ITR/PE:Digital Citizenship: Expanding Information Technology Literacy with a Service-Learning Approach

EIA-0113718德雷克大学斯图尔特·舒尔曼标题：ITR/PE：数字公民：用服务学习方法扩大信息技术素养这是一项赠款建议，以促进服务学习作为信息技术素养（ITL）传播的模式。服务学习促进学术机构和社区之间的互利伙伴关系。目标之一是使社区能够确定学生在接受教育时能够满足的国际交易日志需求。这笔赠款将使爱荷华州中部的两所大学-德雷克大学和爱荷华州州立大学-能够深入到需要国际交易日志培训的社区，并评估服务学习干预措施的效力。越来越多的人希望公民使用信息技术与政府接触（例如，firstgov.gov）。一些研究报告指出，国际贸易和劳工的不平等是实现公民平等的一个重大障碍。虽然互联网的接入稳步扩大，但能否利用日益增加的接入取决于公民的国际交易日志水平。社区成员，特别是某些较脆弱群体的成员，往往缺乏在与政府进行日益扩大的电子接触时所需的基本技能和概念。虽然信息技术应该使所有公民更容易与政府进行日常事务，但事实上，它似乎正在扩大信息技术素养和那些没有基本导航技能的人之间的差距。本研究项目的主要目标是测试服务学习计划的有效性，寻求普及数字公民。三个相关目标是： 使用广泛和系统的标准定义信息技术素养（ITL）。 制定、实施和评估在国际交易日志传播中使用服务学习的“最佳做法”。 检验服务学习减少数字鸿沟的假设。所提出的方法使用代表不同城市化程度的实验组和对照组。国际交易日志服务学习班和实地工作实验室将在本科生和实验小组之间建立联系。研究人员、学生和接受服务的社区将制定和完善国际交易日志技能分类。实验组将接受服务学习治疗。将使用结构化公民调查和焦点小组来分析有关方案影响的数据。将采用特定点的协方差和随时间变化的方差的统计分析，为预测性因果模型奠定基础。预计这项研究还将产生其他一些成果。首先，这项研究将建立一种新的教学干预模式，将研究、教育和社区参与联系起来，努力缩小数字鸿沟。二是把服务对象作为奖学金的重点。这一领域的大多数研究侧重于学生而不是受援者的成果。第三，它侧重于信息技术获取和信息技术素养之间的重要区别。第四，它促进跨学科研究和培训，以及公共和私营机构之间的合作，寻求将信息技术纳入校园课程。最后，它促进政治学和教育学科的创新，有可能对公民的基本定义产生深远影响。

EIA-0113718Drake UniversityStuart ShulmanTitle: ITR/PE: Digital Citizenship: Expanding Information TechnologyLiteracy with a Service-Learning Approach This is a proposal for a grant to promote service-learning as a model for the dissemination of Information Technology Literacy (ITL). Service-learning promotes mutually beneficial partnerships between academic institutions and communities. One goal is to empower communities to identify ITL needs that students can fulfill as part of their education. This grant would enable two central Iowa universities--Drake and Iowa State--to reach out to communities in need of ITL training and to assess the efficacy of service-learning interventions. Citizens are increasingly expected to interface with government using IT (ex. firstgov.gov). A number of studies have identified unequal levels of ITL as a significant barrier to equity in citizenship. While access to the Internet steadily expands, the ability to take advantage of increasing access hinges on the level of ITL among citizens. Community members, particularly in certain more vulnerable groups, often lack basic skills and concepts required when navigating an expanding electronic interface with government. Whereas IT should make it easier for all citizens to conduct their routine business with the government, in fact, it appears to be widening the gap between the IT literate and those without basic navigational skills. The primary objective of this research project is to test the efficacy of service-learning programs that seek to universalize digital citizenship. Three related objectives are to: Define Information Technology Literacy (ITL) using broad and systematic criteria. Develop, implement, and evaluate "best practices" for using service-learning in the dissemination of ITL. Test the hypothesis that service-learning lessens the digital divide.The proposed methodology uses experimental and control groups representing varyingdegrees of urbanization. A service-learning ITL class and fieldwork laboratory will establish links between undergraduates and the experimental groups. Researchers, students, and the serviced communities will develop and refine taxonomy of ITL skills. Experimental groups will be exposed to the service-learning treatment. Structured citizen surveys and focus groups will be used to analyze the data on program impact. Statistical analysis of covariance at specific points and variance over time will be employed to lay the groundwork for a predictive causal model. Several additional outcomes are expected as a result of this research. First, the study will model a new pedagogical intervention that links research, education, and community involvement in an effort to lessen the digital divide. Second, it makes the recipients of service the focus of scholarship. Most studies in this area focus on outcomes for the students rather than the recipients. Third, it focuses attention on the important distinction between IT access and IT literacy. Fourth, it promotes interdisciplinary research and training, as well as collaboration between public and private institutions seeking to incorporate IT into the campus curricula. Finally, it promotes innovation in the political science and education disciplines with the potential for a far-reaching impact on the basic definition of citizenship.