Data literacy: Exploratory study on the case of Ceibal Support Teachers

Abstract

This study was undertaken in Uruguay1 10 years into the implementation of a digital inclusion policy aimed at all primary and lower secondary students in the country (students aged 6 to 14 years old). This programme is called Plan Ceibal2, and the research focused on the perceptions and needs of Ceibal Support Teachers – who play a special part in the success of this programme in schools – in relation to the new literacies (more precisely data literacy) based on the use of different digital (particularly educational) platforms. The objectives of this study were: a) to explore the Ceibal Support Teachers’ levels of knowledge and kinds of use related to the production and use of information, b) to analyze use-associated assessments, difficulties and main needs, c) to come up with recommendations for educational institutions on ways of improving the experience of the teaching staff with digital educational platforms. The methodology of work involved a mixed design that included discussion groups and an online survey. Both strategies provided us with valuable inputs for an introduction to the topic for the case of the education community, and Ceibal Support Teachers in particular.