The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw at TEDxWarwick

Dr. Doug Belshaw is a Researcher/Analyst at JISC Advance where he researches and advises on issues around open education and innovation. A former teacher and senior leader with experience of all sectors, Doug is also co-kickstarter of Purpos/ed which aims to encourage and sustain debate around the purpose(s) of education.
Doug recently completed his doctorate on digital and new literacies which, as an open practitioner, he has shared online since he began writing it.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@AndreaNichols1968]

This is a really great presentation. I am really pleased that I stumbled upon it and I am going to have to research Mr. Belshaw and his work on digital literacies. Really great analogies and explanations. Thanks so much.

[@giovanag1302]

I believe this topic related to digital literacies should be discussed more often. It is impossible to ignore what technology has brought to us - information, fun, communication, and multiple benefits that we are of, but not all of us know how to use them in all their extent. Literacy is exactly about that, to be aware of something and to know how to apply it in different contexts. For me, especially in schools because students are really interested in everything that comes to technology. Great lecture!

[@thalinesenna8625]

Dr. Doug Belshaw, I really really learn so much with your lecture. Start the discussion of digital literacy from the concept of 'pre literate behaviour' is very interesting because this is the essence of being exposed for all types of life literacies; that's what determine our behaviour and our relation with new types of plataforms, texts and technologies. The metaphor explaining sequential and progressive systems remind me about the notion of learning as a garden, when every kind of flowers and living beings developt in different times. It is not linear, it is progressive. I am a little bit in doubt about the notion of elegant consumption. I was reflecting how it is possible to promote flipped classroom by Digital Literacy and remixing topics, empowering the new generations of students to assume the internet as a efficient and safe channel of learning.

[@TenisJr]

HOW COULD ANYONE DISLIKE THIS?! An awesome presentation, well written, well structured, well presented, and I'm not even talking about the concepts established about digital literacy. Fantastic!

[@JeanLucCaptain]

because LT pike watched it.

[@judeatachiewilliams5697]

Great! His lecture was quite up to date. Thanks!

[@AdamHart]

Thank you for this excellent break down of digital literacies - it all makes sense when you put it this way.

[@InformarcaoUniverseHome]

Thank you Mr. Doug Belshaw, and congratulations for your work, it is really a great work above all for us who we are learning to use technology as a tool to teach a new language. I agree completely that we have to go beyond elegant consumption, mainly utilizing open sources like Mozilla and Moodle among others great educational ones, because they are freeware, beyond to counting with a huge community around the world of people willing to help each other without any monetary interest. My name is Marco Antonio I am from Brazil.

[@sintjago]

Great way to discuss digital literacies. Enjoyed watching it. Thanks

[@OllieBray]

A really great well designed and well executed presentation Doug. OB

[@ban4na704]

1. the cognitive Cognitive is to be able to understand and use differeant sofrware platforms and devices. 2. the constructive Constructive is to understand how to construct on other work and respecting copyright 3. the communicative Communicative is know how to effectively communicate in a digital environment 4. the civic Civic is about individuals having the ability to use digital environments to self organise 5. the critical Critical is to evaluate digital content, tools and applications using reasoning skills 6. the creative Creative is to create new thing and add value to it. 7. the confident Confident is to perform confidently in the online and digital environment. 8. the cultural To understand the culture of the internet and digital environment

[@supriyaraghavendra9299]

this comment needs to get to a more visible place here!

[@jimanotsu]

Comment for UFMG class: I think my generation is so used to internet and tech that it's hard sometimes to understand how something that we think so easy are so hard for some people - and of course it has to do with social and economical conditions. In my house I have an arcade machine, a PS4, Nintendo Switch, three computers and etc. Tech is so integrated in my life that it's part of my language and how I read the world in a very Philip K Dick or Masamune Shirow kind of way. At the same time I notice how my sister's husband find it hard to understand things like Torrent and encoding subtitles, downloading subs and thinks like that. Well, and there things like old people don't understand "netiquette" - like, old people love sending shiny pictures, good morning messages and spam (I think it's funny how old people don't see spam as a bad thing, and this video gave me a light according to this topic).

[@amandaestaviajando]

Very useful lecture. Meme is something that we can find and explore anywhere today, and the same image is constantly in flux, in different topics, immersing in different cultures. I really enjoyed that Dr. Belshaw talked about it and he mentioned a phrase that called my attention: “the way we should develop digital literacies is more progressive than sequential”, I think that it summarizes what we are attending. I just would like to know more about each element of digital literacy and intrinsic motivation, it could be interesting know about how develop this kind of intrinsic motivation or if we can do it as well.

[@Andrezacr1]

I am an English teacher and I really enjoyed the presentation. What called my attention in your speech was the remix ideia, which is something that is happening a lot nowadays. And also what you said about digital literacies. I would like to know more about the eight elements and I would like to understand more about the element civic.

[@isabelavieira3713]

Very intersting lecture Dr. Belshaw. In your lecture you mention many things I've never paid attention regarding digital literacy. I really liked your lecture, I learned great things that are very important considering that I'm an English teacher and work mostly with teenagers. I also really liked to hear about the "eight essential elements of digital literacies".

[@amandaclementino975]

With this video I learned a some things I didn't know. My parents have difficulty to select the TV channels but I didn't think that the way thet these are presented is hard . On I phones, smartphones, tablets and I pads it's very easy, but I did not know it is because of the way the applications are presented. It's interesting too to know about the digital literacy should be well developed to develop people's interest. Digital literacy practices change over the years. My question is literacy practices change because of the change that occurs in the lives of people or because they are discovering more effective methods ?

[@oliviaalmeida9633]

Really great presentation and it is a good way to discuss about digital literacy. I enjoyed learning more about “meme” and about the history of “success kid” who is also famous in Brazil. Another interesting point was the eight essential elements of digital literacies, I really want to know more about them.

[@gabrielateixeira1587]

It was very interesting the metaphor explaining sequential and progressive systems. I believe teaching is better when following a progressive approach, even though the environment of learning is not a digital one. I was wondering about the strategies we teachers can use to evaluate students regarding a progressive language teaching, as it is not as simple to evaluate as it is in a sequential teaching.

[@mateusmiranda1456]

Dr. Belshaw, thank you for posting the video of your TEDx talk. What I found interesting about your talk was the concept of REMIX. I never considered that using different elements in the REMIX could correlate to digital literacies, and further, that it is better to consider some individuals as having more literacies than others. How do you think we can better improve digital literacies in addition to using the REMIX concept?

[@julimaroliveira800]

I think Mr. Belshaw is a man who makes technology seems simple and fun, a little opposite of me though. His speech is very inspiring and it makes us feel like we should catch up with the best of technology mixed with a lot of creativity. As an English teacher I would like to deep into his theories and find out more details about the eight elements. I like when he gave examples of literacy and questioned about what literacy really is.

[@John-3692]

I'm blown away by this content. I had the privilege of reading something similar, and it was truly incredible. "The Art of Meaningful Relationships in the 21st Century" by Leo Flint

[@sharonkoenigkann6015]

Very interesting video, it's nice to know that people learn differently, and how important it is that digital literacies should be developed progressively instead of sequencial. Sharon Lima

[@thaisrayanna5355]

Hello, Dr. Belshaw. It was a very interesting talk! I loved to learn more about memes and their impact. Regarding what you called the "eight essential elements of digital literacies", do you consider any of these elements to be more predominant in digital literacy? Thank you!

[@lyssettehawthorne-wilson145]

This is still very relevant today!

[@isabelaagatalaurencoesouza9412]

I really appreciate your lecture, Dr. Belshaw. I want to relate this to "multicultural"and "multimodal" literacy as I am an English teacher and I am supposed to consider the polyphonic aspect in a classroom. Is there any reliable reasearch on if or how our brain has changed (how different we have been learning) with the advent of digital pedagogy?

[@isabelacipriano7551]

Mr. Belshaw, what a refined humorous approach to the topic! I love the explanation of Branching logic systems, and the fact you are so good at memes. I am a Brazilian English teacher, and I know that many of my students love memes, it is easy for them to understand the elements involved. I wonder if you have seen a meme about Ryan Lochte in the Olympic Games... It's hilarious!

[@kasilva8526]

This lecture was really good! I am a Brazilian student taking a teaching degree and I thought it was amazing how Dr. Doug Belshaw approached the Digital Literacy theme with memes. I absolutely love memes and I think I learned most of my English vocabulary with them. I was so happy watching this video and realizing that they are actuallly involved in Digital Literacies and I am not being too much when citing them or showing them to my students. I have a question to Dr. Belshaw that is: although in his lecture he says that we should move beyond elegant comsuption, sometimes is very difficult to try to deviate from this pattern as a English teacher of adults. Are there ways in which we can move beyond more easily? Are there any strategies to do that? If there are, I would love to know some!

[@dr.shaileshwagh3791]

very well organized the moodle for as a learning resource to the learners and others.

[@barbaramr7]

Memes are such a huge part of internet nowadays and I think they are really effective in order to create points of view through humor and critical thinking. It's a good way to present and discuss literacy. I also want to learn even more about the eight essencial elements.

[@akellytur]

Comment for UFMG class. LINGUISTICA APLICADA AO ENSINO - TOL2 It is impossible to ignore what technology has brought us - information, fun, communication and multiple benefits, but not all know how to use them to the fullest extent. Really great analogies and explanations. Literacy is just that, being aware of something and knowing how to apply it in different contexts.

[@MrLeomoises1]

It’s a great Talk! Mr. Belshaw, by taking into account the struggle of your Grandma with the menu system and my 2 year old cousin’s ability in using iPpad, I’m wondering whether it is the Cognitive (Cg) and Cultural (Cu) elements that play an important role in today’s generation, or that has to do with the new technologies that allow people to easily handle them? Congrats for your presentation!

[@rebeccafigueiredo5167]

Hello, Dr. Belshaw! I really enjoyed very much your speech and I think it's very interesting the way the memes came and how they can be specific and objective to reach their target audience. What do you advise to a layman who wants to track the various elements of digital literacy? What's the better way to do it? Thanks!

[@marianaalves1383]

Comment for UFMG class Really nice video! It is interesting the point that the way that digital literacies are developed is more progressive than sequencial. Doug Belshaw, I would like to know which practical ways do you suggest we could encourage young people to remix stuffs?

[@agathanga]

Really good presentation, I enjoyed to know more about "meme" and the "success kid" that is very famous here, in Brazil. And I also want to know more about the eight essencial elements, I thought them an interesting point about digital literacy.

[@raphaellopesa.camara193]

Hi, Dr. Belshaw! It was great learning about the digital literacy and how the using of Memes, remix and lolcats could be used to increase the learning of knowledge. I totally understood when you said that the remix is the heart of digital literacy and the other end of the spectrum of elegant consumption. By the way, i would like to know a little bit more about this concept. What would be the point of Elegant consumption in terms of Digital Literacies? (Plural, ;-)) Another thing, It was very interesting the way how digital literacy impact upon the world and the way that people behave in society at the same time that digital literacy is going faster and faster trough the years and decades because of the increasing of internet speed access and as a consequence the progressive development of it. i appreciate when you said that the focus on people interests is the best way to develop digital literacy and i think that that is the point when we talk about the roles of the teachers in this topic. Thank you!! Raphael camara

[@williamdiggs107]

This was informative as it tells about changes,the manuel use and the change to remotes

[@flaviarodrigues7485]

Hello, Dr. Belshaw. I really enjoyed your talk. Memes are also very popular here, in Brazil. I liked to learn about Digital Literacies. I didn’t know very much about it before. I didn’t understand well the conception of remixes. Are they different needs or characteristics from determined media or tool joint together? Thank you! Regards. Flávia Rodrigues.

[@tassiolucas]

I found Dr. Doug Belshaw's approach to digital literacy very interesting, I really believe there is more than one literacy practice that can provide tools for the subject in the virtual field. But one question remained in my head: do you believe that we can drop handwriting as a proper recording tool and move to the digital medium as well, or not? Once again, success for the talk!

[@rubensviegas]

Comment for UFMG class. His lecture is really interesting and for sure it lead us to think about how technology is part of our daily life but it is not as easy as it seems to each different individual. The way that we compares and explains that digital literacy is more progressive than sequencial and that we do not need a previous knowledge to learn how to deal with digital things. Of course some people will find it hard at first and maybe give up on learning but it is not because they are not capable of learning it is because it is not related to something that they like, which leads them to loose interesting. My question is: Do you believe digital literacy can be a good ally on language teaching?

[@mixshare]

Great lecture up date to today

[@ritadecassiacarvalho8790]

Dr. Belshaw show us a simple way to see the tools of the digital literacies, because there are many differencies between generations. Each one will use this technologies according their abilities and motivations. I have some problems with all this means technologycals because, it seems made world turn more fast and speed, and i need of time slowly. I perceive too that all the digital literacy is not give account of old people, but i is important for them have access the literacies as the young people. How do you see this broad difference and distance in both person?

[@edilsonrocha8957]

It's interesting and useful lecture. What The most caught my attention in this talk was the concept of remix and memes. Considering the digital literacy, the concept of meme is widely used in marketing, but little used in education. I think it's a field that deserves our full attention. The concept of remix was not very clear to me. But I would like to understand this concept much more. My question is how to effectively use remix concepts in education?

[@saraidesmeraldafernance3121]

Thanks, for amazing lecture. For me all was new on terminology and concept. I understood Meme it is like a picture or idea brought up to a digital or media or any other magazines, advertising ctr. That someone originally make took and was so unique that keep to use from one to others changing meaning or adding information.. Also can be like a phrase or stories or expression's that will go from mouth to mouth.

[@stefanesiqueira]

Excellent presentation! This lecture helped me to think of how using memes and remixes is an attractive and efficient tool to develop digital literacy in a fun and creative way. Moreover, memes contribute for students to have a more critical point of view. But I didn’t get well when he said that we need to move beyond elegant consumption. What does it mean?

[@nataliacristina5407]

Hello, Dr. Belshaw. I loved to know about the origin and the concept of Meme. However, I'm used to seeing just mesmes used to funny situations. Is this a primary characteristic in order to be considered a Meme? Since a Meme is "idea + tools +communication", could I use this to social causes, for exemple, and it would be considered a Meme? Thank you.

[@danielttaryouway9084]

This video on the course will also help us learn gradually bit it will take time because majority of us the students are not computer letry.

[@cfsd-eu9fk]

Hello Dr. Belshaw . I really liked the video. I love new technology and use a lot. Memes like and they are very popular in Brazil . Working with digital literacy is challenging and interesting . What is the perspective of a digital literacy that can reach all levels of education ? Jéssica Nathane Martins Mariz

[@Firefly92]

how do you reference this video in an essay?

[@Emilyys]

First of all, I loved the examples he used, as he said himself, memes are good examples of our digital era in many ways. About the Digital Literacy, it is interesting how older people have this difficulty of learning things that younger people consider easy, probably because we have experienced technology since we were too young, or we are always using it, while older people use it when necessary for them (they have livid many years without it, so it is not so necessary sometimes). So it leads us to the "have interest on learning" part, we learn what will be useful for us, so why learn how to create and spread a meme, for example, if it isn't interesting or useful for my grandmother? The term digital literacies is very fair since we don't actually need to know everything to be able to use the amount of things that are necessary for us. I am young and I have grown surrounded by technology, but nowadays, I don't consider myself an advanced digitally literate person, since I don't use and don't know how to use some tools today. My question about his speech is about the Remix, I didn't understand it. Is it about getting all the elements and remixing them in order not to stop in time but keep learning?

[@enigmailedpuzzles]

Very interesting, especially the 8 strands you highlighted. @mrlockyer

[@marianamariano-lemosdeaquino]

Although I agree that people from previous generations evidently show less intimacy with technology in general, sometimes I can relate to some of the limitations of these users, since dealing with specific softwares like Torrent and zip files is not exactly easy and natural for me, even belonging to a computer literate generation (at least theoretically) who is expected to be a tech savvy. At least I am aware of the "rules" to behave properly on the internet (that including messenger apps), differently from the behaviour older people usually present online. Question: would you mind clarifying the concept of remix in that context?

[@JRRockwell]

Pretty ironic that there is a quote from Martin 2006, "it's a condition not a threshold" and yet at the end is Success Kid now being "digitally literate" after seeing the presentation. I like the frame work, the final image just seemed odd. Perhaps this is a good example of Poe's Law.

[@drqaj]

email of belshaw to discuss?

[@mayragarciadasilva5822]

Can it be considered a part of literacy knowing what the images mean usually mean? Sometimes in social networks, people can get really pissed off if someone posts a meme with a different meaning. For example, Successful kid shouldn't be used with an angry message, some people even create tutorials of what the memes can mean. I think it is authoritarian, because people should be able to interpret the messages. Anyway, I think it's interesting that it is related to how people progressively understand the message behind that message. I would like to know if you can think of any situation where the cultural element is not used in digital literacies or is it always present with other elements?

[@Lovefaith7]

Interesting.

[@tamarafrazer3454]

wow...seeing comments from 6 years ago .....just here 2020

[@QuasarFire2500]

Doug if you see this how is Ben doing

[@zitrone9181]

lmao nice memes

[@godwinaarons.estrellana84]

im here for my quiz nice meme

[@JeanLucCaptain]

you can be crapy at pronunciation, but great at reading a language, it's the same thing. Also elegant consumption sounds like a bizarre skin illness.

[@SwebbXYMovies]

normie memes

[@JeanLucCaptain]

I hate sand castles, they're course and rough and the get memes everywhere. LOL.

[@diancandelariacruz301]

ANDITO KA BECAUSE???

[@fr8242_]

Wow those are some great memes! I hope I don't fall for any propaganda memes