VCE VCE VM Literacy (Year 11) · Unit 1 — Personal Literacy and Digital Texts · 11m read
Creating Digital Texts — Posts, Presentations and Short Videos
Unit 1 asks you to create digital texts as well as read them. Good digital texts are clear, purposeful and responsible.
Learning objective: Create digital texts for a purpose and audience, using design features and safe, responsible online practices.
By the end of this lesson you can:
- I can plan a digital text for a specific audience.
- I can use visual and written features effectively.
- I can follow online safety and copyright rules.
Thumb-stopping. Online, you have a second or two to stop someone scrolling. Clear headlines and strong images do that job.
Planning and creating
PLAN — purpose, audience, platform, key message, call to action.
DESIGN
• Short, clear headline.
• Readable fonts and contrast; captions on videos.
• Images that support the message.
• Hashtags or keywords where appropriate.
RESPONSIBLE PRACTICE
• Ask permission before posting photos of others.
• Respect copyright: use your own images or properly licensed ones and credit them.
• Protect personal information.
• Think about your digital footprint — employers may see what you post.
Worked example (Medium)
Plan an Instagram-style post promoting a school car wash fundraiser.
- Audience. Local families and students.
- Message. "Car Wash Fundraiser — Sat 9 am–1 pm, $10, all money to the animal shelter."
- Visual. Bright photo of students washing a car (with permission).
- Call to action. "Bring your car and share this post!"
Answer: Clear details, a supporting image with permission, and a call to action for the target audience.
Common mistakes
- Too much text on images Hard to read on a phone. Fix: Keep text short; put details in the caption.
- Using images found online without permission Breaches copyright. Fix: Use your own or licensed images.
Practice questions
A "call to action" tells the audience:
- Who made the post
- What to do next
- The copyright owner
- The post’s date
(1 marks)
Explain why you should think about your digital footprint.
(2 marks)
Summary
- Plan purpose, audience, platform and message.
- Use clear headlines, images and calls to action.
- Respect privacy and copyright.
- Protect your digital footprint.