During the first weeks of the course Open networked learning 2021 several questions flew back and forth in my mind. Now I’m gazing back to all the discussions and all we have viewed, learned and created, and finally got to writing a blog.

The first webinar and group discussion was about digital literacies: communication, consumption, collaboration and creation. We reflected on the concepts of sharing and openness, and who we are in relation to how and when we share information and experiences. We participated a webinar on digital literacies [1] where David White presented a dimensional mapping – Visitor/Resident, Institutional/Personal.

White [2] proposes that Visitors see the Web primarily as a set of tools which deliver or manipulate content. This content is often distanced as far as possible from personal opinion. Whereas Residents see the Web primarily as a network or clusters of individuals who generate content. According to White [2] a blog post is as much an expression of identity as it is a discussion of particular ideas.

As group work we presented a collective mapping of the digital tools we are using. Most of the platforms were those that are frequently used worldwide not only in schools but also in free time. Many of them bring out the best of both intertwined worlds. Some are strictly institutional, such and various learning platforms created for educational purpose.

Where we land on the map depends on what we need and how we need it to be shared. The concept of privacy varies from individual needs to school requirement and all the way to social constructs, beliefs and personal tendencies.

 

[1] Webinar on digital literacies (2021): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOmuzwVuqgc

[2] Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement
by David S. White and Alison Le Cornu.
First Monday, Volume 16, Number 9 – 5 September 2011
http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3171/3049

Digital literacies