Category: LRNT 521

(Figure 1)

For the latest entry on our blogs, we were asked to work in small groups and discuss how digital learning has impacted fake news and misinformation (our chosen topic). According to Farmer (2019), the term fake news refers to “misleading news”, which has been created to misinform for several reasons, including to “gain power or influence” (p. 223). While misinformation and fake news are not new phenomena, the way people receive it, their frequency, and the networks they share it have increased (Auberry, 2018).  

The impact of digital learning on misinformation and fake news comes from it being primarily shared on social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook (Auberry, 2018). Social networking platforms like Twitter are networks which exist in digital learning environments (DLEs) (Veletsianos, 2016); thus, the dissemination of misinformation and fake news can be through DLE networks. We have categorized the impact of DLEs on misinformation and fake news into three talking points access, skills and content (Figure 1) because of how they affect both students and educators. The aim of this task for each person in our triad (Marion, Nicole and I) is to discuss the positive and negative impacts of access, skills and content. I will be discussing access.

Access to fake news and misinformation has increased, and the quickest way this information is transferred is through social media (Parthenis, n.d.). As we noted above, social media sites like Twitter are networks which live in DLEs (Veletsianos, 2016); thus, in this respect, the DLEs impact the spread of misinformation and fake news and facilitate access to these materials, and the sheer volume of content people receive. It is noted that the spread of misinformation and fake news is more robust on informal and anonymous accounts compared to official institutional accounts (Kouzy et al., 2020, cited in Hartley & Vu, 2020). This means that the spread of misinformation and fake news on a university social media account is less than on a private account; however, students and educators have quick access to other accounts to read and share. The spread and access of misinformation and fake news can negatively impact people and society when readers believe and share false claims through social media. The information consumption can affect voting decisions (Sydell, 2016 as cited in Auberry, 2018) and help fuel civil unrest such as the Capital Riots in Washington DC in January 2021 or the Freedom Convoy of 2022 in Canada.

The platforms also facilitate access to unverified content by grabbing headlines that help spread untruths (Auberry, 2018). It becomes difficult in a DLE where we encourage students to use media tools to decipher what is truthful when the content they receive is filtered through an algorithm based on their search behaviour (Farmer, 2019). This reminds me of a heated argument in my ethics class this past winter over fake news circulating about the Ukrainian war. A large portion of the international students was pro-Russia, gathering their news and sourcing through Chinese news sources, and others were pro-Ukraine, getting their sourcing through western media. There was misinformation and fake news on both sides based on their algorithm. Still, it did bring about a large conversation about validity and reliability while forcing me to include media literacy more explicitly in the lessons.

I would not say there is a solid pro-argument for the access to misinformation and fake news because of its divisiveness and the negative impacts we have seen across the globe. The list is endless if we begin to cite examples; however, as educators, I think the one positive effect is that the increased access, presence and spread of misinformation and fake news has forced educators to think about and integrate media literacy as part of the curriculum in a manner that was not introduced when I was in school (or likely most of you). The skills that help build media literacy, such as “active inquiry and critically thinking about media” (Farmer, 2019, p. 225), were not encouraged when I was in school, and I wish they had been.

References

Auberry, K. (2018). Increasing students’ ability to identify fake news through information literacy education and content management systems. The Reference Librarian, 59(4), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763877.2018.1489935

Farmer, L. (2019). News literacy and fake news curriculum: School librarian perceptions of pedagogical practices. Open Information Science, 3(1), 222–234. https://doi.org/10.1515/opis-2019-0016

Hartley, K., & Vu, M. (2020). Fighting fake news in the Covid-19 era: Policy insights from an equilibrium model. Policy Sciences, 53(4), 735–758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11077-020-09405-z

Parthenis, D. (n.d.). Chapter 9: To what extent does fake news influence our ability to communicate in learning organizations. In Ethical use of digital learning environments: Graduate student perspectives. University of Alberta; Creative Commons. https://openeducationalberta.ca/educationaltechnologyethics/chapter/to-what-extent-does-fake-news-influence-our-ability-to-communicate-in-learning-organizations/

Veletsianos, G. (2016). Digital learning environments. In Handbook of learning technologies (N. Rushby & D. Surry ed., pp. 242–260). UK: John Wiley & Sons.

When I look at the digital map I created for an earlier activity in our course, I am satisfied with my digital identity and digital presence (DIDP) because I reside in the realms I want to live and with whom I want to interact. The questions posed in Schryver (2013) surrounding how we present ourselves online, how it makes us feel and if we would be Googled positively were something I addressed 6-years ago. I made a conscious choice only to have “professional Gill” in the online sphere and limit the public spaces I reside in to better my mental health.

The task of cultivating a DIDP assumes that we want to do so. Cultivate infers development or growth. Thus, how can I cultivate a DIDP throughout this program when I am satisfied with what I have already taken the time to create< consciously? What can I explore within the realms I already reside in to achieve the learning outcomes? 

My purpose for being in this program is to explore and improve how I design and facilitate digital learning environments that build digital competencies in a barrier-free environment. “If we become the creators of tools and environments rather than developing simple learning content, we must learn to do it right” (Dron & Anderson, 2014, p. 33). I am one of those instructors Jenkins (2013) notes who want to learn and invest in creating participatory cultures in my classroom. I think my goal is to amplify the digital literacies of “educational student Gill” and expand my digital capacities through engaging with my cohort with a community of practice mindset and tapping into our “shared repertoire” (Dron & Anderson, 2014, p. 56) because there is considerable value being a part of this cohort. I need to lean into this process and the opportunity because building my digital literacies and increasing my digital capacity will, in turn, pass on to my students.  

I want to learn more about CSS and learning tools others use in their practice. I would also like to learn more about editing and creating more polished recorded portions of my courses. To achieve this goal, I will actively participate, ask relevant questions and contribute to the shared safe spaces of our program, such as this blog, our Slack group and the LinkedIn group, as well as my own profile. I will set a goal for LinkedIn of adding two relevant posts to our group per month and my faculty group for a total of four because the subject matter is different.

I am also keen to explore reducing my digital presence in terms of how many APPs I use in the classroom for a more streamlined approach. However, while aiming to use less, I can see how I will likely use more with the acquired knowledge from my cohort, which will increase my digital presence by default based on some of the skills I would like to acquire. This can be started immediately and continued through the program.

Another way I have considered increasing my digital identity professionally is by designing and publishing open learning activities that can be adapted for online or face-to-face models.   This is in the far future but would be a long-term goal beyond the program. 

What are your thoughts on my plan? Do you see any gaps or have suggestions to help me cultivate my DIDP while staying off social media? 

References

I was surprised by how many items I had on the map because of my deliberate goal of having very little digital presence (or so I thought). However, what became clear as I mapped out my actual digital presence, was the difference between having a strong presence versus visibility. 

What is pictured above, I think is an accurate representation of my digital footprint.  I feel like news, online shopping, and daily internet use falls under “searching” in my case.  I rarely use YouTube and if I do it’s under a search generally for work and I don’t follow blogs (other than MALAT as of two-weeks ago). 

This was an interesting task to undertake that had several iterations over a period of a few days before deciding that I was ready to post and receive feedback.  Then, I considered how I would explain parts of it and needed to make changes (four more times).  It was where items overlapped and the connection between them that I had to keep reconsidering. 

Moodle is where I spent a lot of my time for work and now school, there are offshoots of that.  But varying APPs I use for work, live in Moodle for my students, which is why there is so much overlap. Netflix, Hulu and Spotify end up crossing the line into residents due to shared accounts with family members and the occasional family playlist.   WhatsApp I use more for personal contacts but a few students use that to get a hold of me.  Conversely, WeChat is primarily for students.  Neither APP do I use beyond the messaging functions.  

I invite feedback and questions.  Let me know if you see anything that should be changed.

After reviewing my notes and unpacking all that I listened to this week, I was not entirely clear on what the key talking points would be for this entry because there were so many, but I kept coming back to a concept surrounding meeting students where they are (Einarson, 2022).  This was the last presentation I watched, and I was surprised by how that one line sat with me because each presentation had valuable takeaways.  What was it about this one? 

My initial interpretation of the concept relates to the presentation where Dr Sophia Palahicky discusses understanding the needs of the learners (Royal Roads University [RRU], 2021). This was presented in adapting to student needs and approaches to change.  Furthermore, considering the personal challenges, students may have and being mindful of access and ensuring that all students have access through alternative means when necessary (RRU, 2021). A focus on flexibility and access appeared to be a theme in several presentations I watched. However, as I delved deeper into the notion of meeting the students where they are (Einarson, 2022), I uncovered that it not only speaks to a learner-centered approach but to reconstructing the systems, models and practices we use in education (Rudenstine et al., 2017).

I realised that this theme was running through most of the lectures I watched, regardless of the topic.  I heard themes surrounding assessment, reflection and improvement of the frameworks or tools we use and how we teach.  While designing the RRU Learning, Teaching and Research Model (LRTM), it was mentioned to examine what is being done, what should be done and how learning outcomes can be achieved without being prescriptive (Hamilton & Childs, 2022). These both speak to the reconstruction of systems and focusing on the learner while reflecting on what might be done differently to improve students’ success and capacity.  They also speak to the Universal Design for Learning model (UDL) that requires flexibility in curriculum design from the start of the process (Hamilton & Jiang, 2022).

The notion of designing for varying circumstances and times (Veletsianos & Childs, 2021) was a particular moment that stood out to me because it is what I have had to design in my courses from the moment I started as an educator. Teaching in multi-lingual programs in China with a translator as my first teaching experience taught me to assess and pivot on the spot and re-examine modes of assessment and delivery term over a term.  Appreciative inquiry is a term I have heard before but never considered as something I practice.  However, the notion of working within our systems and focusing on strengths (Gedak & Waddington, 2022) is something that I do regularly, even partway through a course when needed.

Listening to Earl discuss his pathways before his MLAT experience and realising that, similar to him, much of the theory and frameworks I learned about in the symposium are things I practice without always having a term to attach to them (Einarson, 2022).  His affirmation of the MALAT positively scaffolding his prior knowledge and practice to his current scenario (Einarson, 2022) confirms to me that I am on the right path by enrolling in the program because my passion is driven by creating a learning environment that is flexible and learner-centered.  I am inspired as well as grateful for the experience this past week. Thank you.

References 

Einarson, E. (2022, April 11–15). Designing from a place of Indigenous knowledge systems [Conference session]. MALAT 2022 Virtual Symposium, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Gedak, L., & Waddington, L. (2022, April 11–15). SOARing into educational change with appreciative inquiry. [Conference session]. MALAT Virtual Symposium 2022, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Hamilton, D., & Childs, E. (2022, April 11–15). Teaching and learning frameworks in Higher Education – what they are; why they are useful and an example of one in practice (the RRU LTRM [Conference session]. MALAT 2022 Virtual Symposium, Victoria, BC, Canada

Hamilton, D., & Jiang, M. (2022, April 11–15). Designing a blended dual language graduate program – design considerations, successes and lessons learned [Conference session]. MALAT Virtual Symposium 2022, Victoria, BC, Canada

Royal Roads University. (2021, October 6). Top trends emerging in learning and technology [Webinar]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Hv4v9f_g7Ws

Rudenstine, A., Schaef, S., & Bacallao, D. (2017). Meeting students where they are (iNACOL- National summit on K-12 competency- based education). Aurora Institute. http://www.aurora-institute.org/wp-content/uploads/CompetencyWorks-MeetingStudentsWhereTheyAre2.pdf

Veletsianos, G., & Childs, E. (2021, April 12–16). “PowerPoint Improv” [Conference Session]. MLAT Virtual Symposium 2021, Victoria, BC, Canada

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