inBloom was a non-profit organization which aimed to provide technology and data solutions to improve education in the United States. It was created in 2011 with the goal of creating a secure, standardized platform for student data to create more personalized and data-informed education. It was planned as a $100 million USD project for data sharing that was going to create an open source platform for learning apps and curricula. Much of the funding was backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Value proposition
One of the intentions of inBloom was to create more tools for teachers, create shared standards for data collection, and increase access to instructional resources. In 2011, the Director of College-Ready Education Programs wrote a blog post describing InBloom as “a huge app store just for teachers – with the Netflix and Facebook capabilities we love the most” (Bulger, 2017). The proposed benefit of harnessing millions of data points from US students across school districts and states was to break down siloes and create more tailored experiences to bolster student achievement.
Reliance on technology
In order to develop, scale, and roll-out a project of this magnitude, inBloom required a consortium of software developers, technical experts, data experts, database developers, etc to create a massive data store to aggregate, clean, and present data so teachers could access it. It was an enormous endeavour to undertake financially, technologically, and logistically. It also suffered some differing views around risk tolerance given the information that it would collect would contain identifiable information about students such as names, addresses, ethnicity, test scores, special education status, and any disciplinary actions.
Risk
inBloom failed to prove to stakeholders including parents, teachers, and privacy advocates a compelling value proposition that outweighed risks inherent in the project. Critics posed concerns about the misuse and sharing of data, in particular to third-parties. It lost support from school districts and U.S. states who were uneasy about the growing opposition and lack of clarity about how the data would be safeguarded. The loss of this support also meant a drop in financial contributions, which made the project more difficult to realize. In 2014, InBloom shut down and deleted all the student data it had collected.
Reflection
In the years following its demise much has been said about the reasons why inBloom failed. It serves as a cautionary tale that any learning innovation must place pedagogy before technology. Though something is possible, is it relevant? Does it place students’ best interests first? Who is designing and conceiving the project? What biases are those parties coming to the table with? InBloom suffered from an inability to build transparency and trust and alienated key stakeholders along the way. It continues to serve as an example of how funding and enthusiasm for an innovation are only part of the required elements to achieve a meaningful, intentional, and ethical learning design.
Today, if you typed the words “artificial intelligence in health care program” into a search engine, you will get a plethora of search results describing programs from schools like Stanford, MIT, University of Toronto, and many more. The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care education and practice even has its own place in the aptly named Healthcare Rounds, a series of webinars hosted by McMaster University’s School of Biomedical Engineering and Entrepreneurship. Interest in understanding and applying artificial intelligence in health care spaces seems to be having its moment in the sun.
Opportunities and pitfalls
Perhaps, but a literature search will also help us understand that technology mediated education in health care occupations is nothing new. Nursing education has used simulation for training since the 1990s. Since then, other technologies have become part of the way nursing education is delivered, including virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 video, and screen-based simulation (Aebersold, 2023). For those who are responsible for creating educational resources for nursing education, what opportunities and pitfalls does AI present?
One of the perceived benefits that we hear about when discussing machine learning is how to improve efficiency and productivity to free up human beings to perform tasks that machines cannot do as easily, or well. For example, an instructional designer can use AI to inform curriculum development and identify topics that should be integrated into course content. AI can also be used to help personalize or tailor assessments based on student performance. From a clinical perspective, AI can also support a nurse’s decision-making by analyzing data points to come up with the best course of action for a patient at a given time.
Learning outcomes and bias
As with most developments in learning and technology, there is need to review new practices with a critical lens. First, no matter how education is delivered, instructors need to be intentional about the desired learning outcomes intended. For example, if virtual reality isn’t the best tool to teach a certain skill, it shouldn’t be the only option for a student nurse to use to practice. With the use of AI, the presence of bias can profoundly alter the results of an analysis or recommendation. For example, in healthcare, if a certain ethnic population is overrepresented (or underrepresented) in the literature being analyzed, it is imperative to be aware of the biases being presented that could lead to poor health outcomes and experiences for marginalized groups (Aebersold, 2023).
Going forward, AI and other technology mediated instruction appear to be a growing part of training and development in health occupations. What isn’t as clear is how instructional designers will balance the benefits of using these tools, while still being learner-focused, and critically aware of the weaknesses in these tools.
References:
Aebersold, M., Gonzalez, L., (May 31, 2023) “Advances in Technology Mediated Nursing Education” OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing Vol. 28, No. 2, Manuscript 6.
The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. That was only a little over 3.5 years ago. Yet when one considers all of the technological, social, and personal upheaval that has occurred since the pandemic was declared, it is quite significant to see how this unprecedented disruption has changed how people work, learn, meet, access services, and conduct business, just to name a few examples. For this assignment, we are invited to think about an aspect of teaching, learning, and education in 2030. Drawing from relevant literature in the field, and my own experience working in the health care and post-secondary sectors, I will examine some potential futures of learning and teaching in these spaces.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, public health measures brought about marked changes in the way that people were able to access health care services. I work for a regional health authority in British Columbia, and I observed how care providers had to adapt to these measures and find ways to connect with and care for clients and patients. Specifically, I heard from health workers who typically provide care in community settings, (as opposed to acute or critical care settings like inside emergency departments) struggle with finding ways to connect in light of restrictions and physical distancing. As a public sector organization that has high thresholds for information security and protection of privacy, our health authority had few accepted methods of communicating with patients and clients outside of face-to-face in 2020. Health care is a sector where fax machines and letter mail are still routine means of communication with clients and patients. In my role as leader of digital engagement, I received various requests for advice from health workers asking me how they might use digital technologies like social media platforms to connect with clients they could no longer see face to face, in particular those who are hard to reach, and more vulnerable to prolonged periods of isolation. Many health workers I talked to did not have employer-provided smart phones, and were struggling to find new ways to connect that worked for both them and their clients and patients. During this time, social distancing compounded patients’ ability to manage their health, and it brought to light how critical it is for health workers to have access to responsive and resilient infrastructure, tools, skills training, and knowledge to respond nimbly in the face of another public health crisis.
The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030 there will be a global shortage of about 18 million health care workers
World Health Organization, 2016.
The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030 there will be a global shortage of about 18 million health care workers (World Health Organization, 2016). Canada is not immune to this labour deficit, and the dire need for workers is putting a strain on the healthcare system (Mahler, Paperny, 2023). Even before the COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on the need for every sector to be prepared with ways to continue service delivery, the literature in education and technology has been warning about a future where digital literacy and competencies will be required skills across sectors and in various jobs. In a study analyzing 361 occupation types as categorized by the UK government, researchers concluded that over 90 per cent of the occupations in the UK workforce require at least basic digital literacies (UK Digital Skills Taskforce, 2014). In 2030, health human resource planners must accept that employers need to play a role in facilitating and /or providing opportunities for teaching digital skills and competencies. Whether this is through ongoing continuing professional development, mandatory new employee training, or a requirement of professional licensure, health workers are one of the most critical essential service workers who need these skills. Researchers have already come up with frameworks that define examples of digital competencies, and map out how individuals and employers alike can build capacity and accountability for becoming more digitally competent (Beetham, 2015). The unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the global health human resource crisis should serve as a clear warning that health care systems must make significant investments in training, infrastructure, and digital competency.
As a part-time instructor in higher education I’m also reflecting on potential futures in this space. I was most interested to come across a panel discussion during the 2023 MALAT Virtual Symposium, on AI and Learning Design in Education. All of the panelists shared the view that banning AI content generators from schools is not a practical or sustainable solution despite valid concerns that persist regarding plagiarism and copyright infringement (Royal Roads University, 2023). Some school districts in the United States have already made the move to ban the use of AI content generators, citing concerns with cheating (Roose, 2023). However, as Clint Lalonde put it, banning AI generator tools from classrooms is “like going to carpentry school and banning the use of a saw, but when you get into the workplace you’re going to be using saws so you need to know how to use these” (Royal Roads University, 2023). Indeed, educators have valid concerns about inappropriate uses of AI generators in school, because of the paradigm shift that the technology brings in conventional student assessment practices. Regarding these concerns, researcher David Mhlanga (2023) notes:
It is feasible that this will result in regulations that ban its utilization; nevertheless, it is also conceivable that ChatGPT technology will become ubiquitous before institutions have the time to alter their policies. An approach that focuses on correcting the issues that have been caused by ChatGPT while also taking into account the potential benefits and drawbacks of the platform would be more effective.
Mhlanga, D. (2023).
At the same time higher education is grappling with the spread of AI content generators, the sector is still struggling with the controversies brought forward by online exam proctoring technology, made more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic where public health measures required people to limit gathering face to face, especially in large groups. One study of such online exam proctoring technology cautions us that “there are a number of critical issues underpinning the adoption of this exam surveillance technology – not least the surrender of control to commercial providers, the hidden labour required to sustain ‘automated’ systems and the increased vulnerabilities of ‘remote’ studying” (Selwyn et al, 2023). As more classes are offered in alternative formats (e.g. hybrid, fully online), the higher education faculty and administrators of 2030 will have to succeed at finding new ways to assess and evaluate student achievement and attainment of learning outcomes. For example, the conventional assessment tool of a research paper, completed individually at home, may need to be replaced (or supplemented) with an oral exam, a problem-based applied project, or a small group project that must incorporate principles and literature taught in the course, to minimize opportunities to rely on AI generators.
Due to lost learning and other challenges all students have faced, faculty will need a wide range of competencies and students will need as much flexibility as their institutions can provide.
Educase, 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a catalyst for events that continue to influence the delivery of essential services such as health care and education. In 2030, health systems must be more prepared, nimble, and innovative in how they support health workers with skills and tools to maintain safe, yet patient-centred relationships. In higher education, students and faculty alike have experienced challenge, loss, and fundamental changes teaching and learning. “Due to lost learning and other challenges all students have faced, faculty will need a wide range of competencies and students will need as much flexibility as their institutions can provide” (Educase, 2021). Budget pressures and technological change will be consistent factors that influence how higher education operates. For those working in this sector, they will need to play ‘catch up’ as institutions’ policies inevitably lag behind societal practice. The higher education institutions of 2030 must build capacity in digital competency, readiness, and flexibility to weather whatever global storm may come.
Mhlanga, D. (2023). Open AI in education, the responsible and ethical use of ChatGPT towards lifelong learning. SSRN Electronic Journal https://doi.org/10.2139/SSRN.4354422
Selwyn, N., O’Neill, C., Smith, G., Andrejevic, M., & Gu, X. (2023). A necessary evil? The rise of online exam proctoring in Australian universities. Media International Australia, 186(1), 149-164.
UK Digital Skills Taskforce. (2014, July). Digital Skills for Tomorrow’s World.
We’ve been asked to write about a contributor to the field whose work is at the intersection of learning and technology and consider looking at the writing and scholarship of those who may not occupy an ‘obvious’ or dominant space in the literature.
One of the concepts that Bali writes and speaks of, is “intentionally equitable hospitality” in learning design (Bali and Zamora, 2022). This is a notion that teachers, or workshop facilitators, are hosts of a learning space, and to practice intentionally equitable hospitality means to be cognizant of who that space is hospitable for, and who it is not.
A related idea, which is Bali expands on in this keynote presentation about an equitable, community-oriented approach to AI in education, is that of the “equity care matrix”. The origins of this concept was a question which Bali posed at a talk she presented at the OpenEd20 conference, which was: “What is equity without care, and what is care without equity?” (Bali and Zamora, 2022). Here, with a lens on educational technology, she demonstrates with examples how there cannot be one without the other.
References:
Bali, M., & Zamora, M. (2022). Intentionally Equitable Hospitality as critical instructional design. Designing for Care.
Bali, M. Towards an Equitable Community-Oriented Approach to AI in Education, YouTube, July 14, 2023.
Bali, M., & Zamora, M. (2022). The equity-care matrix: Theory and practice. Italian journal of educational technology, 30(1), 92-115.
Confession time: reading this third of Weller’s book made me nostalgic. I started getting into publishing and sharing content online during a time when most spaces I engaged with were filled with people using social media and blogging for good. So my reflections in this post draw on some of those experiences.
From ivory tower to online community
One lesson from 2002 to 2011 that has immediate relevance is how blogs and social media enabled greater access to information and learning opportunities. In Chapter 10, there is a fulsome discussion of how the advent of blogs gave academics and other public intellectuals the ability to share their work outside the traditional confines of the ivory tower and perhaps a pathway out of the dreaded “publish or perish” option for those in academia. I have benefitted from the ideas and teachings from those who have chosen to maintain an active presence on social media and give freely of their knowledge online – perhaps because they see it as a privilege and a duty to contribute to civil society. Current toxicity online notwithstanding (cue sad music here), I think this kind of knowledge and information sharing by reputable, credible experts is needed more than ever.
Hmmmm….are we really ready for this?
One of my other professional hats is contract instructor in higher education where I work for a teaching-focussed, public polytechnic university in the lower mainland of British Columbia. As I read Chapter 16 about Personalized Learning Environments, I thought of the well-intentioned goals of seeking to provide learners with experiences tailored to their individual needs. However, anyone who has experience with public, accredited post-secondary schools will tell you that getting a course from conception to open for registration is not an easy feat. Between acquiring Senate approval for the course, identifying learning outcomes, and aligning the course with appropriate skills and knowledge, it is a lot. Throw in varying levels of language proficiency, pre-requisite skills, and learning styles, and you have a very challenging threshold for scaling Personalized Learning Environments in this kind of environment.
References: Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press
As I was reading the first eight chapters of Weller’s book25 Years of Ed Tech, there were a couple of concepts that really resonated with me, both as a student who has taken courses via e-learning, and an instructor who has delivered courses using methods made possible by the innovations mentioned in these chapters. Specifically, the ideas of: e-learning having a “less-than” status in comparison to face to face instruction; and the challenges with developing consistent and practical standards to govern the quality and usability of digital resources. These ideas stood out to me, as I have encountered all of them in my own work and academic experiences.
In Chapter 6, we read about the “angst about the implications of e-learning for higher education at the end of the 1990s” (Weller, 2020). In this chapter, we see some of the history of the long-held belief that face-to-face instruction is the legitimate gold-standard of teaching and learning. Even today, we see some of the legacy of that thinking played out in our biases. As a post-secondary instructor, I have heard students and faculty raise concerns that a program or course that is offered online is somehow less rigorous, engaging, or worthwhile.
In Chapter 8, I found the ideas about standards very interesting. As someone who is at this time in the midst of creating an online course for employer, I have a keen interest in SCORM compliance as this is one of the standards of our organization’s Learning Management System. In reading about the history of attempts to create standards using meta data and other requirements, I could fully appreciate the balance between rigour and pragmatism. If standards are too onerous, they won’t be used. If standards don’t exist at all, the quality of resources will ultimately suffer and not address user needs.
This week were asked to provide a reflection on responses to questions we asked Dr. George Veletsianos on the topic of research.
One of the topics that Dr. Veletsianos commented on was how to participate productively and constructively in conversations about generative AI tools like Chat GPT. On this topic, he recommended that we stay away from framing this topic with a binary lens, and rather look at how AI tools are being used on the ground, in classrooms, instead of focussing too much on what they might be capable of. Predictions have always been made about how the latest technology of the time is going to influence society; sometimes predictions are wrong, and are simply best guesses.
Another topic that Dr. Veletsianos commented on was open education and open learning. While acknowledging the opportunities that open learning can bring, and the benefits therein, he emphasized how he has come to appreciate the inequities that exist when it comes to accessing open learning. I found this comment resonated with me, as I thought of the move to “Zoom School” which many parents found themselves supporting their kids with during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think about articles I have read that mention this assumption that we can have about access to things like laptops, stable Wifi, private and safe places to learn, etc. In many cases, there is a privilege here that makes it a fallacy to say that online learning is accessible to “all.”.
Research questions serve a key role in the operationalizing of the research process, and are a reminder of the purpose of the research activity that is being conducted. In this way, research questions are both practical, and serve as a “north star” of the broader purpose of the research activity.
Ideally, research questions should “flow logically and not take the research into different directions” (McCaig & Dahlberg, 2010).
The Writing Centre at Royal Roads University advises that a research question should “be clear and specific; state the focus of the investigation in the research; and not be answerable with a yes/no response” (Royal Roads University, n.d.).
References:
McCaig, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2010). Practical research and evaluation: A start-to-finish guide for practitioners. Practical Research and Evaluation, 1-272.
Royal Roads University, n.d., Developing your essay. https://libguides.royalroads.ca/developing_essay
Update June 4, 2023: The reflections in this blog post where a collaborative effort by Radhika, Chris, and me. I apologize I didn’t state this when this piece was originally posted. TT
The Pros & Cons of Digital vs. Paper Note Taking & Reading
The tools we use can have a significant impact on our success. In the era of technology, academia now heavily involves the use of electronics to teach and share information. As we learned in the course debate, Digital Learning Environments are varied, and can differ from one another.
With academia’s taking advantage of digital options and allowing students to be able to access resources more freely, there is concern that digital learning will have the consequence of newer generations losing skills to read and write without technical assistance and support.
An example of newer generational loss in seen in some countries is the ability to write cursive. Students are now being taught how to type on the keyboards. In this post we’ll examine the positive and negative nature of traditional paper and digital use for note taking and reading as it applies to educational environments.
Digital Note Taking
Digital note taking is the practice of taking notes with digital tools which can include a variety of technologies such as audio, video, photography, text, data visualization, and illustration with the assistance of electronic devices.
Benefits of Digital Note Taking
Collaboration
A key benefit of digital note taking is the ability to share information quickly between students and adapt the information immediately for those with and without learning disabilities. “Use of digital note-taking tools may allow students with learning disabilities to better use working memory, visuals, and auditory learning capacities to complement information processing during lectures and review.” (Belson et al, 2013 p.13)
Security
The ability to store digital notes electronically and collaborate with others also leads to the ability to assemble documents online and have a backup of those materials to fall back on. This can take the form of multiple copies but also multiple different versions which enables learners to branch off into alternate avenues with the knowledge they can return to earlier work.
Efficiency
Data entry with digital note taking is often faster and allows for easier input compared to traditional pen and paper approaches. While it’s impossible to predict individual learners, “the average American can type 40 words per minute but can only handwrite 13 words per minute.” (Robare, 2021).
Other Benefits of Digital: Reading & Writing
Able to customize device settings – Font, size, color, and brightness (light or dark screens)
Clear and organized writing – easy to read through
Automatic corrections of spelling, grammar, & syntax
Swiftness of predicted text completion
Linking of other documents, websites, graphics, diagrams, and tables or videos
Ease of duplication of text, images, and documents
Timesaving in editing & alleviate stress of locating words or phrases
Able to hold a large amount of data and information in one space
Easier to move, organize and sort notes
Eco-friendly
Disadvantages of Digital Note Taking
Accessibility in Learning
With digital note taking, the limits of screen size add an extra dimension of complexity for students with visual impairment or learning impairments. The simple act of redistributing notes in a meaningful way for people on the autistic spectrum, or similar non-traditional processes can become cumbersome and challenging within a locked visual environment. As the authors discuss in the article Developing a Holistic Approach for E-Learning Accessibility, “there is a need for a more sophisticated model for addressing e-learning accessibility which takes into account the usability of e-learning, pedagogic issues and student learning styles in addition to technical and resource issues.” (Phipps and Swift, 2004)
Understanding of Digital Technology
With the rapid change of digital technology, there is a need to offer training support for less technologically focussed individuals including older adults.
“Rogers and colleagues found that older adults were less likely to use automatic teller machines (ATMs) than younger adults. However, the majority of the older people in their sample indicated they would be willing to use ATMs if trained to do so.” (1996)
Digital Equity
Requiring and mandating students to use digital devices for course work can present issues with access and equity. From social class to a simple lack of access due to geography or reliability, dependency on technology by its nature can lead to inequity in a digital space.
“No matter how powerful in educational terms a particular medium or technology may be, if students cannot access it in a convenient and affordable manner they cannot learn from it” (Bates, 2019).
“[Shirley] Malcom points out that lowered cost and greater physical access to computers will not by themselves be sufficient to improve the lot of disadvantaged students.” (Nickerson, R. S., & Zodhiates, P. P, 2013)
Other Disadvantages of Digital: Reading & Writing
System and software can differ per user changing the look of notes and text
Not always straightforward to use
In a collaborative space not easy to distinguish who wrote, changed, or edited documents
Unless publicly shared there can be access and permission issues
Eye strain and fatigue
Distracting – Ads, banners, pop-ups, graphics, and design flaws in certain websites
Plagiarism and copyright issues
Can be expensive, fragile and has a limited life span
Concern about access to internet, electricity, and battery life
Impersonal & formal
Locked to the display screen of the electronic devices
Not easy to spread multiple documents, pages, text, and seamless move through them
Written Notes
Written note taking is an important skill for everyone to master, it can include written text as well as illustrations and drawings by hand.
Advantages of Written Notes
The Encoding Hypothesis
“The encoding hypothesis suggests that the processing that occurs during the act of note taking improves learning and retention.” (Mueller and Oppenheimer, 2014, p.1159) essentially theorizing that the acts of listening, processing, and summarizing during the moment of learning adds benefit in the retention of knowledge.
Learning Style Freedom
Unlike the nature of digital note taking, written notes allow for learners of different styles to quickly access shortcuts they’ve developed over a lifetime. Shortcuts such as indents, symbols, choices of inks or formatting codes that are known only to themselves. These shortcuts allow individual learners to manage information both within a single note and on a larger scale by organizing notes into formats that can’t easily be replicated within a digital environment.
For example, the placement of coloured sticky notes or highlights on text to amplify meaning or organizing large collections of notes in a graphical manner with circles of knowledge spread across a tabletop.
Simplicity
Whatever benefits students can gain from building digital skills does not translate equitably across all students due to reasons of economic, cultural, and social status. One distinct advantage of written notes is its simplicity which is often overlooked in our desire to over emphasize the power of digital skills.
“One challenge is that approaches to digital skills overemphasize the role of basic operational skills (e.g., how to install apps or use Internet browsers) despite indications that it is a combination of skills, including the social and creative (e.g., sense of self-efficacy in using social networks, capacity to create digital content) that generate positive tangible outcomes (Helsper et al., 2015).”
Flexibility for Learners
Learners should be encouraged to build literacy and critical thinking about the different information and communication technologies available. Then they can decide to choose/use/adapt the tools that support the way they learn best.
“I decide whether to adopt new devices and software/apps/services based on their value to me.” Beetham, H. (2015, Nov 10)
Other Advantages of Paper: Reading & Writing
Handwriting is more expressive of a person’s emotions, personality and is unique to the individual
Inexpensive & disposable
Tangible and portable
Easier to mark up, highlight, draw & doodle
Greater freedom to write anytime and anywhere
Larger real estate to spread papers and see the big picture
Able to switch between different writing tools – pencil, pen, marker, etc.…
Less tiring to read large amounts of text
Simpler to write formulas & math equations
Easier to work through thought process more critically
Freedom of movement and location
Better comprehension on spelling, grammar, and flow process
Awareness of each individual’s work in collaborative spaces
Disadvantages of Written Notes
Time Consuming
The primary disadvantage of written notes can be time-consuming to create, as well as laborious to search through at a later date. Additionally, the sharing of written notes is dependent on the transfer of physical content, requiring duplication and transportation, or one party to read the content to another which can introduce a variety of errors in tone, urgency, or understanding.
Document Security
Without proper care and maintenance, handwritten notes can easily be smudged, torn, damaged or become illegible through the simple passage of time. The neglect of these aspects can lead to the permanent degradation of the notes, leaving their contents inaccessible to future reference.
Accessibility to Other Readers
Handwritten notes, especially those transcribed in the hurry, can lack the formatting and structure needed to easily convey ideas to other readers in an effective manner. The shortcuts described earlier as an advantage for written notes can also compound this fault as those meaningful clues are lost without the cipher.
Other Disadvantages of Paper: Reading & Writing
It can be more difficult to correct and edit using dictionaries and thesauruses
Can become messy and disorganized
Slower & discomforting to the hand
Handwriting is not easily readable – e.g., Doctors notes
Restricting and heavy – e.g., Multiple text books back and forth to many classes
Digital and Paper Comprehension
In an article by Kazanic.Z “Results indicate that student still prefer traditional paper instead of digital screen for their reading activities” (2015, P.1), we see the use of paper and digital is not mutually exclusive, each individual has their own preference on which tool works better for them in writing and reading.
Fortunati & Vincent states “the life cycle of a document includes a close intertwining of paper and digital versions: digital for searching, paper for integrating multiple sources; paper for planning, digital for drafting; paper for editing/proofreading, digital for finalizing; mostly digital for distribution and workflow; paper for reading (especially longer documents) and digital for archiving/filing.” (2014, P.1). You can see that the use of digital and paper can work hand in hand with one another. A hybrid environment when it comes to learning has greater advantage rather than focusing on one side of the spectrum.
Conclusion
In conclusion, written and digital note taking each have advantages and disadvantages. Each method is effective for different styles of learning and brings its own unique challenges. Taking the time to evaluate each will help students find the right balance of effectiveness and usability for the individual and through trials will help each person find the perfect system for their individual needs. Learning designers, administrators, instructors, and those who will be influencing the type of tools students must use, or have access to, should consider issues of access and equity, when making these decisions in course design and delivery.
References
A Brave New World: Technology & Education. (2018). Trends Shaping Education Spotlight 15. OECD.org. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264284395-en
Belson, S. I., Hartmann, D., & Sherman, J. (2013). Digital Note Taking: The Use of Electronic Pens with Students with Specific Learning Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 28(2), 13–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/016264341302800202
Fortunati, L., & Vincent, J. (2014). Sociological insights on the comparison of writing/reading on paper with writing/reading digitally. Telematics and Informatics, 31(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2013.02.005
Jensen, M. M., Thiel, S.-K., Hoggan, E., & Bødker, S. (2018). Physical Versus Digital Sticky Notes in Collaborative Ideation. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 27(3-6), 609–645. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10606-018-9325-1
Kazanci, Z. (2015). University Students’ Preferences of Reading from a Printed Paper or a Digital Screen ― A Longitudinal Study. International Journal of Culture and History (EJournal), 1(1), 50. https://www.academia.edu/33908699/University_Students_Preferences_of_Reading_from_a_Printed_Paper_or_a_Digital_Screen_A_longitudinal_Study
Kelly, B., Phipps, L., & Swift, E. (2004). Developing a Holistic Approach for E-Learning Accessibility. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology / La Revue Canadienne de l’Apprentissage et de La Technologie, 30(3). https://www.learntechlib.org/p/43221/
McLaughlin, R., & Kamei-Hannan, C. (2018). Paper or Digital Text: Which Reading Medium is Best for Students with Visual Impairments? Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 112(4), 337–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482×1811200401
Mueller, P. A., & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159–1168. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614524581
Nickerson, R. S., & Zodhiates, P. P. (2013). Technology in Education: Looking Toward 2020. In Google Books. Routledge. https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NzmcYzz4Y0EC&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=Nickerson
Robare, G. (2021, September 7). On handwriting. The Princetonian. https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2021/09/handwritten-versus-typed-class-notes#:~:text=Typing%20is%20far%20faster%20than
Rogers, W. A., Fisk, A. D., Mead, S. E., Walker, N., & Cabrera, E. F. (1996). Training Older Adults to Use Automatic Teller Machines. Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 38(3), 425–433. https://doi.org/10.1518/001872096778701935
For this particular assignment, we were asked to create a visual map of our networks, informed from readings and presentations such as the video presentation from Marc Smith, founder of the Social Media Research Foundation. I had never really thought about how we lack a visual representation of an online crowd, or the significance of what these relationships can tell us. From this point of view, I enjoyed learning about the work that Marc Smith does.
In his video, Smith discusses his interest and the study of crowds. As he puts it: “Crowds matter. When crowds fill a public space, they can change history.” (Smith, 2016). Because of the nature of my full-time role at Island Health, I found the concept of being able to visualize the relationship and networks of people connected via social media very interesting and sparked my curiosity to learn more about how this can be done for inquiry and discovery.
Turning to the assignment, I chose to create a map using four major networks significant in my life: my full-time employer Island Health, my Royal Roads MALAT program, my part-time employer Kwantlen Polytechnic University, and my friends and family. Using these four networks as a starting point, I began to list out the means I use to connect with the individuals and groups within these networks.
At first I thought I would have very distinct tools and platforms in each network; upon creating the map I realized there is some overlap. For example, there is common usage of WhatsApp in my friends and family network and my Royal Roads network; and some overlap with Kwantlen and Royal Roads.
It is interesting for me to see how I didn’t even factor in social media usage that much, since my own personal use of social media has really declined in recent years, despite what I do for a living as a digital engagement leader. I will explore this more in my digital identity and digital presence plan as I unpack the question of how much engagement is still engagement? If we check Facebook twice a year, is this still a means of connection? What do others consider to be a means to stay connected even if it is something they rarely or seldom use?
