Digital Tools and Digital Literacies: Educators' Experiences in COVID-19 Classrooms

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 7
  In Roundtable Session: Explorations of Teachers' Perspectives in Writing and Literacies Research

Abstract

Despite calls to teach digital literacies, progress in formal education has been slow. With the onset of COVID19, digital tool use became central to the enactment of learning. In this paper, we qualitatively analyze survey and focus group responses to examine educators’ perspectives on digital access and equity and their intersections with digital literacies during COVID19. Teachers innovated, but were often stymied by the systems in which they worked. Analysis reveals that systemic decisions prioritized software that mirrored traditional schooling practices, creating tensions that resulted in inequitable educational experiences. This research suggests that equitable in-school uptake of digital literacies will require systemic (re)design to prioritize digital literacies ethos rather than traditional educational values.

Authors

• Alecia Marie Magnifico, University of New Hampshire

• Bethany Silva, University of New Hampshire

• Shawna Coppola, The Educator Collaborative

• Laura Smith, University of New Hampshire