The well established ‘digital natives’ construct posits that those born into the digital age have an innate and immersive command of technology, as opposed to those ‘digital immigrants’ born before 1980, who are required to actively develop technological confidence and competence through adaptation (Prensky 2001). Digital natives allegedly share a number of defining characteristics, including an expectation of rapid information delivery, a pre-disposition to multi-tasking and accessing information in non-linear ways (Oblinger 2003).
However, the fervour with which the debate was initially received has in recent years been replaced by increasing criticism; a counter to the ‘moral panic’ with which Bennet et al (2008) argue has characterised attention to date. In suggesting a more disinterested, pragmatic approach, Bennet et al echo increasing widespread criticism of the construct (Kennedy et al 2008). Indeed, the colonial ‘native’ versus ‘immigrant’ metaphorical bifurcation has been modified to reflect the potential existence of more transient, mutable roles of digital ‘resident’ and ‘visitor’ (White and Le Cornu 2011).
For students, affiliation with the digital native ‘tribe’ may be less than straightforward. This paper reports on the Digital Litter research project at The Glasgow School of Art that aims to clarify what, if anything, students understand by the term ‘digital native’ and how they might interpret the concept of ‘digital literacies’ in their own learning. Facilitating a student-led conceptualisation of the attributes and competencies associated with developing digital literacies and confidence in using technology for educational purposes provides scope for participative, empowering and collaborative debate to directly inform forward-looking, responsive and sustainable institutional cultural change.