May 2005 — Industry Perspective
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Teaching Digital Communication to All Students
Students today find it easy to pick up new electronic devices and learn how to communicate
with them — whether it’s the newest cell phone or PDA. While it’s exciting that most students can use today’s tools,
there are a few questions we should now ask: Are students effective communicators who can compete in the job market
of today and tomorrow? Can they use technology to create persuasive messages for audiences beyond their peer group?
Can students think critically to design a communication that meets the needs of a specific audience? Do they know how to
select the best media for their message?
The answers are yes and no. Most students today can IM, e-mail, search the Web and make simple multimedia presentations. However, what they’re not prepared to do is create persuasive messages for people other than their peers.
The world of communication now includes a vast array of media: audio, video, rich media presentations, interactive Web sites, DVDs, simulations, and virtual meeting environments. Today’s companies and organizations, both large and small, use different types of media to reach and retain their audiences. Thus, knowing how to select the right medium for the message and how to create different forms of communication can help students achieve at school and beyond.
Defining Digital Communication
Effective digital communication is the ability to create persuasive communications using different forms of media.
Digital communication is a foundational skill for many careers today since most people will be involved in some form of
conceptualizing, producing, delivering and receiving these communications in their jobs and personal lives. Starting
in elementary school and extending to higher education, students can learn a variety of digital communication skills
across all courses, whether they build multimedia presentations to demonstrate their knowledge of academic subjects,
create e-portfolios of coursework, or present ideas in a virtual classroom.
In the last year, several reports have been published that describe digital literacy, what it is, and its importance as a 21st century skill for this generation of learners. The Metiri Group and the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) published “enGauge 21st Century Skills: Literacy in the Digital Age” in 2003, which showcases the skills students will need to thrive in a technological, global environment. Based on two years of research, the organizations have developed a collection of skill clusters to include alongside rigorous academic standards. The four skill clusters are digital age literacy; inventive thinking; high productivity; and effective communication, which presumes that students select and use multiple technology tools to create persuasive messages.
