This post is part of an eight-part series introducing the The B.C. Post-Secondary Digital Literacy Framework. Each post will provide ideas and resources for implementing one of the eight thematic digital competencies outlined in the framework. You can read more about the framework on the Digital Literacy: Tools and Resources for VIU blog post. We are happy to be working in collaboration with VIU Libraries on this blog post series.
What does Digital Wellbeing mean?
A digitally literate person will use technology to support their wellbeing and have strategies for managing technology if it negatively impacts their physical, mental, or emotional health. A digitally literate person will have healthy boundaries with digital technologies, use them intentionally and will not use digital technologies in ways that harm others.
How can you implement this competency?
Model healthy digital behaviour by setting clear boundaries related to how you want students to contact you (e.g. email) and what they can expect in terms of a response time (e.g. 24 hours).
Use the tools that are supported by VIU. These tools have undergone Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and protect the personal information of you and your student
If you do want to use a third-party tool, here are some things to consider.
- Choose one that has already undergone the PIA process at VIU.
- Choose one that students do not need to create an account for. You cannot require students to create an account.
- Explain to students that you are using a third –party tool and how this is different from using a tool from the VIU suite of tools.
Take breaks during synchronous classes. If your synchronous class is longer than 1.5 hours, consider breaking it up with some activities that students can do individually and share back to the class.
Co-create with your students. Many course elements can benefit from being co-created with your students. Rubrics, assignments, communication guidelines, due dates and appropriate technology use are some of them. The co-creation process allows students to gain a deeper understanding of course expectations and why they exist. It also provides the instructor with valuable information about student learning interests and priorities. In addition to the strategies provided on our Classroom Community page, the resources below can help you decide which element(s) of your courses can be co-created with students and how to get started with the process.
This page is part of a Digital Literacy Toolkit designed for faculty at VIU. All content in this toolkit is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY).