Olivia's Opinions: The Digital Land & Learning

Welcome and Introduction

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Please also review the resources from our course website for getting started with blogging:

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Digital Identity: The Crisis of The Vulnerable and Average Citizen

Olivia Korbus

January 22, 2026

Social media has turned everyday moments and mistakes into lasting markers of our digital identity. Social media takes a mistaken stab at addressing our intentions and often lacks context for the moments of our lives that are constantly on display. Though the modern world requires an online presence as a form of authentication. As we are taught further how an appropriate way to behave online we too are taught how to act intentionally to be seen by those who matter. The online world doesn’t just end with connections built with our families overseas or our friends from school; as we get older and the world of social networking weaves thicker into our modern world the lines between professionalism and personability will meld together in a sea of mesmerizing, interconnected labyrinth of digital identity. The navigation between knowing one’s self and creating one’s self becomes increasingly challenging as we navigate this techno-sphere of blurred boundaries and shifting expectations we call the 21st century. There is a constant uncertainty of what should be shared, who is watching, or how our words and actions might follow us. Networking no longer happens only in professional settings creeps into every interaction, every post, and every trace we leave behind, slowly molding the character we have presented ourselves as.  However we humans are meant to evolve, and anticipating the possible danger while remaining positive about potential opportunities from these encounters is innately human as well.  The public network space offers connection, opportunity, and a place to be seen. Even as we expose ourselves to judgment, misinterpretation, and the pressure to maintain a carefully managed digital self, vulnerability is the only bath to true connection and being open to these risks is a requirement to being a part of the current world in many ways. In a world where personal and professional identities collide, the greatest challenge of them all is deciding what it truly means to belong in a space where everything is both permanent and up for debate.

Living in a public network forces us to reconsider what the concept of “sharing” digitally means, and asks us who we imagine our audience to be.  We have such varying expectations of what is appropriate to share, what is expected to be shared and with who we are supposed to share it with is also up for frequent debate. Unfortunately like many things in life the boundaries are blurred and the consequences may not always be known to us in the moment their negativity is impacting our lives. This sounds all dreary but it’s really just a hyper analytic view of our public persona whether it’s online or not. The addition of having the media be a space where others can document our success and shortcomings equally is the major difference. We are ultra social primates as humans so the wrath and satisfaction we feel based on analyzing others lives is nearly a given. We are constantly “networking” whether we intend to or not. The question posed, “what does it mean to network using social media” is interesting because we have such a strong association with networking as a workplace term and there is such a great focus on “employers” seeing our digital identities but I’d argue the influence begins way before the employer is even known to us. It begins with how we are able to generate a network with those who may know someone in the realm of what you’re talking about, it involves whether we are able to present ourselves in a light that interests others who are able to help us stay informed of other volunteer opportunities which can teach us the skills we need to be used in a future job which we can leverage throughout our life. 

As humans we like to think we take our privacy seriously; but we never ask ourselves why? Once we are able to acknowledge how public our lives have in actuality become, we can finally free ourselves to release the tension and anxiety we feel surrounding this fragile sense of privacy we so desperately cling to. We have shame for things we truly believe in or enjoy like embarrassing music or staying friends with our mothers online and why? Do we judge others by the same standards? Maybe so and maybe not but at any rate we act like with each potentially wrong maneuver we are at risk of being ixnayed from the conversation like we will not be worthy of friendship, attention, or opportunity because we are judged on some nonexistent scale of social worth. We panic as we ponder the potential consequences that are not guaranteed as we read through the unending fame of those who have been “cancelled”. The call to being exposed of our shortcomings may feel important and as an online citizen it may feel important to stay in the loop of who’s done what and how others feel about it because if we don’t participate, or agree we may not seem as worthy to be part of the sphere like others who stayed informed. While keeping up with this influx of information and needing to remain a well informed citizen we are also expected to be rational readers of social media, hunters of the true facts and gatherers of evidence and I wonder if all this information which is bombarding our lives and our spirits is impacting us more than we realize. At the root cause while we may be engaging as a form of self preservation we are mentally enduring self harm. Allowing our emotions to run rampant as we recognize how easily someone could find all that we are not proud of online and use it against us. How out of context we may be taken in a comment we made, or even a post we liked that someone may have noticed that we hoped wouldn’t have noticed. Ultimately we are all these social creatures who are meant to grow, play, engage in meaningful conversations and silly things to and while I agree a level of accountability is necessary for prosperous species and a civilized society it’s also critical to give grace and take a step back to reflect on our own reactions and emotions in response to each other’s digital identities because in order to have an authentic online community we need to share the sentiment of grace and empathy and learn the skill of reading between the lines and applying context to conclusions for both ourselves and others; without this sentiment and application how are we supposed to actually express our thoughts and get to know one another. 

In the professional world versus the personal the tension we feel becomes even more complicated and layered when our personal identity collides with our professional expectation.  There is always the risk of the two merging which in the modern world can be either the goal or a grave mistake. When we analyze something like LinkedIn we are taught to appear respectful, conscientious, and motivated. We are expected to act this way and encouraged to be interesting enough on this platform to have someone take their analysis of your digital identity to a more personal level and leverage them into scrolling through your presumably public Instagram account or whichever. There is sort of this scouting design where we present ourselves in a mannerism that aligns with who we are attracting and who we’d like to come off as the right for but this is rarely a true reflection of who we are in our personal lives, Ironic isn’t it. If the idea behind professional networking is to find someone most compatible with what is expected in a job, why do we rely so heavily on this formulaic approach to learning more about someone who is just coloring in the lines with appropriate posted values, agreeable language, and a clean and presentable look. 

Ultimately, we need to accept that in navigating our digital identities we need to think less about perfection and more about accepting that our self presentation may not always match the ideals but what is necessary is understanding  the lifelong journey of social media navigation and recognizing that how we present ourselves in the moments we have control over is all you can do. We as digital citizens are always running the risk of muddying waters, social media is messy most of the time and explicitly clear nearly never. But it’s how we face these challenges that make us who we are online and offline. We must take a balanced approach with the media as a consumer and a producer. We are all taking part in the balancing act between privacy, professionalism and participation. However belonging has always required vulnerability because to fit in is to be known in the first palace and I encourage us all to rethink and analyze what is means to be a digital citizen but also what it means to be a human in the world, either way our existence leaves a trace, and hey at least that means we were remembered for something.

Visitor Residence Mapping: My Map of Digital Identity Versus Professional Identity

Above is my representation of my digital residence mapping, I drew myself in the middle, a relatable position that depending on the time of day varies but remains ever connected all the same.

Understanding the Importance of Digital Etiquette: Common Courtesy Online

When acting as a digital citizen we are faced with a multitude of online platforms and applications that we are expected to utilize and are known based on our recognizable activity on them. Whether we are surfing the web for answers on reddit, scrolling through our Instagram feeds, or reaching out to potential associates or employers on LinkedIn we as a society have come to a mutual understanding of the significance of our diplomacy and activity in the digital sphere. What we are willing to showcase online says a lot about the type of person we are and can curate preconceived notions about the type of human we may be like offline. Arguably with the increased amount of time humans are spending online connecting, relaxing and working, or studying we are inadvertently an extension of ourselves offline as we present ourselves online; the only difference is one is anecdotal information whereas digital identity comes with an extremely tangible reality of verifiable events being recorded with or without our strict consent. This fact becomes evidence enough to enjoy ourselves on the internet with social awareness and how I like to imagine it is that we are part of a party online. There are groups and cliques depending on the websites you frequent or the forums you communicate with most but ultimately you never know who is lurking around the corner or who may be taking a photo without your awareness. It’s not necessarily wrong or inherently bad to be seen but we always want to keep in mind that the internet is not the intimate family gathering we easily imagine it to be but rather it’s more like a staff Christmas party, at a large company, with a handful of acquaintances and a boatload of strangers you may or may not want to make a good impression on but you certainly don’t want to deeply offend as a first impression. 

-But wait, I want freedom! An interlude, this is merely a suggestion, not an enforcement of law.

The way I am addressing this may seem daunting, and while there is something to be said about freedom of expression and not monitoring who we are and in return suppressing authenticity and originality it’s worth noting that nobody can stop you besides regulatory boards in extreme cases from deciding what you put online or who you allow to view it, but I am speaking from the point of view of the young, aspiring, hardworking professional or student who is trying to keep social awareness to a satisfactory level and ostracization from opportunities to a minimum. As always we can choose to enact our freewill and make those decisions which we know may harm our future selves online and often without real awareness of the implications in the moment. For these reasons I urge you to take a moment especially when posting something in a public and visible forum that may be used as a form of scrutiny and decide for yourself, and with yourself if there is a better way to say what you intend to and whether it needs to be said at all. If the answer is yes, I encourage the use of an alias if possible to limit the ease of tracing controversial comments or unorthodox opinions back to you in the future when you might wish you could take what you said back, and are unfortunately unable to do just that. 

So wait, what digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

It’s important to address which platforms we as millennials and generation z’s alike are most engaged with to understand the perspective of this article. The 21st century Canadian students and adolescent professionals I have had contact with are most engaged with LinkedIn, Youtube and Instagram for things like “brand deals” and even applications like Snapchat have targeted young employees by online “Snaplications” which can curate a more efficient online only based resume and initial interview format for entry level jobs with are primarily employed through a younger demographic. These mediums may seem unfathomable for some older generations or possibly even certain parts of the world but for most westernized cultures there is a deep connection between your social media self and your employed self. 

Brand deals and online work is just for professionals or influencers, right? Think again!

Not only is this a misunderstanding in the modern world between younger and older generations it’s also misrepresented. Though yes working strictly from home in the traditional view may be reserved for those with specific professions that allow for this there are a plethora of opportunities available for those who know how to market themselves. No longer are sponsorships or ambassadorships reliant on athletic status or career successes; learning how to play the marketing game and becoming the advertisement is the success. With each day we spend on social media there is progress and increased statistics about user demographics, engagement algorithms, and informative statistics that track what is most profitable for companies and businesses and targets them to direct subscribers, or adjacent viewers of accounts. 

I get it- these ideas seem overwhelming and slightly exaggerated. Nevertheless, this is the reality our generation is faced with. The competition is fierce but the profits are appealing all the same. There is such a strong sense of dependency on devices especially in Westernized culture that a student’s life would be unrecognizable without it. This doesn’t mean we should necessarily say that having such a heavy reliance on the internet and social platforms is something that must be warded off but rather that it is a force we should learn to respect in all its beauty and power. Much like the forces of mother nature the media deserves to be enjoyed but it also expects us to be prepared to face it and embrace the unexpected. But just like it is impossible and unfulfilling to miss out on the natural world, we cannot move through our lives as professionals without embracing the new mediums of connection and networking via our digital reputation. Though it is something I personally struggle to embrace as I was born into a time where there was much debate about the benefits and consequences of online presence I think it would be naive to not acknowledge the many benefits my digital identity has had. There is much to concern ourselves with but if we treat ourselves with respect for our future and hold a modicum of decency for others our social awareness and innate desire to be good and approachable people should steer us in the right direction.

To Be or Not to Be Part of the Conversation? Rethinking When- and Whether- To Speak Up

Olivia Korbus

February 2026

As we’ve been going through this semester and engaging in a lot of contemplation and objective observations about ourselves and how we interact with media I’ve come to change my perspectives about social media slightly from being someone who very sternly stood in the mindset of being against social media and seeing it as a detriment to upon reflection someone who can be aware of and who has respect for the consequences that can come from social media but that will not necessarily always be detrimental. Not only socially from a wellbeing standpoint and the potential for networking through social media engagement which we discussed in our previous post but in the many ways social media can impact and shape our perspectives about the world as a whole. So let’s dive into this a little more.

I want to begin here by appreciating what Barack Obama had mentioned in his speech at Stanford where he spoke on the idea that our jobs as modern citizens and current world employees, parents, educators and every other member of this online community must act slowly and with ethical awareness of what they are contributing to the online space. There is a sort of dignity that we are to uphold our online habits as social media continues to reign as one of our main sources of information of the world and with content comes conversation; but in order to have productive conversations we must hone in on what is important to discuss in the first place.

Above is the video of former president Barack Obama cautioning us to be aware of misinformation during a speech at Stanford University

When we think about a PLN, the most overlooked element is the “learning” part. We rarely treat online spaces as educational, yet they are some of the most active learning environments we inhabit. We no longer rely solely on regulated newsrooms or professional broadcasters to shape public discourse. Interviews, commentary, and analysis now circulate through comments, blogs, reels, and posts. This openness has benefits, but as Clark and Aufderheide (2011) point out, it also creates limitations. Algorithms curate what we see, narrowing our exposure and reinforcing our interests. The abundance of perspectives can obscure facts just as easily as it can illuminate them. The result is a media landscape that is freer than ever, but also more fragmented and more susceptible to subtle forms of propaganda

So what do we learn from the dichotomy of printed press and scheduled network programming compared to the free spirited nature of social media and high speed internet? Well to me the take away on a grand scale and a personal use level is that where there is freedom there is also great responsibility. Like when we are engaging online as either a visitor or an active resident we have a decision to make and a standard to uphold. It’s one thing to justify sending a meme online or sharing links to a funny skit but it’s another to counterargue, comment publicly on a movement, sharing one’s personal opinions is a right but it’s also a privilege to be a part of the online community. Having a privacy protection clause is undoubtedly important and essential in the workplace, school forum boards, data bases of any kind; but, frankly we must first protect our dignity and our future selves before we act in a way we could regret once it’s too late. This is not intended to seem as intimidating as it might seem either, there’s a fine line between censorship and the right to remain silent if you will. Part of this ties into the course discussion surrounding allowing ourselves to be uncomfortable with another’s opinion before we react and moreover, realizing when it might make the most sense to choose to not act.

When analyzing the text from Moore & Schnellert (2016) the story regarding the students from the disability education center being encouraged to go to the pep rally for inclusion purposes despite their discomfort with the situation Moore & Schnellert (2016) outline well how it felt nearly as uncomfortable for the educator to not have the children attend the event as attending the event did to the students. This story spoke to me because it does relate so well to how we feel in the vast world of the social media sphere. We are faced with trying to be inclusive and defending everyone or standing up for someone because we feel like they are being taken out of context or like their content is being misunderstood or maybe we understood a political speech differently than what is being represented to us in the forum board or in the comments section and maybe our initial instinct is to go and rally on for what we believe is right, like the kids that we believe “should” be going to the pep rally. But maybe upon further analysis or taking a momentary hiatus from reactivity and choking the action on silence which grants you the opportunity to reflect is a much more sensible way to grow. We are all human, and that guarantees one thing, we will die and we will be wrong. In the process of the human lifespan all we can try to do is connect the best we can with those around us and the world we live in. In the spirit of fulfilling this destiny I hope we can all look inwards at our emotions and choose the most ethical course of action to be able to contribute to the dialogue with thoughtfully curated pieces of independent media in this vast new digital age Clark & Aufderheide (2011).

References:

Clark, J. & Aufderheide, P. (2011) A New Vision for Public Media: Open, Dynamic, and Participatory.

Obama, B. (2022). President Obama Addresses Disinformation [Video]. Stanford University

Moore, S. & Schnellert, L. (2016) One Without the Other: Stories of Unity Through Diversity & Inclusion. Portage & Main Press.

The Public PLN: What We Need to Consider to Be an Effective Consumer & Producer in The Media

Risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience and the media space?

When analyzing what we could gain from being in the media as a public figure we can see how central it’s become to the identities of various professionals, from political figures, celebrities, activism groups and reports alike. With the expectation for digital presence and the shift from primarily in-person meetings or conferences as primary modes of connection to instantaneous digital information and disinformation we must approach contact with self awareness. In order to gain the benefits of such contact we must mitigate the potential for harm to ourselves and others. During the interview with experienced news anchor Sophie Lui, she mentions the significance of being online as a professional and as a person but not necessarily in a personal way. Lui mentions that there is a sort of quintessential aspect of understanding boundaries online for self preservation through understanding when and where it is appropriate to disclose what type of information and which types of opinions are shared in which spaces (Jesse Miller, 2026). It’s interesting for me to think of this concept because it metaphorically breaks the vast digital landscape into these more concrete chunks where even though certain information may overlap there is still a sort of inherent etiquette that belongs in a given space. Though it might not always be blatantly stated as Lui mentions there is a natural role we play when we are interacting in a public “intellectual” (Jesse Miller, 2026) conversation such as when we are asserting our views on a given topic of discussion in Twitter-like platforms for example. Though she continues to discuss that it’s not necessarily that her Twitter account is necessarily set to solely a professional account there is a natural rhythm in the conversation and the users she tends to engage with most are those who are involved in a more professional aspect of her life; though still connections I’d describe this as more of a distant acquaintance relation, or a colleague. It’s important the distinction Sophie Lui makes when she speaks in her more personal and residential platforms such as Instagram where there is a “different side of our personality” (Jesse Miller, 2026) shown, the more interpersonal and relational side of us. Though it is important to remain cordial it is less formal in its nature and thus the personal aspects of our lives such as our families, spouses, or vacations we take are able to reside without being outwardly out of place.

What could the risks be for someone in a position of power, an educator, or government official?

When analyzing potential risks for those in the public eye in regards to social media presence and having an extremely visible PLN a great point Sophie Lui mentions in regards to mistakes being more on display then ever before where though we have an opportunity to curate such a unique and perfected character online through the posts we chose to engage with or messages we send out into the world in the form of tweets for example there is simultaneously much less control of who witnesses the errors we may be unaware we’d made; such as through unintentional mistakes while livestreaming or reacting too hastily to a new story we hadn’t done enough research on (Jesse Miller, 2026). These situations curate a perfect storm for our characters to be taken out of reference of what we really intended to say and may disregard all the good we have done and nearly instantaneously dissolved the reputation we have tried to create for ourselves online. This happens with smaller scale individuals like when we see a family member or friend state an uninformed or distasteful opinion but when we’re not in the spotlight the same way a celebrity, or government official may be there is much greater opportunity for those words to be redistributed and even further perpetuated out of context for dramatic effect. Though it is important to recognize that these high status and very digitally visible individuals are too allowed to make mistakes for they are only human it also shows us the power of social media and the with the level of scrutiny our digital identity is under can be enough of a drive to teach us the value of retract before we react if you will. Basically what this idea is stating is that we are waiting to respond with emotions to a headline, new policy enforcement, or even a distasteful comment someone has left about us; though it might not feel the best in the moment this valuable skill has proven to allow us the debrief time needed for us to rationalize our response rather than spring into unplanned action and risk our reputation through doing so.
When taking into account the visibility of celebrities and the amount of inauthentic information replication and inaccurate story telling done by the modern detectives or social media reporters I’d argue that there is a level of back-up approval required prior to submitting an opinion. While it is essential to do at least a basic level of research on a topic outside of what we have been presented with on social media stories while we are still in an age where the digital atmosphere of social media is a furious slew of those with misinformation, fake news, and a truth telling stories the ability to find a reputable source via this medium is challenging on a good day. The solution still is to go to a reputable source, learn how to find what a reputable source is and discuss things with those you trust prior to posting an opinion. In order to establish some credibility with our PLN we need to be a valid source of information to begin with.

Advantages of social media in the workplace?

I think it’s important we consider and appreciate the positives of social media because as we further discuss all that we should be cautious about it’s far too simple to begin disregarding the positives and begin feeling that all we worry about overshadows the positives but of course that’s not true, if it were I doubt social media would have taken such a gigantic overshadowing of all of information sharing to begin with. Firstly, the convenience Lui mentions the positives and the negatives of this in the section of the discussion where she speaks on how the work of a reporter varied significantly prior to having social media and smart phone access and how much more of an in person hustle it was (Jesse Miller, 2026) while I might admit it sounds much more entertaining and exciting to take on a job where I would be required to fly out of town to speak to those with an exciting story the province over, or take the time out of my day to meet with a business owner in person over coffee with a recorder in hand but we can’t deny the sheer amount of time “wasted” employers were covering. As the world increases speed and productivity expectations there is simply not enough time or resources to cover this type of work without the convenience of digitalization. Think about a life without email, or a pandemic without video conferencing, the world would be in a much different, and dire state compared to our operational levels of performance we are accustomed to in the digital age. Secondly, there is also a large impact of our PLN on employment opportunities and hiring where we are able to do a level one interview if you will based on someone’s online character. Through these platforms we can estimate someone’s level of conscientiousness, someone’s level of extroversion, and even some of their political and social standings. While these things could be seen as banal if we were just reading them off a page, when they are accompanied by the time we spend engaging with these types of content online and paired with how attached most people feel to their PLN spaces we can see just how vital and accurate this information actually is. We come to life with our digital identity and in this current age many if not all employers are doing a digital sweep of who someone is virtually prior to connecting with them in any physical way whatsoever. And lastly as Lui speaks to it there is just so much opportunity for personal growth and sharing of ideas in such an accessible medium. With social media rapidly working to overtake traditional media broadcasting there is denying that there is so much information being shared on these platforms that in order to “stay relevant” (Jesse Miller, 2026) we must be aware of. With so much of the conversation, politically, educationally, and socially occurring online in this space, shutting ourselves out of it entirely instead of allowing ourselves to be a part of these conversations is not helpful and will perpetuate isolation rather than allowing us to learn to connect and communicate in these new found ways; instead of finding ways to fight with social media and resist it (Hirst, 2018). I’d argue it is infinitely more valuable to attempt to understand it and spend our energy and resources optimizing how we can formulate relationships with others online but also how we can understand ourselves in a digital space.

So what is the value of being someone with media literacy & what is media literacy to begin with?

When thinking about media literacy it’s beneficial for me to compare it as an informational compass with radar beeps that are initiated when we’ve gone too far from the truth. We are often struck with media that we are daily certain is “fake news” or some form of propaganda but how so? Often like we saw in the (Media Smarts: Habilo Médias, 2021) there are no clear boundaries to an image that can tip us to the fact that something in fact is not real or is inaccurate information but being a citizen of the online community we are expected to be able to differentiate where a story originated form, whether there was a bias in how the story was told, and even weather an image or video was real at all or if it was AI generated or modified to fabricate the story. Another consideration we need to take into account is whether or not this content was generated with a satirical lens because ultimately the internet is not only used to share factual information but can often be used for entertainment as well. All of these factors are critical to take into account as far as being a media literate and informed user. Being able to implement the habit of fact checking and source investigation is required of us in order to be effectively credible and informed users of such platforms (Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. 2009). Some ways to ensure we are doing our best to be media literate users is through being able to utilize the internet for credibility of things we see on the internet if you will. Being a frequent fact checker on reputable websites such as Wikipedia, national geographic or well established medical journals or news broadcasting channels can be a good first step and learning to reverse search images for authenticity is another essential skill. In the  (Media Smarts: Habilo Médias, 2021) they speaker mentioned a quick hack for identifying conspiracy theories and fabricated stories by simply surfing the web for the story you’re curious about and then adding “debunked” to the end of it; so simple and yet so effective. Of course for more nuanced fact checking it still might be best to visit a digital library resource or browse some credible textbooks, documentaries or other resources but for the majority of what we do in daily online interactions these simple strategies will prove themselves effective and will enhance our media literacy exponentially making us more effective digital users ( Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. 2009).

One final point I’d like to revisit is from the interview with Lui (Jesse Miller, 2018) where we talk about what we post online on which platform is determined by what the parameters and expected conversation/ interaction is done on these platforms. While it may seem innate to us in the modern day what we share where and when it is appropriate to do so, this too is a skill of digital media literacy. We ought to appreciate the ability to understand these methods of communication (Hirst, 2018) because without them we wouldn’t see the same social order we do online, these unspoken rules make up digital culture and allow us to have a common understanding that Twitter is an acceptable space to express more formally thought provoking opinions or the “intellectual side of [ourselves]” as Lui mentions it and that LinkedIn is not a space to post funny family updates but rather one where it is acceptable to boast about an academic or professional achievement without seeming overzealous and so forth

In summary…

These parameters are often undefined but are understood and seeing their pervasive nature inhabit our social habits and guide how we behave differently in these given platforms shows us just how powerful and alive these digital spaces really are. Being online is something we often try to run from but embracing how we run in them and how we can use them to better run our lives is an infinitely more relevant and useful way to spend our mental resources and energy.

References:

Jesse Miller. (2026, February 5). EDCI 338 – Week 5 – Blog 4. [YouTube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLFS_6KoCi0

The Digitalization of Education

The Expansion of Education:

As we move forward and expand our learning structure from a traditional instructor-led in person classroom to a dynamic lively interface which deals with interactions between students and instructors who swap knowledge, understanding, and roles of one another in the learning process with a level of fluidity that could impact the way students learn forever. Along with these shifts from the face to face to style learning to the online learning platforms we are constantly struck by a couple of main shifts for the education system. First we are faced with questions surrounding the platforms themselves, for example how does a digital classroom “exist” at all, and what does it mean to be “online together”? Next we are asked what this means for the teacher and the student when the dynamic between learner and instructor are blurred? We rely so heavily on these labels and losing them or at least changing their defined roles in education is threatening to the history we are so deeply attached to, in order to change our perspectives and titles we must define what makes them different. And lastly we are faced with the challenges of focusing the purpose of education being a process which derives greater knowledge as a group (part of the student becoming the teacher if you will) concept readdressed we need to understand the pressures and limitations this competitive individualistic standard can have and the hindrance it can have on collaborative learning and knowledge expansion. 

So what the heck is a digital classroom,- also, why bother being in one?

• When we think about being together online and imagine the natural pushback from those who argue online education as inferior to in person classrooms we need to outline why people might feel this way and what they might imagine a typical “students” journey to look like.
• Through I haven’t run a poll which tells us exactly what an online school naysayer would argue I can wager it would improve something of a devoid, “anti-social” teenager or a busy adult student who doesn’t have any real time to dedicate to learning and so they take the “cop out” equivalent which requires no real tests, no real instruction or lecture, and no real learning really at all. Further we can picture the stereotypical student which is not interested in interacting with others and is looking to essentially further themselves from their learning by staying as far away from the instructor as possible However, I’d argue that while this visual narrative is persuasive it’s far from actuality, and here’s why. 
• When we investigate the average college student for example I’d safely say there’s a lot of students who care and are invested in the learning process and many which don’t, consequently we should expect a similar pattern with online learning. There is however an arguable difference in the accessibility and flexibility of online learning so perhaps for students with disabilities, familial responsibilities, financial or location difficulties there could be a significant increase in enrollment rates for online classes within these populations but that is not a bad things and by no means is it indicative of a less interested student! 
• When we imagine a “digital classroom”- there can  be some confusion about its existence but if you’ve ever worked nearly anywhere in the 21st century, you’ve probably experienced something adjacent to an online classroom setting at the very least. But I am a psychology major and one thing I’ve learned these past 4 years is that people love a definition, so let’s make it more clear. To begin, a massive aspect of a great online learning space is in fact collaboration. We humans love to interact and connect with anything we can: peers, instructors, the course content or the interface itself. And this is exactly what a digital classroom provides. We are consistently interacting with visual and audio media, messaging classmates, interacting via zoom or participating in group work through a “wiki” (Laouris et al., 2010). The opportunities are endless, and honestly compared to my experience in the post secondary classroom these digital classes can be some of the most social arenas we may learn and work in. Even with connection being seemingly “forced” we are able to reach out to others with less hesitation than we might in a crowded class of 200 in between lectures and exams. 

I can see it’s accessible, but what other benefits does online learning provide? 

• In the online atmosphere there is a natural skill of being your own teacher so to speak. There is a learning curve and a steep one at that which comes along with self guided learning. We are generally given parameters for learning online but there are also a great deal of conclusions which we must draw such as: here should I look for certain resources on this topic? Who can I connect with to help me discuss and better understand this content? What types of questions do I think I should expect and even how do I come up with my own questions that aid contemplation and further exploration of the discussed content? All these skills of learning are crucial in developing a well rounded and capable learner. There should be natural curiosity in education and there’s nothing better than taking education into our own hands to facilitate such creative quests for knowledge, a skill not often required in the traditional instructor-led, in person classroom we have been relying on for so long. We are taught self reliance online (Laouris et al., 2010) and for many this is a skill we will be expected to have going into the work force, we should be able to develop our skillsets of determining what appropriate lengths of study are required for us, learn to collaborate and interact with our peers and instructors when needed and become confident in our ability to pass on knowledge when we obtain it. Essentially this is the art of being able to think critically about our thinking and drawing of conclusions. Through the guidance of our instructors we are able to collaborate our conclusions and expand on ideas we have developed through self taught learning and ideally an instructor is there to guide these thought processes and expand our learning with us through understanding our interests, ideas, conclusions etc. which brings us to the next question regarding blurring the lines between “learners” and “instructors”.

What it means to be an instructor versus a learner:

• When we think of the differentiation between instructor versus learner the first thing that I notice is the juxtaposition between between being a “good student” and an educator are seen as contrasting terms when really in order to be a relevant and effective educator we must first be curious as students and being a good teacher requires us to be inquisitive of that which interests the upcoming generations, and understanding how they communicate and what their passions are- without being interested in these nuances and remaining curious and helpful in assisting about what students are interested learning more about ultimately defeats the purpose of an educator and rather reduces to term to a figure head of education, someone that makes exams and maybe does a stale presentation claiming to be “shaping the minds of tomorrow” while letting their curiosity fizzle flat.

• This type of education has been the standard for years but the revolution towards student-centered learning is the first step towards a required journey of change. We must continue to focus on inspiring the educator in order to reinspire the education system. Learners and humans are susceptible to the influence of passion and the experience of a learning journey which taking the instructor to a nuanced and relevant learner themselves reinvites the value into educational settings. There is a craft to determine how to steer students’ thoughts and conversations into inquisitions and research driven answers and professors should be alongside students deciding how to factor in these questions to curriculum goals, required materials and other formal aspects which establish the learning students must achieve by the end of the course.  

• The quote from (Laouris et al., 2010) “An interdependent group is one in which the learning outcomes of its members are linked: in a truly cooperative interdependent group, no one can succeed unless everyone succeeds” encapsulates this point so gracefully and logically. We humans go to school because we learn best from other humans, our teachers. But when we look at it further we can learn even deeper through discussion posts and connection based communities having the ability to pose questions, thoughts, and work on projects as our ideas come to mind can perhaps allow us to learn not only from one source but can help us understand how to better collaborate in inclusive ways where students and instructors alike can enhance the education system through this new model. 

Balancing the Professional with the Personal:

• A large issue that many think of when it comes to instructors taking part in digital communication with students and how we can professionally navigate this relationship in an ethical manner. There are many social media regulations that come alongside being a professional online as well as in the classroom, and with those two ideas becoming one in the context of digital classrooms so should the expectations we hold ourselves and professionals to in regards to what is appropriate etiquette with students and colleagues online. There has always been a standard and there will continue to be a standard of behaviour. In fact with the modern awareness of digital identities there needs to be increasing awareness of the traceability and potential consequences of not taking our online activity seriously because as working and learning online becomes more commonplace so does the impact of our online footprint on our professional identities all together. There is less of a differentiation between communicating digitally and just communicating as (Dyer, 2016) mentions and to pretend these changes aren’t real or important is not only isolating us from taking part in the massive online community of conversation but it is also hindering our abilities to be effective educators who can guide learners into being effective users of the online world or really just the world.  

• We are called to address the ethical necessity of learning to interact safely and effectively with vulnerable individuals who might either be in the care of others or may require someone to sign off on a waiver for example allowing for their participation in a an online community and therefore awareness and training to familiarize yourself with the vulnerable sector we as individual professionals may face is of the utmost importance and precaution when discussing how to operate effectively in an online learning community. 

Final words:

• When analyzing these questions I can reflect on our experience in EDCI 338 shows how a collaborative online environment even though it is initially unfamiliar and even disorienting it can become a space where shared curiosity, accumulated educational experience, and genuine social connection reshape how we learn. By engaging with one another’s blogs, interpreting diverse sources, and co‑constructing criteria for our own learning, we’ve created a classroom that blends the digital and the analog, the personal and the collective. In doing so, we push back against competitive norms that have long shaped formal education and return to something far more natural: learning through communication, cooperation, and community.

Refernces:

Laouris, Y., Underwood, G., Laouri, R., & Christakis, A. (2010). 8 Structured Dialogue Embedded within Emerging Technologies. Emerging Technologies in Distance Education, 153–174. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781897425763.009

‌Dyer, H. (2016). Incorporating & accounting for Social Media in Education | Harry Dyer | TEDxNorwichED [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZteEZbAtsNI