Grand Valley is committed to empowering students, faculty, and staff to navigate emerging technologies, adapt to rapid changes, and engage in an ever-changing world safely and ethically in professional and civic contexts. This preparation will equip the future workforce to lead, innovate, and thrive in the region's digital economy and beyond.
A SHARED DEFINITION
"Digital literacy is the ability to use, create, evaluate, and engage critically with digital technologies to complete tasks safely and ethically in professional and civic contexts."
(Digital Literacy Definition, approved by the University Academic Senate on March 2024)
A Learner-Centered Framework
Grand Valley's strategy to ensure that every student graduates with digital literacy skills is a three-level framework grounded in the power of a liberal arts education. The framework starts with a strong foundation that helps all learners understand their interactions with digital technology, later preparing them for knowledge acquisition in their specific majors.
To meet this goal, digital literacy experiences are being embedded into courses and out-of-class programming across all colleges. Faculty members are co-creating digital learning experiences with students, such as the Use of AI contracts and workshops on responsible tech use.
Digital Literacy Framework Levels
Essential Tech Skills
LEVEL 1
All students will have the chance to learn how to navigate technology. This initiative addresses the different access and literacy needs of incoming students, giving them the essential skills to succeed academically.
Foundational Digital Literacy Skills
LEVEL 2
All students will graduate with foundational digital literacy competencies, positioning Digital Literacy at GVSU as a requirement for a 21st-century Liberal Education.
Discipline-Specific Digital Literacy Skills
LEVEL 3
All students will have the opportunity to develop discipline-specific Digital Literacy skills at Grand Valley to ensure career readiness for life after graduation.
Creating a Digital Literacy Community
The Digital Literacy Task Force invites all members of the university community to help us fulfill our promise. Digital literacy goes beyond technical skills, and Grand Valley’s liberal arts education mission will help students become effective leaders and engaged citizens who excel at communication, teamwork, creativity, information literacy, and problem-solving — all now heavily reliant on technology.
If you're interested in sharing your experiences with this group, please reach out to us.
Rethinking Digital Literacy at GVSU
A GV Magazine Story
The Digital Literacy Initiative talked with University Communications on the work underway to rethink digital Literacy at Grand Valley. You may read the story in the Spring Issue of the Grand Valley Magazine.
Digital Literacy Strategic Alignments
Academic Affairs Strategic Framework
The Digital Literacy task force effort is one of the moves under Strategic Priority A: Cultivate Transformative Teaching and Curriculum of Grand Valley's Academic Affairs Strategic Framework (AASF). This strategic framework presents a collaborative vision for the future, centered on academic excellence, curricular and pedagogical innovation, transformative student experiences, teaching and scholarly activity, and engagement with our communities.
BlueDot Ecosystem
The Digital Literacy task force effort is one of the dimensions within Grand Valley's BlueDot Ecosystem, ensuring that the growing demand for digitally literate talent meets the needs of the West Michigan region and beyond. The Blue Dot ecosystem is designed to bring disciplines together, strengthen collaboration across and outside the university, and prepare our students to lead in a world where technology and every field of human endeavor are increasingly interconnected.