In this third of Weller’s book we were asked to target some claims or arguments that have current relevance and others that conflicts or contradicts our work. What particularly caught my imagination was the concept of a “double edged sword” on so many of the technologies/processes discussed. It’s a constant challenge to weigh the pros and cons and it seems impossible to have the perfect solution to fit all scenarios.
I personally flip-flop on my opinions and use of Twitter and Social Media. Weller’s mention of the almost monopoly style presence of some programs/platforms I think is a point of caution. “We no longer talk about whether you prefer Lycos or WebCrawler now, we just Google it” (Weller, 2020). While these essentially universal platforms such as Google, Twitter, Facebook, or Zoom are great for compatibility and interoperability I’d add a critical lens to other aspects of their success. Can there be lack of innovation when a program already has a most of the market share? Do their policies on privacy, appropriate content, banning users reflect or unknowingly shape our beliefs? Do we ignore other options that may bring benefits due to it not being the industry leader? I think we all agree the sense is familiarity and ease of use is great, but I wonder the longer-term impacts of their use.
I was also intrigued with the concept of a Personal Learning Environment. While I don’t think they are necessarily explicitly popular, they likely happen informally quite regularly. Your content may be centralized within an LMS, but more than likely there will be aspects that make you search resources, post on our blogs, make a tweet, watch a related youtube video, ask a colleague a related question. In this essence a Personal Learning Environment can regularly occur, just not in a strictly formalized process.
References:
Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press.
Hi Zac,
I agree with you about pros and cons for every technology and there is never a perfect solution that fits every need. This is one of the reasons I am in this program, to be in a position to offer solutions that work best for each project that comes my way. In my experience, it is really easy to get caught up in a certain technology or way of doing things that because it is easy and available serves as the go-to for everything.
I think you are right, we have a lot of questions to consider about how technologies and platforms begin to drive our decisions and narrow our thinking.
One you mention that I am intrigued with is Google, it has taken on a life of its own. Saying “Google it” has become commonplace and says it all. Do you have any thoughts on some of the ways Google in the long-term will be impactful?
Melissa
Thanks for your comment Melissa. In regards to Google, I think the long term impacts are essentially given to Google to decide if they are left unopposed. In a near monopolistic system they have the power to buy out competition, control the product (search results) and the prices associated. This isn’t necessarily saying they are evil and need to be broken up, but they are highly influential to our online-connected society. These large tech corporations are still relatively new and it will be interesting to see how the morph over a longer period.
Zac
Hi Zac,
I can relate to your flip-flop comment of the use of Twitter and social media. I feel the same way. When I started the MALAT program, I signed up to Twitter instantly and then got annoyed with all the notifications I was receiving that didn’t relate to me. I didn’t really see the value in it until my work team testified that Twitter was a great tool in recruitment, spreading the world for open positions. So, I stand corrected that Twitter does have its purpose if setup accordingly, and not vaguely and broadly like I did. I do however swear by Linkedin, especially since the beginning of the pandemic so I could connect with folks, read some incredible posts, which one of them led me to start a master. I love your question, especially the one related to unknowingly shape our beliefs. Have you had that experience? Did you read something that made a belief? Now that we are course 3 of MALAT, what has changed in your views of social media?
Stephanie
Thanks for sharing you’ve had similar experience. MALAT has shaped my view of social media to be far more strategic in use. I’m in different systems all day for work so I’ve been far more picky with my time in what tech I use and how I use it. Especially in summer, a lot of that meant specifically staying away from digital devices! Removing the scrolling/browsing time is always a battle.
Hi Zac,
Great questions. I think that there is comfort in doing what you know. I recall being teased by a co-worker for using Internet Explorer vs. Google Chrome a couple of years ago. It was only until it wasn’t working for me that i had to make a switch and become familiar with the unknown.
Like Stephanie, I can relate to the frustration with the Twitter notifications. Although on the flip side, i have seen some positive learning opportunities with the use of Twitter.
And like you i’m curious about the long-term impact of the use of Google. Do you believe that we as a society need to hold these tech giants accountable especially when it comes to the collection of data? For example, my brother in law loves that Google makes suggestions or recommendations based on his searches. Thoughts?
There is definitely a point where the notifications become a little overwhelming and they start going unread or another strategy needs to be used.
I think we’ve been in a period of the “wild west” of data these past decades and it should start improve over time. I find it quite upsetting when you hear of the large data breaches. Even if some of the information was already public, it’s more likely to be used in nefarious ways. Personalized recommendations are nice for those you want them, but I argue giving users better control and understanding to user data would be better. Currently we get these huge terms of services agreements that are never read and accepted with a check box instantly.