What is Digital Learning?

• Teaching essential digital literacy skills, and leveraging these skills to teach adult learners via distance learning (DL), are central to adult education. DL instruction developed quickly during the Covid pandemic, and continues to form a central pillar in instruction. 

• Digital Literacy, a subset of DL, refers to the skills needed to find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate information using various digital technologies. It includes many skills and modalities. These include both inside the classroom and at a distance: basic computer and mobile device skills; critical thinking and problem solving; independent, structured distance learning; and blended instruction, including HyFlex, which combines classroom and distance instruction. Common to all of these is the aim of leveraging technology to accelerate and maximize the knowledge gains of adult learners.

• From Distance to Digital Learning: Distance education constitutes only one aspect of digital learning. In this guide, digital learning is defined as learning experiences that utilize digital tools for teaching and learning. Digital learning can happen in any learning environment — including in-person settings. Therefore, the Guidance is designed to benefit and support adult educators in all learning environments, whether in-person or online. To better prepare adult learners for living, working, and thriving in an increasingly digital world, it is vital for adult education providers to help learners to develop digital literacy and digital resilience.

• Digital resilience signifies having the awareness, skills, agility, and confidence to be empowered users of new technologies and adapt to changing digital skill demands. Digital resilience improves capacity to problem-solve and upskill, navigate digital transformations, and be active participants in society and the economy.

• The job of the Supplemental Services DL Tech grant is to provide resources, guidance, and other assistance to practitioners statewide, helping them meet the needs of their learners. 

• Questions? Contact: [email protected]