculty and Librarian Roles......8-9
Faculty/librarian collaboration with digital information literacy ....................... 9-10
A Problem of Perceptions ................................................................................ 10-11
Faculty digital literacy concerns with adoption and inclusion......................... 11-12
Assumptions on the lack of digital literacy adoption....................................... 12-13
Purpose … .............................................................................................................13
Theoretical framework…………….. ............................................................... 13-15
The Study Research Design Model.................................................................. 15-16
Chapter 2 Summary ...............................................................................................16
Research Questions & Research Objectives … .............................................. 17-18
Glossary- Definition of Terms…………….. ................................................... 18-20
Limitations and Delimitations of the study ...................................................... 21-22

Chapter 2………………………………..…………………….…………………………..…..…….23-103
Literature Review............................................................................................. 23-24
From Traditional Literacy to the New Digital Information Literacy ............... 24-25
What is Literacy? ............................................................................................. 26-30
What is Information Literacy? ......................................................................... 30-35
What is Digital Literacy? ................................................................................. 35-36
What is Digital Information Literacy? ............................................................. 36-40
Higher Education Faces A Digital Literacy Imperative. ................................. 40-41
Institutional Academic Technology and Information Literacy ....................... 41-42
Tension and Distinction between Digital and Information Literacies …..….....42-46
Considerations of the Ecology of Learning Technology…..……………...………47-50
Digital Literacy, Pedagogy, and Content technology study models…….…….50-54
Different Partnership support for digital literacy adoption…………..…………54-56
Pedagogical Research of Higher Education Institutions. ................................. 56-57
Facets of Digital Literacy Adoption. ............................................................... 57-77
Digital literacy impact alters the higher education model. ....................................57
Digital literacy challenges to the Institution. ................................................... 58-60
Digital Literacy influences on Institutional Pedagogy..................................... 60-62
Academy Attitudes toward Digital and Information Literacy ...............................62
vii

Support for Digital Literacy Adoption with Academic Technology Inclusion….
63-64
Faculty Attitudes Toward Digital and Information Literacy ........................... 64-66
Faculty and Student Academic Technology Interactive Benefits. ................... 66-67
Faculty Issues with Digital Literacy ................................................................ 67-68
Is Academic Freedom Impacted by Digital Literacy Adoption…………..…..…. 68-69
Faculty Meeting the Challenge of Digital Literacy Integration ....................... 69-71
Different Types of Faculty Digital training and Digital Literacy Support…… 71-72
Librarian Challenges to Adopt Digital Literacy Changes................................ 72-74
Librarian and Pedagogy Information Literacy Challenges and Issues. ........... 74-77
Community College Pedagogy and Information Literacy………………………..77-85
The Community College Mission and Information Literacy ........................... 77-80
Access to Support Digital Technology Sustainability ..................................... 80-82
Community College Digital Literacy and Information Literacy Inclusion. .... 82-84
Integrating Digital Literacy with Pedagogy into Community College ............ 84-94
Digital Information Literacy and the Humanities ............................................ 94-95
Why DIL is a challenge in the digital literacy environment?..............................96-101
Information Literacy in Literacy in Higher Education .................................... 96-98
Defining IL as a Phenomenon ........................................................................ 99-101
In Conclusion ……………………..……………………………………………………101-102
Research questions……………………………………………………………………….….102

Chapter 3. ................................................................................................................. 103-125
Methods
Rationale for Qualitative Research .............................................................. 103-105
The Qualitative Tradition .....................................................................................105
My Research Paradigm……. ....................................................................... 106-107
Design……………………… ...................................................................... 107-111
Design Instrument ........................................................................................ 111-118
Focus ....................................................................................................... 112-113
Purpose Statement ................................................................................................113
Research Questions and Objectives ............................................................. 113-114
Participants ...........................................................................................................114
Sampling Logic ............................................................................................ 114-115
Protection of Human Subjects ..................................................................... 115-116
Measures. ..................................................................................................... 116-117
Interview protocols ...................................................................................... 117-118
Data Collection ............................................................................................ 118-119
Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 119-122
Triangulation ................................................................................................ 122-123
Limitations and Delimitations of the Study ................................................. 123-124
Significance.................................................................................................. 124-125
viii

Chapter 4. ................................................................................................................. 126-190
Introduction .................................................................................................. 126-129
Participant and Institutional Summaries ...................................................... 129-133
State Education Systems Represented .................................................................129
Institutional Profile- Location A .................................................................. 130-131
Institutional Profile- Location B .................................................................. 131-132
Purposeful Sampling .................................................................................... 133-135
Stage One: Location A -Brief Questionnaire .......................................................135
Stage One: Participant profiles – Location A-Brief Questionnaire ............. 135-138
Stage One: Location B Brief Questionnaire ................................................ 139-140
Stage One: Participant profiles – Location B-Brief Questionnaire ............. 140-142
Stage Two: An Open-ended Survey Interview One-on-One ...............................142
Location A, Mountain One .......................................................................... 142-145
Location B, Mountain Two .......................................................................... 145-146
Stage Three: Open-ended Focus Group ....................................................... 146-147
Participant profile- Location A, Mountain One ........................................... 147-148
Participant profile- Location B, Mountain Two ..................................................149
Analysis of Findings .................................................................................... 150-159
Answers to the Research Questions 1(a) – 1 (c) .......................................... 151-164
What are Arts & Sciences Faculties’ Digital literacy (DL) Epistemology (i.e.
attitudes of learning)? ..........................................................................................151
What are Faculties Perceptions of DL? ....................................................... 151-153
When do Faculty Consider IL Relevant to a Course’s Topic? .................... 153-154
What is the Librarian’s/ Library’s Digital Literacy (DL) Epistemology (i.e.
Attitudes of learning)? .........................................................................................154
What are Community College Librarians’ (library’s) DL Perspective? ...... 154-155
What are Community College Librarians’ (library’s) DIL Instruction
Program?... ................................................................................................... 155-156
What are Arts & Science Faculties Concept of DIL? ..........................................156
How Do Faculty Consider DIL Relevant to a Course’s Topic? .................. 156-157
How Might Faculty and Librarian DIL Collaboration Enhance Student Learning
Outcomes?.................................................................................................... 157-159
Relationship of Research Questions, Data Collection and Data Collected…159-165
Research Questions Subpart (a) with subsections……………………..………. 161-162
Research Questions Subpart (b) with subsections……………………..………. 162-164
Research Questions Subpart (c) with subsections………………………………. 164-165
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………..………. 165-186
Parent Overarching Theme Understanding…………………………………………….166
Major Theme Identified (1) concept and meanings ..................................... 166-167
Major Theme Identified (2) cognitive actions and learning ........................ 167-168
Major Theme Identified (3) Professional development and training .......... 169-172
Parent Overarching Theme. Incorporation ..........................................................172
Major Theme Identified (1) Practical Skills ................................................ 172-174
Major Theme Identified (2) Self-efficacy and personal confidence ............ 174-177