Adobe RMIT - Scaffolding Digital Capabilities in Communication

Professional communication

Scaffolding digital capabilities for creative communication

Lisa Waller
Associate Dean, Communication

Jay Daniel Thompson
Senior Lecturer, Professional Communication

Fiona Finn
Lecturer, Advertising

Kirsten Black
Senior Learning Designer, DSC

This project developed 4 Digital Assets to support Digital Literacies in the First Year Foundation Block of the new Bachelor of Professional Communication Program (BP354). The assets support students across the disciplines of Advertising, Digital Communication, Public Relations and Locating Knowledges.

Resources

> Advertising: Teacher resource, Assessment, Student instructions & Pitch Guide, Marking rubric

> Digital Communication: Teacher resource, Foundational Activity, Student instructions (Note: activity requires RMIT H5P access)

> Locating Knowledges: Teacher resource, Assessment item, IKAT decisions tree, Student instructions & Video guide, Marking rubric

> Public Relations: Teacher resource, Assessment, Student instructions & feedback guide

Download specific resources by clicking on the disciplines above ^

Problem Statement

RMIT students require high quality digital skills to participate in the current and future workforce, but digital skills are so varied and quickly evolving that it is difficult to identify and develop the ones that are most relevant. This is why educators talk about developing ‘digital literacies’ or broad digital skills that are universally applicable and/or self-updating – i.e., they include learning how to learn about digital skills.

Project Overview

For the newly designed Bachelor of Professional Communication Program (BP354), launched in Semester One 2024, we linked the development of industry-specific digital platforms and skills with human and communication skills, as defined by RMIT’s ‘Digitally Adept’ capability.

Four digital assets sit across the four courses that BP354 students undertake during the first semester of their degree: ‘Introduction to Digital Communication’, ‘Introduction to Public Relations’, ‘Introduction to Advertising’ and ‘Locating Knowledges’.

Adobe Express skills are taught with the specific aim of helping students to develop a convincing ‘pitch’ in an Advertising industry context. Video skills support students to develop storytelling skills through respectful relationships and Indigenous frameworks within the Locating Knowledges course. In the Digital Communication course, students develop critical reading and annotation skills while taking a deep dive into document development and accessibility and in the Public Relations course Students curate, design and build an Adobe digital portfolio. These immediately practical and relevant skills will drive students’ understanding of the best ways to use digital tools.

There is an additional ‘wildcard’ asset that can be offered across all four Foundation courses. The fifth asset provides all students in the Foundation blocks with a scaffolded deep dive into the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Four different AI challenges need to be completed for student to achieve mastery across a carefully constructed AI capability framework and win awards (badges) to mark their achievements.

Emergent Outcomes

Coming soon.

Digital Capability Building

Each foundation course has scaffolded digital capability building for specific disciplines.

Introduction to Digital Communication

Suggested Theme - Between & Beneath the Lines
Technical literacy - Adobe acrobat & MS Office / Digital Document Accessibility
Information Literacy - Purposeful/active | reading, annotating & researching
Critical Literacy - Ethical implications around accessibility

Introduction to Public Relations
Suggested Theme - Portfolio - four lenses of feedback
Technical literacy - Adobe portfolio & Canva
Information Literacy - Active listening OR Feedback
Critical Literacy - Building respectful professional relationships

Introduction to Advertising
Suggested Theme - Pitching with Panache
Technical literacy - Adobe Express
Information Literacy - Communicating with purpose to diverse audiences | Packaging complex information
Critical Literacy - Understanding digital ownership and distribution models

Locating Knowledges
Suggested Theme - Report on a Knowledge Site
Technical literacy - Adobe Rush
Information Literacy - Respectful truth-telling | Copyright and IP | Academic Integrity
Critical Literacy - Recognising power structures and the ethics of story ownership

Responsible use of Ai
Suggested Theme - Ai Mastery Journey
Technical literacy - Understanding and using Ai | Ai prompting
Information Literacy - Criticising Ai | Fact-checking | Academic Integrity
Critical Literacy - Evaluating the social impact and ethical uses of Ai

Key Learnings

Our intention for these assets was to involve students in their ideation and creation. This student voice will be developed in future iterations.