First of all, I had very little idea that such a distinction, at least from many researchers’ perspectives, existed between groups/teams, networks, sets and communities. I expected that what drives them would be similar. That they have rules, are purposeful and technologically driven. They can suffer from “groupthink” or teacher dependency. That there may be restrictions on time and pace (Dron & Anderson, 2014).
However, I discovered that this was far from the truth. They function within and without each other with “fuzzy” borders and dimensions. While there are some similarities, such as the need for a teacher, instructor or “leader” at least for groups and communities, there are also some defining distinctions. The anonymity aspect of some nets and most sets surprised me. My previous understanding was that once you have “surfed the web”, you have left an indelible mark somewhere on the Internet. However, depending on the set or network you associate with, the opportunity to be as anonymous is an idea I had not given much thought to.
After having completed the readings, I had a clearer understanding of the different types of digital environments (DEs), learning or not, that existed. I discovered that DEs are for looking things up, for instance on Wikipedia, sharing a vote on your favourite song or finding out what the latest trend in fashion is on Twitter (Dron & Anderson, 2014). Depending on the technology we use and the community, set or network we wish to be a part of, we can immerse ourselves completely online or just “dabble” (Dron & Anderson, 2014). Whether in a group, a set or a network, we share ideas, look for resources and share knowledge. We come together however we see fit. We are social creatures that have carried over what we’ve done analogously to the digital realm.
This has challenged my understanding of digital spaces. I no longer see them as finite, teacher-driven, ephemeral environments. My personal digital presence is quite ubiquitous. From Twitter to Facebook, from Wikipedia to YouTube, from grocery shopping and school purchases to learning and teaching on various LMSs, I am everywhere because I choose to be.
Credit. Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration/National Science Foundation
ASIDE: The first image of Sagittarius A*, caught by the Event Horizon Telescope, needed more than 300 scientists from 13 institutions to come together and took five years to create the image you see below (Overbye, 2022). To me, this is a great metaphor, for how digital environments work. We need technology, people, drive, interest, knowledge, and leaders, to come together but technology evolves, people change, needs change, and groups, nets and sets flow in and out, coming together and dissipating. This black hole has been around for billions of years. It can “quiver, bend, rip, expand, swirl and even disappear”(Overbye, 2022, p. A1) and one day, when it does disappear, it will have held all the knowledge of our galaxy, just like the Internet does now.
References
Dron, J, & Anderson, T. (2014). Teaching Crowds. Athabasca University Press. Chapter 4 – 7.
Overbye, D. (2022, May 12). The Milky Way’s Black Hole Comes to Light. The New York Times, A1.