Digital Literacy was my very first class online at Full Sail, and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I do believe that it's everybody's first class. I mentioned in my "Greetings! (And a Rough Overview)" post that I'm a hybrid student at Full Sail. This means that I do a maximum of four months online, and the rest of the degree will be done on campus. Needless to say, my first class online was a success.
The first question that probably comes to mind when you hear "digital literacy" is "What is it?" Here's the course's explanation through Full Sail's website: "The Digital Literacy Course offers a fundamental understanding of the critical and practical aspects of digital tools, technologies, and resources. Students will learn how to navigate, evaluate, create, and critically apply information by using a wide variety of digital technologies. Through applying their knowledge to their academic studies and professional development, students will recognize digital literacy’s significance in information sharing, community building, citizenship, and education."
The assignments for this class are a bit time consuming. If I can remember correctly, I do believe I spent at least 15 hours on one assignment. Using the online research and bookmarking tool, Diigo, I had 15-20 terms that I had to define in my own words, and then find a minimum of two credible sources that define and support your definition of the word. If you think you can use a dictionary, guess again. Now, don't let the time consuming assignments scare you away as they are very, very manageable to complete and aren't really that difficult. Your week's assignments generally open up at 12:00AM (EST) on Monday, and you have until the following Sunday at 11:59PM (EST) to complete them. It is up to you to set aside some time to work on, proofread, tweak, and finalize them. It's best if you read through the provided instructions as soon as you can so that you can ask questions early in the week and make sure that your instructor has time to read and respond. Each week you will generally have a discussion post. These are generally due at 11:59PM (EST) on Wednesday. They range from reading an article and giving your thoughts and answering some questions. The discussions in Digital Literacy are really nothing to worry about. Note: It's to your benefit to start your assignments ASAP, and waiting until the last minute can and will harm your grade. Take a little time off from work (if possible) and other non-important activities to focus, and give yourself the time you need to be successful in this class.
Throughout this class, my instructor would say that we should be spending at least 35-40 hours a week on our assignments. I think that this is a bit of an overstatement. I spent about half that each week and did very, very well. I passed with a 98% (A+). Ok, I did overachieve a little bit on my assignments, but you should. You're attending one of the top 25 music schools in the world! This could also be that I'm very digitally literate and can type about 100 words a minute. If you're going to succeed, you have to stand out and go above and beyond what is expected, and do it well. Just like anything else you do in life, you get out what you put in to it at Full Sail.
Each online course generally has a schedule of GoTo Training sessions in which the instructors rotate (or don't) where you can attend, and the instructor running the session will go over and explain the assignments for the week. Generally these are archived and uploaded to either YouTube or Vimeo, so it's not a big deal if you are unable to attend. However, if you are able to attend, I would highly recommend attending as you get all of the details (and more) for your assignments. Plus, you can ask questions about something you might not completely understand. These training sessions are simple and extremely helpful! And, to be honest, they're kind of fun! Most of the instructors have spent at least four years in the industry, so the examples and stories they tell can be critical in helping you remember something.
Most of the online classes are structured the same: Assignments open at 12:00AM (EST), and you have until the following Sunday at 11:59PM (EST) to complete them, and then discussions due on Wednesdays at 11:59PM (EST). Digital Literacy is a pretty simple class; it's just time consuming. When you do take this class, I recommend that you give yourself plenty of time to finish your assignments. Waiting until Sunday night after work will not earn you a good score on the assignments or in the class.
If you have any questions about anything in regards to the Digital Literacy class or Full Sail's online courses, please don't hesitate to ask. Just leave a comment on this post, and I'll be more than happy to answer it for you!
I wish you all of the best!
Lennon
Student
Bachelor of Science, Music Production
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