Final Exam: Essay Two

 Essay Two: Proposal for Studying Literature in the Digital Age

One of the most important concepts in Digital Culture is that of Digital Literacy. In order to better work with digital culture, people must learn the essential skills of how to consume, create, and connect within a digital age. Because these skills are so basic to understanding and working effectively with digital culture, I propose that they be implemented in each of our English courses in the new curriculum. Just as students must develop specific skills in order to effectively analyze literature, they must also develop skills in order to effectively consume, connect, and create within digital culture. Specifically, I will focus on the essential nature of learning to connect and how learning to connect will help our students to more effectively work within digital culture.

In the traditional English class, students write within a bubble. They may connect with their classmates or their professor by bouncing ideas off one another or getting a draft of a paper peer reviewed. However, the exchange of ideas limited. Students learn primarily from one instructor and also a limited number of scholarly sources. However, this is not sufficient for the digital age. By learning how to connect with others by using digital tools, students have the ability to connect with others who are studying similar material and to have discussions with them. This is different from having an in-class discussion because students and those they are interacting with will be learning about the topic from different sources, and thus have different insights on the topic. Students will be able to learn more effectively about any given topic by interacting with their peers because they will be exposed to many different points of view.

Not only can students connect with their peers through digital culture, but they should also be taught the necessary skills to connect with enthusiasts and experts in whatever field they are studying. Digital culture allows students to reach out to professionals and interact with them. Students can share their ideas and get feedback from experts who are heavily invested in the topic. This frequently leads to more enthusiasm on the part of the student and a renewed determination to learn. Additionally, as students network with experts in whichever fields they are interested in, they gain valuable contacts that will help them both during and after school.

As we infuse the skill of connecting with others into each course in our new curriculum, our students will gain experience interacting with their peers and professionals that will not only help them with their education while they are attending this university, but they will also gain valuable skills for their future employment after graduation.