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US 1100: University Seminar: Digital Literacy Basics for College

What you need to know and how to learn it

Definition of Digital Literacy & Everyday Examples: Have you ever seen a child pick up a smartphone and start using it intuitively? Fixed your buggy internet connection to set up a smart TV? Or have you ever watched a video tutorial to teach yourself to use a new app? All of these examples stem from digital literacy. Digital literacy is navigating an environment fully integrated with diverse technologies.

 

Minimum technical requirements you should have to participate in any Texas State online successfully or hybrid course; you should have easy access to a computer less than five years old with a high-speed Internet connection can be found here.

Bobcats have access to dozens of products and services just for being here, most of which are free! Search the catalog to see all the tech you get for attending Texas State.

ITAC (IT Assistance Center)

Visit the ITAC walk-up center on the 1st floor of Alkek Library. Stop by if you need tech help!

AlkekOne Workshops, First Floor, Alkek Library

Learn tools and techniques to make your research more efficient and enjoyable and to help you produce innovative creations. Most workshop sessions are 50 minutes of hands-on practice, so you can immediately apply what you have learned to your projects.

Getting Started with Canvas

Canvas is the school's online course platform. You'll use it daily to communicate with your instructors, receive class announcements, submit assignments and exams, and pretty much everything. Hence, you need to master using it. Become a Canvas-Jedi using the Passport to Canvas tutorial.  

Texas State Training and Workshops Calendar

Canvas Student Guide

The collaborative learning environment at Texas State, Canvas, connects the classroom to the web by bringing course materials, class discussions, assignments, and quizzes online. Students can connect and interact with their courses and view their grades on the web.

Khan Academy

Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside the classroom. 

First Year Tech 101 & Online Training

LinkedIn Learning offers video-based courses by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. Achieve your personal and professional goals with access to thousands of courses. Watch this 3-minute video to learn more.

Library Workshops

Digital literacy and why it matters (3-minutes)

Digital literacy is a term you may have heard more about during the past few years, but what does it mean, and why is it important? Courtesy of the University of Derby

How Do I Evaluate Websites? Oh, the CRAAP Test!

If you find a website that you think might be useful for your assignment, use this list as an evaluation tool.

Currency

  • When was this article or page published? Has it been updated since then?
  • Has the author written more recent papers on the same subject?
  • Does this article contain statistics or data? Are more current figures available elsewhere?

Relevance

  • Does the information in this article answer your research question?
  • Does the type of article fit the requirements of your assignment?
  • Is this article appropriate for college-level research?

Authority

  • Who wrote the article?
  • Is the author an expert in the field? What credentials does he or she have to suggest that?
  • Can you find any other resources that cite this article? 

Accuracy

  • Does the information in the article fit with what you already know about the subject?
  • Does the article contain references or citations to other resources? 

Purpose

  • Does the article seem to be objective, or is there any obvious bias or prejudice?
  • Does the author use emotional language?
  • Is the author writing on behalf of any company or political entity?

The CRAAP test was originally created by librarians at Meriam Library at California State University, Chico.