Barry Switnicki - Journal Entry 2.3 Instructions
There is no social media use without the Internet--it's what connects social media users to each other. The digital divide creates gaps in that connectivity. Now that you've reviewed the material, how has the course content (material I post in the module, the readings and resources provided) extended, challenged, or deepened your initial understanding around the digital divide as it relates to Canadians in general and Aboriginal peoples in particular? To online learning and the notion of privilege? What implications does this have for social media use in an educational context? Will your knowledge affect your behaviours or expectations when using social media in an educational context? (Cite references as appropriate.)
From <https://d2l.viu.ca/d2l/le/content/76009/viewContent/790694/View>
This journal entry is primarily based on my personal experiences and also 5 years of interviewing, talking and teaching students online from diverse cultures. This has been a particular focus of mine.
For myself, one of the glaring issues concerning the digital divide is the ignorance of many educators of the technology they use and how to adapt or even change the technology type to suit users that do not have the same level of connectivity or technology as the institution or teacher. For an online course, an instructor will usually have a fairly modern computer with a reasonably fast network and internet connection. There appears to be the assumption that if it works on my system it should work on yours, with very little regard as to the types of technology students have. There is also usually no inquiry into the quality of equipment or internet connection that students have. I have been involved in many online courses and I have only once had an inquiry as to my equipment quality, which was based on problems I was having. In my experience, it seems many educators, at least in higher education, do not really understand the technology they are using and often do not have the skills or forethought to troubleshoot difficulties students are having This, of course, widens the digital divide (James, 2008). There is also the factor that Schradie writes about in "The digital production gap: The digital divide and Web 2.0 collide," and that is regarding the concept of the "elite" and the negative impact it can have on others creating digital content (Schradie, 2011). Although she is focused on creating digital content, I believe the same to be true when we look at the influence of power balance between teacher and student, especially when cultures are mixed.
This issue often gets exacerbated when dealing with different cultures. In speaking with many students over the years, it seems that students from cultures (aboriginal and otherwise) different to the instructor, are reluctant to bring up problems they are having with technology and suffer in silence. Even if they do speak up there are often no solutions forthcoming due to lack of technical support, time, energy and expertise. We live in a multicultural province and with online learning becoming more common, cultural diversity and how it affects the digital divide also needs to take a higher priority.
References
There is no social media use without the Internet--it's what connects social media users to each other. The digital divide creates gaps in that connectivity. Now that you've reviewed the material, how has the course content (material I post in the module, the readings and resources provided) extended, challenged, or deepened your initial understanding around the digital divide as it relates to Canadians in general and Aboriginal peoples in particular? To online learning and the notion of privilege? What implications does this have for social media use in an educational context? Will your knowledge affect your behaviours or expectations when using social media in an educational context? (Cite references as appropriate.)
From <https://d2l.viu.ca/d2l/le/content/76009/viewContent/790694/View>
This journal entry is primarily based on my personal experiences and also 5 years of interviewing, talking and teaching students online from diverse cultures. This has been a particular focus of mine.
For myself, one of the glaring issues concerning the digital divide is the ignorance of many educators of the technology they use and how to adapt or even change the technology type to suit users that do not have the same level of connectivity or technology as the institution or teacher. For an online course, an instructor will usually have a fairly modern computer with a reasonably fast network and internet connection. There appears to be the assumption that if it works on my system it should work on yours, with very little regard as to the types of technology students have. There is also usually no inquiry into the quality of equipment or internet connection that students have. I have been involved in many online courses and I have only once had an inquiry as to my equipment quality, which was based on problems I was having. In my experience, it seems many educators, at least in higher education, do not really understand the technology they are using and often do not have the skills or forethought to troubleshoot difficulties students are having This, of course, widens the digital divide (James, 2008). There is also the factor that Schradie writes about in "The digital production gap: The digital divide and Web 2.0 collide," and that is regarding the concept of the "elite" and the negative impact it can have on others creating digital content (Schradie, 2011). Although she is focused on creating digital content, I believe the same to be true when we look at the influence of power balance between teacher and student, especially when cultures are mixed.
This issue often gets exacerbated when dealing with different cultures. In speaking with many students over the years, it seems that students from cultures (aboriginal and otherwise) different to the instructor, are reluctant to bring up problems they are having with technology and suffer in silence. Even if they do speak up there are often no solutions forthcoming due to lack of technical support, time, energy and expertise. We live in a multicultural province and with online learning becoming more common, cultural diversity and how it affects the digital divide also needs to take a higher priority.
References
- James, J. (2008). Digital divide complacency: misconceptions and dangers. The Information Society, 24(1), 54-61, doi: 01972240701774790.
- Schradie, J. (2011). The digital production gap: The digital divide and Web 2.0 collide. Poetics, 39(2), 145-168.