Tag: #ETL523

ETL523 -Critical Reflection – Part B

leannecrawshaw on

The concept of Digital Citizenship is one I have interest in. I was intrigued what it meant to be a “Digital Citizen” and most importantly how do you become one?  A digital citizen is defined as using appropriate and responsible behaviour in relation to technology within an online environment and presents many challenges not evident offline (Bearden, 2016, p. 2). A digital citizen has a moral and ethical responsibility to act responsibly regarding technology to promote inclusivity and equity for all participants of a digital community.world globe

When engaging as a digital citizen within a professional context, it is important to curate a strong digital identity. Digital identity extends beyond a profile image and includes online interactions, comments, posts and communication should be of a high standard and portray the image and identity that shapes your professional identity. It is largely known, recruitment agencies conduct  Google searches on candidates as part of a digital refencing process (Linder, 2018, p. 32). What you do online today will impact tomorrow, therefore, it is imperative the digital footprint you leave behind is positive, informative and demonstrates a responsible digital citizen.

In preparing the environmental scan for a school environment in subject ETL523 the emphasis of the report was a focus on creating a Digital Learning Environments (DLE) to deliver online learning. Due to COVID-19 my current teaching environment swiftly moved from face-to-face delivery to online learning. As a result, I was interested in exploring the viability of continuing online delivery post-COVID-19 and reviewing new opportunities available for teaching and learning within a digital environment.

The environmental scan highlighted the challenges of institutional culture as a major barrier to the adoption of digital literacy and the introduction of technology into the learning environment. Many educators will resist change if they do not see a need or value in the adoption of new initiatives or technology and as a result, hold onto outdated and didactic teaching practices (Reynolds, 2017, p. 46). As a strategy to shift traditional cultural values the environmental scan recommended the establishment of a Community of Practice (COP) to provide a support network for collaboration and sharing of ideas in the creation of new knowledge networks.

A COP within a digital context is likely to be established through social media platforms, for example, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to build online networks to promote innovative thinking, sharing and curating of content and development of digital citizenship participatory skills (Yarris et al., 2019, p. 2).  In the development of the environmental scan to achieve educational objectives the recommendation is to establish a COP, titled “Digital Leadership Team”. This will provide academic support to aid the transition from face-to-face delivery to online. The structure of the COP requires a framework of academic leadership supported by the college infrastructure of Library Services, E-Learning and Information Technology departments. It is imperative a wide network of expertise work together to provide knowledge and technical support as students and staff navigated a new world of online learning and delivery. Strong support networks are likely to improve user experience and a willingness to implement new strategies.

Social Constructivist theorist, Vygotsky holds the view learning is a social practice and through actively engaging in peer learning and social activities a higher level of critical thinking is achieved with new perspectives and opinions that may not have been previously conceived (Pillay, 2019, p. 29). The act of social learning is achievable through the adoption of a COP to promote positive digital citizenship that now extends beyond a local network of colleagues to reach a global network to create world innovators and global digital citizens.

In summary, actively engaging in unit ETL523 I now have a higher level of understanding on the social and ethical issues surrounding digital citizenship. Through active participation in discussion forums, Twitter posts and Facebook this has now become my “new normal” as a form of communication and lifelong learning for continual growth as I navigate a changing world.

Bearden, S. (2016). Digital Citizenship: A Community-Based Approach. Corwin.

Linder, K. E. (2018). Managing your professional identity online : A guide for faculty, staff, and administrators. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Pillay, P. (2019). Teaching and learning theories in higher education and its impacts on Africa’s development: A personal reflection. Journal of Gender, Information and Development in Africa (JGIDA), 8, 27-27–43. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.csu.edu.au/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/2328296149?accountid=10344

Reynolds, M. (2017). A digital divide from faculty’s perspective: The millennial BSN student meets the baby boomer nursing faculty (Order No. 10635819). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/docview/1986249827?accountid=10344

Yarris, L, M,. Chan, T, M., Gottlieb, M, Juve, A, M,. (2019). Finding your people in a digital age. Virtual Communities of Practice to Promote Education Scholarship. Journal of medical education. Vol.11(1), pp.1-5. https://doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-18-01093.1

ETL523 Reflective blog – Assessment 2

leannecrawshaw on
Reflection

“Online collaborative group experience and resulting online module”

With the introduction of Web 2.0 platforms, collaborative learning is achieved through incorporating cloud-based and social media platforms to communicate, share information and work together as a team, however, it is not an easy method and does present challenges (Shonfeld & Gibson, 2019, p. 16). Research indicates Collaborative learning is linked to stress with high levels of anxiety, especially when the work is being assessed due to having to rely on “unknown others” (Hilliard, et al., 2019, p. 143).  My initial thoughts when commencing this assignment is, I hope I am with a team that is proactive and everyone contributes evenly to meet the deadline, otherwise, this is going to be an arduous task.

Successful group work is achieved when the members have good communication and strong interpersonal skills to problem solve, negotiate and build a sense of “Team Spirit” if this is not established goals may not be achieved (Cheng et al., 2020, p. 247). I was part of the Social Media & Networking Guide group to co-create a learning module on the responsible use of social media in Education and worked collaboratively with James Knight, Rebecca Lupton and Adele Boeti.

Our first discussion was an online Zoom video meeting were able to introduce, discuss location, occupations and during this session, we defined roles and responsibilities.  After the meeting, I was confident I was part of a proactive group with great interpersonal skills. Although strangers, we all had one thing in common, our world had changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of us was quickly adapting to a new way of living and the slogan “We are all in this together” resonated with our group to establish “Team Spirt”.

Collaborative learning requires clear communication, leadership and defined roles and responsibilities outlined (Chatterjee et al., 2020, p. 249) In our first Zoom meeting we established communication methods, agreeing to use Zoom once a fortnight to keep up to date and make changes to the website.  A Facebook group was created for ongoing communication to share ideas and we made decisions using interactive polls. We used Google Documents to work collaboratively and created our learning module on Wix a free web-based platform.

Below is a screenshot capturing our Facebook activity. We made decisions via polls and I uploaded a video demonstration to help the team navigate the website development.

Research indicates a sense of community and a positive attitude towards online learning has a direct impact on the experience and achievement with a willingness to using collaborative tools like Google Documents, blogs and discussion boards (Chatterjee et al., 2020, p.56). My experience with Online Collaboration was very positive with each member contributed efficiently. The Facebook group established a sense of belonging within our digital community and as a result, we designed a professional learning module.

My current teaching practice due to COVID-19 has transitioned from face-to-face to online learning, providing the perfect opportunity for collaborative learning. The graduating students this year will not participate in a “Graduation exhibition” as an alternative, we will create a virtual exhibition. The students will be required to participate in online group collaboration to drive the event and go live in November.  Positive Group dynamics are essential to working effectively in a team to achieve a shared goal. I now have the confidence to lead my students in a digital world after participating in this assignment. 

 

References

Chatterjee, R. Correia, A. (2020) Online Students’ Attitudes Toward Collaborative Learning and Sense of Community, American Journal of Distance Education, 34:1, 53 https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2020.1703479

Cheng, S. Hwang, G. Lai, C. (2020) Effects of the group leadership promotion approach on student’s higher-order thinking awareness and online interactive behavioural patterns in a blended learning environment, Interactive Learning Environments, 28:2, 246-263, https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1636075

Hilliard, J. Kear, K,. Donelan, H. Heansy, C. (2019) Student’s experiences of anxiety in an assessed, online, collaborative project. Computer & Education Volume 143, January 2020, 103675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2019.103675

Shonfeld, M., & Gibson, D. (2019). Collaborative Learning in a Global World. Information Age Publishing.