User-Centered Research and Design of a K-5 Digital Literacy Curriculum

Abstract

A research team engaged in a user-centered research and development approach to the creation of “Professor Garfield’s 21st Century Literacy Curriculum,” a comprehensive, web-based tool for K-5 teachers. This process consisted of a four-phase approach that included thorough exploration of the state-of-the-art in digital literacy tools, a survey of K-5 teachers designed to understand their technology use and perceptions of digital literacy, design thinking and empathy research with more than 30 K-5 teachers, and summative user experience testing with teachers from across the country. This approach illuminated key requirements for an interactive system that supports digital literacy instruction, as well as the primary factors that motivate teachers to adopt new online teaching tools.