During this course, the learning I have undertaken about the digital learning environment has helped to solidify concepts that I learnt earlier in my Masters as well as reassure me that much of the thinking and processes that I have been attempting to use to develop and implement better virtual environments within my school, has been underpinned by some of the academic thinking and practical processes suggested throughout this course.
A digital learning environment has a distinct variation between the expectations, pedagogy and tools used to that of the face-to-face classroom. Now, more than ever, due to the recent online learning phase, the validity, relevance and effectiveness of these environments has been pulled into focus. In particular, the learning and instruction differences that these environments can offer. (Veletsianos, 2015, pg 243). The outcomes of the digital learning environment in the Collaboration Age (Richardson, 2008, para 4) are two-fold: not only do they teach students skills in the specific subjects they are learning but also that of digital and global citizenship. There is a fluidity to the classroom walls in which students can reach beyond the classroom to the more than one billion people online to “mine their wisdom and experiences” (Richardson, 2008, para 5). To then read, reply, create and publish work in response to the questions they are attempting to answer opens a world of possibility for curriculum development.
Students need to be explicitly taught these skills but there is often a lack of clarity around who is responsible for this. There is also varying opinion on what skills need to be taught as well as limits on time and the crowded syllabus from which teachers are accountable. Rheingold (2010, para 3) identifies several skills relating to social media that he believes should be taught – attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness, critical consumption. In Hollandsworth, Donovan and Welch’s (2017, para 14) most recent research it was suggested that there is a decreasing awareness of digital citizenship amongst parents and students despite a significant increase in the use of technology on a daily basis. The evidence of their findings indicating that these skills need to be embedded within the delivery of content.
The challenge then is how to foster collective efficacy that utilises all staff, not just specialised teaching staff like a Teacher Librarian or Head of IT. Assignment 3 made me consider this more carefully. Many teachers are not actively engaged in digital learning environments or professional learning networks themselves which makes this particularly difficult when the investment is not apparent and when they have misconceptions as to what digital citizenship is (Sackson, 2015, para 2-3).
I believe the Teacher Librarian can play a pertinent role as an information leader in helping to drive discussion within a school to evaluate how digital learning environments are being used and how they can be pushed to extend students beyond digital citizenship capabilities and move them into the realm of the global digital leader. This is a long-term goal for my school. One that I need to ensure is carefully executed once a good practice surrounding the foundations of digital citizenship are embedded in the school culture. Work would be needed to develop policies and guidelines around privacy and safety. There would need to be discussion around having a shared vision that ensures a sustained focus on curriculum but that also prepares students to have an attitude to learning that encourages user responsibility. (Lindsay, 2014).
In so doing, this course has made me aware that in considering and building digital learning environments, it is not only possible to build technological capacity in students and staff but information fluency through a personalised learning environment.
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References
Altman, G. (2016). Woman Face Thoughts. [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-face-thoughts-media-head-1446557/
Hollandsworth, R., Donovan, J. & Welch, M. (2017). Digital Citizenship: You Can’t Go Home Again. TechTrends, 61, 524–530. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1007/s11528-017-0190-4
Johnson, G. ( 2018). Social Media. [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/vectors/social-media-connections-networking-3846597/
Lindsay, J. (2014). (SlideShare | 1 of 54 slides) http://www.slideshare.net/julielindsay/digital-citizenship-a-global-perspective-reduced-size-32020944
Osorio, P. (2018). Flashback Transport Rear-View Mirror. [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/photos/flashback-transport-rear-view-mirror-3216836/
Rheingold, H. (2010). Attention, and Other 21st-Century Social Media Literacies. Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2010/10/attention-and-other-21stcentury-social-media-literacies
Richardson, W. (2008). World Without Walls: Learning Well with Others. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/collaboration-age-technology-will-richardson#
Sackson, E. (2015). Can You Teach Digital Citizenship, If You Are Not an Active Digital Citizen Yourself?. Retrieved from https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2015/05/08/can-you-teach-digital-citizenship-if-you-are-not-an-active-digital-citizen-yourself/
Veletsianos, G. (2016). Digital Learning Environments. N Rushby & D. W. Surry (Eds). In The Wiley Handbook of Learning Technology, First Edition. Pg. 242-260. Retrieved from 10.1002/9781118736494
