Author: lachlanscott01

Assessment Item 5 – Persuasive Blog Post

Assessment Item 5 – Persuasive Blog Post

Lachlan Scott

Student ID 11730889

ITC174

 

 

Whilst fake news has existed as long as there’s been news, 2020 has seen an unprecedented explosion of rumours, hearsay and conspiracy theories being bandied around social media with the same frivolous lack of care as office gossip. We all know someone who’s shared a post about Corona Virus being fake, or that 5G towers are spreading it, or that Bill Gates is developing a vaccine so he can put a microchip in you and track you. For online digital learners such as ourselves it is just ethically unacceptable to spread fake news stories like this and here’s why.

First and foremost, it spreads disinformation. Whilst this may seem self-evident, it is important to keep in mind when thinking of the ethics of interacting with fake news as an online digital learner. To be engaging in online learning and absorbing information from various sources but also spreading misinformation through fake news is ethically juxtaposed. It’s detrimental to other online learners and users, whilst also showing a lack of care about the distinction between accurate information and disinformation. As online digital learners it is paramount that we have access to accurate information for our studies and education. Should we not want other students to also have access to accurate information?

The fundamental nature of social media promotes the creation and growth of groups of individuals with like minded interests. Now of course this is an overwhelmingly positive thing on the surface. A place for you and your friends to discuss the things you love and are interested in. Your favourite hobbies, places you want to holiday in, how your sports team is doing. Positive, fun and building a community. But as an online digital learner we need to be aware of the agenda or motive behind the surface level. The sports chat group might have paid promotions for gambling sites and the #futureholidays thread might have promoted content from tourist companies. And when we as an individual source our information from these groups, even on topics seemingly as trivial as sports and holidays it can create what is referred to as a filter bubble. Dalkir (2020) stated that a filter bubble can ensure that the information on a topic that two individuals receive from their regular sources can be completely different. The same occurs in fake news constantly and on far more serious topics. Ethically its more than a little questionable to promote and pander to the agendas of those groups producing the fake news we as online digital learners interact with. Nobody wants to be a pawn in someone else’s game of chess.

Fake news also promotes a distrust of previously reliable sources. This can be through promoting a fake story to the point where it is covered by groups like major news networks and established print media but also by targeting these establishments with outlandish claims and outright lies about their actions and broadcasting. For an example of the former, one of the best examples is that in December 2017 both CNN and MNSBC in the United States ran stories regarding Donald Trump Junior and access to Wikileaks information that he was supposedly given advance access to prior to the public. Unfortunately, it was a complete fabrication with the information having already being provided to the public and the email sent to Donald Trump Junior being sent after that date. When questioned about it both networks stated their sources were anonymous. (Bolt 2019) They later offered corrections but the issue with corrections is that original consumers of the fake news may not see them, and may continue to believe the information initially provided. Whilst the burden of truth should be on these news networks, in our current times it appears that it has shifted to us to ensure we absorb and share accurate information and check the sources of these groups.

Having accurately informed and trustworthy news outlets is also a key cornerstone to an educated and intelligent society. If society is incorrectly informed and incorrectly educated then meaningful discussions to resolve the current issues in society become much more difficult. As online digital learners we are morally obligated to do our best to ensure those around us and ourselves are accurately informed. Without this we will struggle to have an impact in the larger discussions of our time. Some current examples of this would be climate change and its denial by some or Covid 19’s method of spreading and treatment. These are serious issues which affect us and will affect our children. To have a discussion on how to resolve them is incredibly difficult when members of that discussion completely disbelieve the issue actually exists. Fake news articles surrounding climate change denial and Covid 19’s reality abound and yet around the world hundreds of thousands of people have died from Covid 19 and countless people in low lying residences are threatened by rising sea levels. Surely this is evidence enough to prove the reality of these issues and yet fake news still gets clicks and spreads like wildfire.

It is not just unethical for online digital learners to propagate fake news, it is actually our moral obligation to ensure those around us are aware of the truth, not just on these larger issues but in every day discussions. By now it should be self-evident that the fake news being spread today is far more dangerous and damaging to society than maybe we give it credit for. If we as digital online learners are to participate in any meaningful way in our online communities then we simply can’t allow ourselves to propagate lies and deceive those around us, no matter how enticing the clickbait may be.

 

 

 

Reference List:

  1. Dalkir K., Katz R. (2020) Navigating Fake News, Alternative Facts, and Misinformation in a Post-Truth World. (pp3-12) IGN Global
  2. Bolt A. (2019, January 23) The 10 worst examples of fake news. And CNN wins. Herald Sun https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/the-10-worst-examples-of-fake-news-and-cnn-wins/news-story/7915b2962724013b5e2b038df193525e

 

Assessment Item 4 – Learning Preferences and Exam Performance

Assessment Item 4 – Learning Preferences and Exam Performance

Lachlan Scott

Student #: 11730889

GEN173

 

 

VARK Quiz Results:

Reflection:

Neil Fleming’s creation of the V.A.R.K. self-assessment is a helpful way for individuals to examine how they best absorb information and their learning preferences. It can assist in not just educational studies but also vocational training and acquisition of life skills. The self-assessment provides individuals with an insight into whether they best achieve learning through visual, auditory, reading and writing or kinaesthetic means

The VARK self-assessment tool contains real world examples of learning within it which helps the individual taking it to understand how to apply its results in different scenarios. It allows the individual to streamline their learning practices through interacting with information they need to learn in their now clearly defined preferred learning style. This can be as simple as reading text aloud to encourage absorption through auditory means or instead reading a transcript of a lecture to retain it through reading and writing means. By clarifying and identifying an individual’s learning preferences they can optimise their time spent studying and revising, avoiding disinterest or confusion due to the information being in a format that doesn’t suit them. By interacting with the information relevant to upcoming exams in their preferred learning style, an individual can also improve their ability to recollect key information during the exam and collate it easier.

My results show that I am multi-modal with a strong preference towards auditory focused listening. In my daily life I do use podcasts to learn about my hobbies and also conversations or direct meetings to achieve vocational training. Prithishkumar (2014) states, “multiple modalities of information presentation are necessary to effectively cater to student learning preferences.” This is in light of a study conducted showing that of the students that completed the self-assessment, 86.8% were multi-modal. The CSU pathway course I am currently enrolled in has been very good at ensuring that all four forms of learning preference are catered to in each subject. However, when focusing in on my learning techniques there are many additional strategies, I can take to help me achieve in exams by focusing in on my auditory preference. Hussain (2017) lists some of these as “Use rhymes for recollecting things in a better way…activities such as brainstorming, jingles, songs, jokes and tales.”. Upon reflection I found that I undertake these strategies currently in the workplace already, in training and in regular work. To further excel in my current studies, I will need to bring these strategies across and implement them, which should be especially useful in the Sports Media field I am looking to transition into.

In conclusion I am reassured to find that the results from the VARK self-assessment and the recommended strategies associated with my preferred learning style are already found in my life outside of study and should hopefully be transferred to my studies in this and future courses.

 

 

Reference List:

  1. Prithiishkumar IJ, Michael SA (2014) Understanding your student: Using the VARK model. 60(2), 183-186. https://doi.org/4103/0022-3859.132337
  2. Hussain I (2017) Journal of Literature, Languages and Linguistics: Pedagogical Implications of VARK Model of Learning. 38, 33-37.

Assessment item 4 – Video

Video:

Reflection:

To create this video I used Adobe Spark. I wanted to use footage of myself in the video but didn’t have access to a camera I felt had high enough quality to complete that. Instead I used images from Adobe Spark and also from their creative commons search engine to provide a backdrop to my narration. Adobe Spark also automatically creates a credits slide which lists all of the referencing for the images used which I found very helpful.

Those details are also listed here;

Andrey Popov – “Close-up Of Various Sport Equipments On Pitch” · Daniel Anthony – “Afl by night” · Holger Link – “Harbour Dusk” · Jonathan Borba – “untitled image” · Mathias Jensen – “Hikers at peak” · Sergey Nivens – “He is big boss and has power . Mixed media” · Sergey Nivens – “His great victory”

Assessment 3 Podcast – When and Where will we see the next AFL Team?

Reflection:

Creating this podcast certainly challenged me on many fronts. I used a Focusrite Scarlet Solo Studio to record and whilst it is very high quality it took some tinkering to master how to use it. I also had to overcome some anxiety with recording, as i’m sure everyone who listens to their own voice will understand. I used Audacity to edit the recordings and also layered the vocals with ‘Early Hours’ by Ikson; https://soundcloud.com/ikson/early-hours-free-download?in=royaltyfreemusic-nocopyrightmusic/sets/creative-commons-music

For the cover image below I used;

“Iowa fans cheering at football game, The University of Iowa, November 11, 1939?” by The University of Iowa Libraries is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Overall creating this podcast has been a very rewarding and encouraging process as at some point I would like to add that ability to my range of skills when applying for jobs in the Sport Media industry.

Soundcloud embed:

 

Assessment 2 – Lachlan Scott Personal Reflective Post

Lachlan Scott – Assessment Item 2 – Personal reflective Post.

Digital Online Learner Skills Framework  Quiz Results:

1)      Connect – Intrepid Intermediate
2)      Communicate – Intrepid Intermediate
3)      Citizenship – Intrepid Intermediate
4)      Collaborate – Intrepid Intermediate
5)      Create – Newbie Novice
6)      Choice – Intrepid Intermediate

What:

The profile outcome showed me that whilst I already have a solid network through Linkedin and Facebook of friends and industry members, and that folding these into my Personal Learning Environment is not a difficult task, there is still some work left to do in connecting online. My personal learning environment necessitated downloading and creating accounts on several apps and also learning how to use them more efficiently. Currently I use Zoom for work meetings however all of those are taken on the mobile app to allow usage whilst driving or completing other tasks. Screen sharing and using a webcam were not a part of this and so learning to do this and also be comfortable in doing it were a step that I needed to take.

In terms of managing synchronous and asynchonous learning this is also an area that I have been struggling to get a handle on. Working full time means not being able to participate in some of the weekly meet ups for my subjects and having to watch/listen to the recordings of these. This combined with family commitments after work have also meant reduced time for study asynchronously. I think I believed it would be a lot easier than it currently is to manage these prior to commencing the pathway course. I have however found recently that since creating my Personal Learning Network that a lot of the delays I have been having were due to perhaps not knowing where to find information or not comprehending certain segments and that this is generally overcome with the knowledge of this network. Its also been very helpful to bounce ideas off to determine if i’m heading in the right direction with the work i’m currently completing.

So What:

Connecting online at this point is very important for myself because of the degree I am planning on doing and the career it focuses on. A Sports Media degree and sports journalist/commentator career would include a large amount of networking and community building and participation. Mastering it now is probably one of the more important tasks I have before beginning.

In terms of new significant knowledge to help me understand how to connect better, I would say that the usage of the forums on Interact and feeling comfortable using them along with completing the set up of my Linkin profile and how to find and connect with groups would be the two most important parts. Learning how to use Interact itself was a slightly daunting task but then communicating on forums also caused me to worry. Being able to do this without trepidation will be essential later on so getting over the anxiety of doing it now is key. Updating and completing my Linkedin profile and joining several groups also has been key. It has already resulted in several messages from industry fellows and discussions about possible career paths with them. This will be very helpful with finding work placement later in my degree and employment once completed.

Now What:

One moment of realization that I had during the completion of my professional profile was the usage and usefulness of groups on Linkedin. I previously did worry about being able to make connections in the sporting industry, somewhat due to the celebrity nature of the athletes themselves and the ‘who you know’ nature of it. With the groups I have recently joined already being so fruitful with industry connections this has put my mind more at ease about being able to break into the industry when that time comes. The other realization I had was that at some point I would like to be able to create a sports based podcast or Youtube channel and creating the scripts and recording for that through Thinkspace would allow me an easy place to show this to my professional learning community and get feedback before putting it out to the world to listen to or read.

My main plan moving forward in regards to connecting is once I begin my Sports Media degree, to build a solid study support network of other students in the course and to be confident enough to communicate with them regularly about the subjects being undertaken. I would also want to build a network through Linkedin and Facebook of sports and journalist industry fellows to give me ample employment opportunity once the degree is complete. This will support me as a digital learner and professional by providing many avenues for support on topics and tasks that I am unfamiliar or not confident with and sounding boards to discuss complex topics with.

 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachlan-scott-71baab71/

 

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