A Reflection on UOSM2008- The New Digital Literate Chloe

As I study Sociology and Criminology, this module was certainly very different from those I have previously studied. Throughout UOSM2008, I have been challenged to think about a range of topics which I had never previously given a second thought to. From deciding whether I am a digital visitor or resident to understanding the benefits and drawbacks of online identities, this module has been an eye opening experience and thought provoking and I will always remember the variety of things I have learnt when engaging in activities online. Now I feel as if I have the knowledge to participate online from a wiser perspective.

This reflection on UOSM2008 will be simplified through Smyth’s (1989) reflection on action.  This process, as further refined by Waring and Evans (2015), is broken down into four steps: describe, inform, confront and reconstruct.

 

Describe

What did I do?

Figure 1 is a replication I created of the GISK diagram found in the MOOC. This shows the digital literacy areas which this module focused on:

Figure 1- Digital Literacies, by Heighway (2018) Created Using Canva

 

This module included topics which focused on these elements of digital literacies. Figure 2 shows the topics which were involved in the module this year:

Figure 2- UOSM2008 2018 Topics, By Heighway (2018), Created Using Piktochart

 

Inform (analyse)

How was I feeling at the start?

Before starting this module, I was unsure what to expect. To be honest, the overriding feeling was nervousness. I did not feel that my computer skills excelled and I had never experienced the online style of learning before. However I put great effort into remembering that I needed to improve my online skills and I had faith that participating in this could enhance my skills in order for me to prepare me for graduate employment. Below is a video about my initial queries about this module:

By Heighway (2018) Created Using Powtoon

 

What challenges did I face?

As I had never experienced the online style of learning before, it was no surprise that I found some areas of this module tricky. Below is a video which explains these challenges:

By Heighway (2018) Created Using Powtoon

 

Confront (self-awareness)

What have I learnt?

I have learnt a great deal throughout this module. Reflecting on the digital literacies that this module focused on,  Figure 3 below explains what I have learnt from each of these elements:

Figure 3- My Improved Digital Literacies, By Heighway (2018), Created Using Canva

 

The video below explains one thing I have learnt from each topic in this module:

By Heighway (2018) Created Using Powtoon

 

But have my skills improved?

Before participating in this module I knew I needed to improve my online skills. Figure 4 shows my self assessment from before and after participating in this module:

Figure 4- My Improvements By Heighway (2018), Created Using Piktochart

 

Have I learnt new skills?

As you can see from the differences in star ratings in Figure 4, throughout this module I have acquired a range of skills, which I would not have believed if you had told me before I started this course. I have learned how to create my own videos, construct infographics and maintain a blog! I have also realised how beneficial it can be to build an online network around an area of interest. These are all important skills which will become of great use in the future.

 

Have I changed the way I present myself online?

Before this module, I thought I successfully kept my personal and professional online identities separate, I now realise that I was wrong! Although I created separate Facebook and Twitter accounts to accommodate my personal and professional identities I realise that it may be more beneficial to create my professional profiles on sites for professional use such as LinkedIn. I did this once studying the online identity topic and have recently secured a summer internship!

Below is my professional profile which I created on Facebook before this module:

Figure 5- Professional Facebook Profile

 

Below is an example of my new professional identity on LinkedIn:

Figure 6- Professional LinkedIn Profile

In comparison my professional LinkedIn page allows me to actively seek new jobs and allows employers to explore my page which shows my current employment and the University I attend. Doing this has enabled me to secure an internship this summer which was something I was struggling obtain before creating this profile.

 

Reconstruct (evaluate and synthesise)

Is there still room for improvement?

Even though I have learnt a lot from this module and subsequently improved my online behaviour, there is still room for improvement!

Figure 7 blow explains the ways in which I wish to improve my professional online identity:

 

Figure 7- Steps To Further Improve My Professional Profile, By Heighway (2018), Created Using Canva

 

How did I find learning online?

As described in my previous video, at first I was nervous about the approach of learning for this course. The video below explains my thoughts about online learning now:

Created By Heighway (2018)

 

What will I take with me to the future?

Figure 8 explains some learning points I will take with me to the future:

Figure 8- The Future, By Heighway (2018) Created Using Piktochart

 

Concluding thoughts

Overall, although I was initially nervous to participate in this module due to my lack of computer skills, I had hope that these would improve. Thankfully this module has been beneficial in regard to the wide range of skills that I have learnt and developed. I have found a new appreciation for blogs, self-created online visuals and professional identities. Through developing a new professional profile I have successfully secured a summer internship, and so this module has already guided me to success!

In the first UOSM2008 introduction, Nic asked the students thoughts about learning online. The response was mainly sceptical as this style of learning is not something we had previously experienced. As explained throughout this last reflection, this module has shown how beneficial it can be to learn online and I hope this is something we see of more in the future. Thank you UOSM2008!

 

(899 Words)

References

Smyth, J. (1989). Developing and sustaining critical reflection in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 40(2), 2-9.

Waring M., & Evans, C. (2015).  Understanding pedagogy: Developing a critical approach to teaching and learning. New York: Routledge.

UOSM2008 MOOC, available at:

https://www.futurelearn.com/your-courses

Multiple Identities? A Reflection

Improvements

This week I put a lot of time into improving my blog by taking previous comments on board. I feel that the structure of my blog has improved and I used infographics to support my arguments. Overall, I learned a great deal from reading my peer’s blog posts. Many people took to this weeks topic from different angles and so the blogs largely varied.

Summarising Other Blogs

Below is an infographic which I created to summarise blogs in which I interacted with:

Figure 1 ‘Summarising blogs’ by Heighway, 2018

What Have I Learnt From My Peers?

From Stephanie’s post  I learnt that recruiters are less trusting of recruiting people from Facebook and prefer sites such as LinkedIn (TheFractons, 2017). Before this topic I only thought to create two separate Facebook accounts for professional and personal use. and so migrating to other platforms is not something I had considered. After reading Stephanie’s post I have realised it may be useful for me to create accounts on separate platforms to accommodate these different identities.

I also particularly enjoyed reading Tewsdae’s blog which focused on anonymous identity. which I did not include in my blog this week. After reading this blog and researching this concept further I have decided that I personally disagree with the ability to remain anonymous when posting online. This is mainly because I recollect a certain social media platform which was popular among my peers in secondary school. This site let users post on other users wall anonymously which subsequently led to bullying. I therefore think if you are happy to post something online you should be happy for your name to feature a long side it.

Below is a link which discusses anonymity online further:

Concluding Thoughts

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed expanding my knowledge of this topic. I have learned that although I created two separate Facebook pages to accommodate my professional and personal identities, this may not be enough when looking for a graduate job. I therefore plan to create a LinkedIn page this weekend!

My comments:

• Stephanie’s post
• Doug’s post

(321 Words)

References

The fractions. (2017). LinkedIn Vs. Facebook: Which is Better For Business Networking. [online] Available at:

http://www.thefractions.com/2017/04/linkedin-vs-facebook-better-business-networking/

Multiple Identities?

Figure 1: ‘Digital Identities’ by Heighway, 2018 created on Piktochart,

What is a digital identity?

The video I created below explains this:

According to van Dijck (2013), most professional persona and personal persona display distinct differences and so we should use more than one online identities to accommodate these.

Do we have multiple online identities?

Social media sites now allow users to create multiple pages for different uses. For example, I have created two Facebook pages which I use for personal use and professional use.

Below you can see that I can switch between these two accounts:

Figure 2: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chloeeve.heighway

Below are examples of the personal identity compared to my professional.

My personal Facebook page:

Figure 3: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chloe.heighway

My professional Facebook page:

Figure 4: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chloeeve.heighway

One main difference is that I limit the amount of information I share on the professional page, and connect with a lot fewer ‘friends’. I also share fewer photos. Reflecting on this, by sharing less information I feel as if I have less to be judged on.

Social media and employment 

Increasing numbers of employers, roughly 70%, check possible employees social media accounts before hiring them, therefore it is important that we are aware of this when job seeking (Salm, 2017).  Thus, it may be beneficial to create a professional profile like myself.

Here is a video explaining how to promote yourself online when seeking a job:

Single vs Multiple digital identities

However, as mentioned in the MOOC there are pros and cons of having single or multiple online identities. ‘Figure 5’ and ‘Figure 6’ explain these:

Figure 5: ‘Single Online Identities Pros and Cons’ by Heighway 2018, created on Piktochart

Figure 6: ‘Multiple Online Identities Pros and Cons’ by Heighway 2018, created on Piktochart

Maintaining our identities

Reflecting on ‘Figure 6’ it can be easy for internet users to forget about their different identities and so we must be careful to check we are writing on the correct account before posting. An example of the consequences of  confusing identities is  Sacco’s, senior director of IAC, mistake. Sacco began accidentally tweeting derogatory jokes on her professional account (Ronson, 2012) instead of her personal one. This shows how important it is to think before typing.

Conclusion

To conclude, although creating multiple online identities to accommodate our different personas can be beneficial, we must think about the cons of this, which are explained in figure 6, and we must ensure we post under the correct identity in order to avoid unfortunate consequences like Sacco!

(311 words)

References

Costa and Torres (2011), To be or not to be, the importance of Digital Identity in the networked society at:

http://eft.educom.pt/index.php/eft/article/view/216/126

Ronson (2015), How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life at:

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life

Salm (2017), 70% of employers are snooping candidates’ social media profiles at:

https://www.careerbuilder.com/advice/social-media-survey-2017

Van Djick (2013) ‘You have one identity’: performing the self on Facebook and LinkedIn at:

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1025.9100&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Williams et al (2010) This Is Me – Digital Identity for careers. Lulu Marketplace.

 

The World Wide Web of Confusion- A Reflection

World Wide Web of Confusion- Created on Piktochart by Heighway, 2018

I put a lot of energy into improving my blog this week. I tried to step out of my comfort zone by using a variety of infographics and created a Youtube video- something I have never done before!

Whilst researching this topic and reading my peer’s blogs, I believe that I have enhanced my knowledge of the reliability and authenticity of the information which is available on the internet.

Here are a three important points I learned when researching this topic:

 

 

What I Have Learned- Created on Piktochart by Heighway 2018

Here are some of the student’s blogs I interacted and commented this week:

Sam’s blog

Stefan’s blog

Will’s blog

Here are interesting points I learned when reading these blogs:

 

Learning From Others- Created on Infogram by Heighway 2018

As you can see, I learned a lot from interacting with my peer’s this week. In particular, Sam’s blog  highlighted that 30% of internet users interact with fake news more than once a day (Statista.com).  This is particularly thought provoking and has made me question the news I have read online since.

Shreya is another student I interacted with. After reading her comment on my blog I questioned whether joining new social platforms will enable us to escape echo chambers. I realised that we cannot always be sure but, as I mentioned, if I joined Pinterest, whose largest group of users are 25-34,  it would be likely that I would interact with people of this age, and therefore may be exposed to new perspectives.

In reflection, the most important thing I have discovered throughout this topic is that it is, although it is difficult, it is extremely important to realise that information on the internet is not always reliable. Although I may have had a brief understanding of this before this topic, I have now learned how unreliable information is constructed. I also believe that my blog writing skills have improved this week. I have learned how to create Youtube videos and gained more confidence in making useful infographics!

(317 words)

Wainberg, J., Headlines, emotions and utopia. Available at:

 http://www.scielo.br/pdf/interc/v38n1/en_1809-5844-interc-38-01-0191.pdf

Statista, To the best of your knowledge, how often do you see fake news while using the internet or visiting sites such as Facebook or Twitter? Available at:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/649234/fake-news-exposure-usa/

The World Wide Web of Confusion?

The internet is a prominent way in which we understand the world around us- more than 3 billion people are using the internet worldwide. However, we need to be able to assess the reliability and authenticity of online information as it is largely affected by; media literacy, information literacy and data literacy.  These terms are explained below:

Figure 1- Ability to Use The Internet (Heighway, Canva, 2018)

There are a number of things which can obstruct these internet literacies which subsequently affect how we understand information online.

For example:

• Echo Chambers
• Filter Bubbles
• Fake News

Echo chambers

• Click on the video I have created to find out more:

Opinions I form online may be persuaded because…

Figure 2- Are My Social Platforms Biased? (Heighway, Piktochart, 2018)

Therefore it be may beneficial to join new social platforms to provoke our thoughts. (Borgesius et al, 2016)

Filter bubbles

Figure 3- Explaining Filter Bubbles (Heighway, Piktochart, 2018)

“It’s easy for people to live in a ‘filter bubble’ of media” (Delaney, 2017). Eli Parsier (2011) ‘s Ted Talk highlights the danger of this:

Here is my example…

Figure 4- Example of Personalised Searches (Heighway, piktochart, 2018)

Fake news

Figure 5- Fake News (Heighway, Piktochart, 2018)

Click on the link below which shows Donald Trump confronting ‘Fake News’ journalists:

Trump’s use of the word ‘fake news’ has led it to become Collins Dictionary’s word of the year (Hunt, 2017).  The BBC now encourage people to “check the source” and “go beyond the headline” instead of automatically believing it (BBC, 2017).

Why should we assess information?

Assessing the reliability and authenticity of online information is complicated as much of it is affected by things like echo chambers, filter bubbles and fake news- these are just a few examples of the way are ability to gather correct information can be obstructed.

It is therefore important that we critically assess what we read on line carefully. Figure 4 outlines things we should consider when assessing information.

How can we assess information?

Figure 6- How to assess information (Heighway, Piktochart, 2018)

As mentioned above, assessing the reliability and authenticity of online information is difficult. Therefore it is important that we are aware of things like echo chambers, filter bubbles and fake news in order to realise that the information we read may not always be accurate. I would suggest that it is beneficial to take note of ‘Figure 6’ and maybe expand social platforms, or use multiple search engines in order to make us autonomous web users (Borgesius et al, 2016)

(321 words)

Borgesius, F. (2015). Should we worry about filter bubbles? Available at: https://policyreview.info/articles/analysis/should-we-worry-about-filter-bubbles

Burnes, J. (2017) Fake News: Universities offer tips on how to spot it. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-41902914

Delaney, K. (2018). Filter bubbles are a serious problem with news, says Bill Gates. [online] Quartz. Available at: https://qz.com/913114/bill-gates-says-filter-bubbles-are-a-serious-problem-with-news/

Grimes, D. (2016) Echo chambers are dangerous- we must try to break free from our online bubbles. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2017/dec/04/echo-chambers-are-dangerous-we-must-try-to-break-free-of-our-online-bubbles

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/learning-network-age/4/steps/303353

Hunt, J. (2017) ‘Fake News’ named Collins Dictionary’s official Word of the Year for 2017. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fake-news-word-of-the-year-2017-collins-dictionary-donald-trump-kellyanne-conway-antifa-corbynmania-a8032751.html

Trump, D. (2017) ‘Fake News’ Tweet. Available at: https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/860087334519414784

The Digital Divide – A Reflection

My thoughts

Throughout researching this topic I have realised how important internet access is and how this access dramatically affects people’s everyday lives. Having researched digital differences and after viewing my peer’s thoughts, I feel as if I have gained a deeper understanding of inequalities that exist and how this affects many people’s lives on a national or international scale . This is something that I have not really thought about before.

 

This map shows the variation in internet usage across the world- Source blogspot

Solving the digital divide

However, after reading Tewsdae’s blog I realised that access to the internet does not necessarily guarantee an improvement of in equality. Tewsdae used an interesting example of internet cafes. Whilst internet cafes have improved people’s education and skills, however others have promoted unethical use. (Furuholt & Kristiansen, 2007)I found this point very thought-provoking.

Disabilities and the digital divide

After reading Nathaniel’s comment on my blog I realised that I had not considered how disabilities may affect people’s access and use of the internet. Nathaniel linked my an article which explained that a lady with anxiety and depression learned to use a  computer in order to keep in contact with her family, this helped her feel less isolated.

However, using a computer is still something that many disabled people struggle with. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2015, 27% of disabled adults had never used the internet, compared to 11% of non-disabled adults. This shows that there is still a digital divide between disabled and non-disabled people and I believe this is something that is important to reduce in the future.

Conclusion

Overall, I feel as if I have learned a lot whilst researching this topic and reading my peer’s thoughts has opened my eyes to other aspects of the digital divide that I had not previously thought of.

Words 308

http://infyinsy.blogspot.co.uk/2010/06/facts-about-africa-internet.html

Click to access 5f8e9571ca20b6ae10031da6cd51688733a8.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/29/disabled-people-internet-extra-costs-commission-scope

 

What is the digital divide?

 

 

 

Inequality can often bring racism, class and gender to mind. However, the digital divide is the economic and social inequality in regard to access to and use of the internet, this is a new emerging type of inequality (Van Djik, 2013). According to Zickuhr and Smith (2012), digital differences refer to the stratification in those who have access to digital technology and the web comparative to those who do not.

Professor Susan Halford states that ‘1/10 people have never used the Internet’, this is usually because many people in the world are unable to afford access to the Internet as they cannot afford a means to do so, for example, an IPad or laptop.  This seems shocking and, as more activities are becoming only available online we need to question whether having access to the internet is a basic human right.

When thinking of the digital divide it is understandable to think that there is more internet usage in MEDC’s than LEDC’s, however we must realise that the digital divide also exists within each country, county and town.

Even within in our own society where most people have access to the internet, I still believe there is a divide, with the biggest divide being an age divide. It is interesting to point out that I can already see changes in internet usage of younger people, as rather than playing with toys my 6 year old sister often chooses to play on her IPad instead. This contrasts my childhood at this age as the technology was fairly new and so I did not have access to it. For me, this suggests that internet usage is starting at a younger age.

Overall, after researching this topic I have realised that it is important to be aware of this inequality rather than assuming everyone has the same access to the internet internationally and within the same communities

References

https://www.internetworldstats.com/links10.htm

Click to access PIP_Digital_differences_041312.pdf

https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/70

https://kapokdigital.com/the-art-of-the-possible-for-local-business/

http://maint.tandfonline.com/

Introductory Topic

Whilst writing my first post, I realised it was going to be difficult to create an effective, interesting and engaging piece of work but I soon realised this would be easier to achieve with the use of infographics and Youtube videos.

Through researching into digital migrants and residents I feel like I have been able to think about the world wide web from a new perspective. Before reading about this topic I assumed that I would completely be in the native category as I usually have these tendencies, however, after reading Carl’s comment on my post I realised that rather than seeing migrants and natives as two categories it could be more useful to see this as a spectrum instead.

I am glad that we are given the opportunity to read others post as I believe this helped me understand the topic even further and it was interesting to hear other peoples thoughts. After reading Lakshay’s post I realised that it is possible for some people to still not fully categorise  as a digital resident but may be inclined to transition towards one because of the use of internet around them, I found this point really interesting.

To conclude, the first topic has taught me many skills I did not previously have, I have learnt how to create my own blog, write blog posts, create infographics and view other people’s blog. I believe this is a great way of learning. My views about this topic has also changed after researching it in more detail. I have been able to develop my understanding of the topic be seeing other peoples views  and I have realised that there is not just two categories in which all people will fit and it may be a good idea to consider a spectrum rather than these two clear cut categories.

 

Digital Visitors VS Digital Residents

Digital Visitors and Residents are a simple way of describing how different individuals use the world wide web. This theory is useful in helping us understand why individuals use the web. Pensky firstly divided users by those who were ‘digital immigrants’ and ‘digital natives’  [1]

 

VISITORS

• Visitors use the Web as a tool to carry out a function or complete a task 
• A digital resident is a person who lives a part of their life online, they are usually a part of a Web community that accommodates relationships and where they can display their online persona  (White, 2008). [2]
• “We propose that visitors understand the web as akin to an untidy garden tool shed. They have defined a goal or task and go into the shed to select an appropriate tool which they use to attain their goal. Task over, the tool is returned to the shed. It may not have been perfect for the task, but they are happy to make do so long as some progress is made.”
  (White & Cornu 2011) [3]

RESIDENTS

• Those operating in the Resident mode are online to connect with, or be with other people
• ” Residents are happy to go online simply to spend time with others and they are likely to consider that they ‘belong’ to a community which is located in the virtual. They have a profile in social networking platforms such as Facebook or Twitter and are comfortable expressing their persona in these online spaces” (White & Cornu 2011) [3]

Pensky also created a Visitor-Resident map which is used to show the range of possible ways of which individuals now have available to them through the web.

I have created a map to illustrate my personal use of the web below:

Even though the theory of digital residents seems to be dead, it is still accepted by some.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, [online] 9(5), pp.1-6. Available at: https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf [1]

White, D., 2011. Not ‘Natives’ & ‘Immigrants’ but ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’. [Online]
Available at: http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/ 
[Accessed 9 February 2018].

White and Le Cornu (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new Typology for Online Engagement Available at: http://firstmonday.org/article/view/3171/3049 [2]

 

 

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton