Curriculum development for mobile digital literacy skills acquisition using a Design Science Approach

Digital inclusion is critically implicated in all other operate as mediators to accessing and utilising online resources and services (Nansen, Chakraborty, Gibbs, MacDougall, & Vetere, 2013). Mobile phone technology specifically has introduced a range of new possibilities for economic development, political activism, and personal networking and communication (Walsham & Sahay, 2006). The rapid diffusion of mobile technology in all societies continues to transform the ICT landscape with major potential implications for education (Traxler, 2012). One of the challenges is the development of 21st century information and communication technology skills that enable the optimal use of mobile technology in teaching and learning in every sector, as school teachers are vital actors in the skills development chain in schools (Ford & Botha, 2010; Horizon, 2013; JISC, 2014). There appears to be an underlying assumption that teachers already have the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to integrate mobile technology into teaching (MacCallum & Jeffrey, 2009). Yet the frequent use of mobile devices does not mean that all students and teachers have the necessary skills (Corbeil & ValdesCorbeil, 2007). The need for knowledge and skills development is different and even more acute in resource-constrained teacher communities. Based on a study in an informal settlement in South Africa, Steyn, Rampa and Marais (2013) found that the availability of mobile technology for personal use does not ensure the background knowledge and skills required to make use of ICT in the person's work context. Accepting the necessity for improving mobile digital literacy skills in teacher communities, this research is guided by the question: How can a mobile digital literacy curriculum be developed using the Design Science research approach?