The Dichotomy of Teaching in a Digital Age

Purpose: The world is changing rapidly and with it a dichotomy emerged in the way we communicate with students. Basic digital literacy is no longer sufficient and digital fluency has become the expected norm in the modern workplace.

In this developing and diversified digital world, commercialization of higher education coupled with UNESCO’s guidelines for “cross-border higher education” compelled higher education institutions to look at alternative and inclusive ways to accommodate the ever-growing student population. However, to meet the students ‘where they are’ and to augment our own teaching strategies, specific ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) skills and competencies are required from educators.

In higher education institutions, educators are entrusted with the essential civic responsibility to ensure that graduates are adequately prepared for the marketplace. Part of this civic responsibility towards employability demand, is the ability of graduates to use technology. When it comes to the use of technology, educators should take the lead. One cannot expect students to venture into the digital world if the educators are not digitally fluent and are not willing to lead by example or, at least walk the walk with students. Educators who are not skilled in the digital world, will be left behind. Part of an educator's responsibility is to empower students to become tomorrow’s leaders. Denying them exposure and training in ICT-skills is not only disadvantaging them, but are actually gross negligence on the side of the institution. The quest to create presence as educators amidst technology resides fundamentally in being there for students and with students in using technology; to be authentic in this.

Methods:  A study was conducted to assess faculty members (of a specific department) in a major open distance education and learning (ODeL) institution’s levels of competence with regard to educational digital fluency, and in particular, their digital Internet fluency. Digital fluency specifically refers to one’s aptitude and ability to effectively and ethically interpret digital information. It encompasses the discovering of meaning, designing of content and the construction of knowledge.

The study was conducted from within a quantitative (positivist) research paradigm. A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted. A self-designed survey-questionnaire was used to collect data. An online survey-generating programme (SurveyMonkey™) was used.  The data collection instrument consisted of 45 mostly close-ended questions and included both Likert-type questions and ranking questions.  Data were analysed using IBM SPSS.

Results:  Results were reported on, using Belshaw’s conceptual framework of the eight elements of digital literacy. In essence the results indicated that educators in a digitalised environment need to supplement teaching techniques and content with digital applications and methods that will assist students to actively engage with the content to enhance learning. The dichotomy however is that not all faculty members are digitally fluent, thus inhibiting the possibilities and content-integration. 

Conclusion: The results of this study has direct implication for tuition policies and needs to be addressed via continuous development strategies in this ODeL institution specifically, but also has reference to other higher education institutions.