Reflecting on module one of this paper ‘learning within the digital world I can see individually how easily we can leave people behind. The importance of digital equity and inclusion cannot be overstated in this bold new world of ours as we live in a rapidly changing era, in which digital realm intertwines with our daily lives. And with each new progress and next technological invention, there is always potential for people to be left behind.
With this module we have looked in depth of what digital literacy means along with the meaning of digital citizenship and who are the citizens (all of us) and broken down what post truth means and how it affects all of use as digital citizens.
As the world is becoming more and more immersed in technology for all things be it banking, online shopping, socialising and not to mention remote working and of course an array of learning is happening online, under the banner of technology. Though this dependency on technology all consumers have now become digital users which requires the skills set of digital literacy (Netsafe.2018) along with having the ability to differentiate between truthful information from credited sources (Sepp.2016).
Selwyn (2016) states that technology offers both opportunity and challenges which overall plays a complex role in how we teach, learn, and adapt to the evolution of our everyday practices and an educational environments. Netsafe (2018) states many schools and communities have embraced the opportunity that technology brings to learning by the creativity, connection as well as inclusive learning for learners and educators.
As I have reflected on my own introduction to the use of technology along with having a clearer understanding of what a digital citizen is. I have become more aware of how digital technology alters the ways we participate in society along with how we use technology to function in our everyday lives. This module has made me question the authenticity of information as conventionally we got news from trusted sources, journalist and media outlets that were required to follow strict codes of practices. However, the varied use of technology in the sense of artificial intelligence has enabled a whole new way of writing, publishing, sharing and consuming information and news with little regulation standards. Furthermore Sepp (2016) discusses the role of how education changes in a post-truth world of where misinformation and manipulation of facts can be highlighted and present challenges to education. At the heart of all, digital literacy is the understanding and evaluation of the content that we encounter. With our own filter of critical thinking individuals can discern fact from fiction and valuable data by asking questions and remaining sceptical. However, this skill is a learnt skill that needs to be explored, discussed, and built upon in the classroom over time (Sepp. 2016). With the development and application of individuals own critical thinking skills this increase the use of responsible behaviour in the way that individuals connect and collaborate with others.
References:
Netsafe. (2018). From literacy to fluency to citizenship: Digital citizenship in education. New Zealand. Retrieved from https://netsafe.org.nz/the-kit/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/From-literacy-to-fluency-to-citizenship_July-2018.pdf
Selwyn, N. (2016). Is technology good for education? [electronic resource]. Cambridge, UK Polity Press.
Sepp, S. (2016). The role of education in a post-truth world. Retrieved from https://medium.com/ed-tech-tattler/the-role-of-education-in-a-post-truth-world-1005112a821c
Nikki Burnell 
Leave a comment