The map above represents my current use of digital technologies across the visitor-resident continuum and the personal-professional axis. I must confess that coming up with this map was more complex a task than I thought. The actual design of the map was simple, but my reflections left me really questioning where my digital identity stands.
While I found the framework helpful for organizing my online practices, I agree with Dave White and Le Cornu’s (2011) observation that such maps can be overly simplistic representations of complex digital behaviours. This concern is also found in broader research on digital literacies, which suggest that digital engagement is multiple, evolving, collaborative, and determined by context, making it difficult to capture in a single continuun. (Cope & Kalantzis, 2015).
My engagement with many tools shifts depending on the context, and platforms like Zoom or Google Docs can move between personal and professional use. Also, I believe there are more nuanced ways to design this map that could better capture frequency, purpose, or emotional engagement with technologies. As White and Le Cornu (2011) note, the visitor-resident typology is not meant to be a fixed categorization, since it is not static, and does not capture only one moment in time. My map has been evolving, and it will continue its evolution as my professional and personal roles change, as new technologies are developed, and as I construct and negotiate meaning online.
References:
Cope, B., & Kalantzis, M. (Eds.). (2015). A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137539724
White, D. S., & LeCornu, A. (2011). Visitors and residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9).
Hi Christiane,
I really connected with your reflection, especially your point that creating the map was straightforward, but interpreting it was much more challenging. I had a similar experience when creating my map. What stood out most for me wasn’t the map itself, but the reflection on why I choose certain tools and how I engage with them. I also appreciate your recognition that the same platform can serve both personal and professional purposes, an that our digital practices don’t fit neatly into rigid, binary categories. Your idea of adding layers like emotional engagement or purpose really resonated with me. Through my own reflections, I’v noticed that some of my most frequent digital habits feel relatively meaningless, while others that are used less often are more connected to my sense of identity, neither of which translates easily onto a simple visitor-resident continuum.
Celine