Dr. Nicholas C. Burbules
Dr. Burbules is a Gutgsell Endowed Professor of Education Policy, Organization and Leadership and an affiliate of the Unit for Criticism and Interpretative Theory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Nicholas Burbules received a B.A. in religious studies from Grinnell College in 1975, a M.A. in philosophy from Stanford University in 1979, and a Ph.D. in philosophy of education from Stanford University in 1983. He is a nationally preeminent scholar in the field of philosophy of education and is internationally recognized for his work focusing on the use of information technology in education. His current research includes a project on ethical and policy issues concerning new technologies in education; virtual reality; collaboration; and dialogue and "third spaces."

Professor Burbules’ stature among his peers was recognized when he was awarded the collegewide Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professorship from 2002-2007. During his professorship, he served on the editorial board, edited, or acted as associate editor of several journals including the Journal of Education Theory. During the same period, he also edited three books, published 18 journal articles and book chapters, and presented more than 40 lectures at professional conferences and institutions. He also has been invited to give talks in 10 countries around technology issues in education.

Digital Literacy in a Ubiquitous Learning Environment
The American Library Association’s Office of Information Technology Policy defines digital literacy as the ability to “find, understand, evaluate, create, and communicate digital information.” It is useful to think about, first, how these are interdependent skills and dispositions: from an educational standpoint, how achieving some necessarily entails developing others.

Second, it is useful to think about digital literacy in this sense in relation to lifelong learning, and how lifelong learning itself might need to be rethought in this new environment: I will discuss this as a shift from “continuing education” to a process of “continuous education.”

Finally, I will summarize these ideas in relation to the notion of ubiquitous learning, an era of anytime/anywhere learning opportunities that reflect the new ways in which people interact with digital technologies. The processes of digital literacy, I will argue, need to be rethought in this new context.