174 Matching Annotations
  1. Jun 2024
    1. students use Wikipedia extensively, probably more than any other social group.

      This is not true, because there are universities in America that will take points off if a student is caught using Wikipedia.

      LiDA101

    1. The reliability of Wikipedia

      No one, including me, should have to prove himself or herself to anyone else. Talking about the "reliability of Wikipedia" and allowing people to freely come on the website and enter any information that they wish to enter is very dishonest to readers because there is no truth, for example, about the real past, for example, why people from one country look different from people from another country, instead of something made up.

      LiDA101

    1. Scientists Think So

      I don't think that Wikipedia is a reliable source because anyone can go on Wikipedia and change information that is already entered, which is why it shouldn't be used. If it was used by scientists, then information on it should only be allowed to be changed by certain people, like book publishers, who always publish 2nd and 3rd editions and other editions of the books they already published. 

      LiDA101

    1. Sometimes an information source will benefit in some way (usually financially, but sometimes politically or even emotionally or psychologically) if that source can get you to accept certain information rather than the pure and objective truth. For example, many sites that sell “natural” products (cosmetics, vitamins, clothes) often criticize their competitors for selling bad, unhealthy or dangerous products. The criticism may be just, but because the messenger will gain financially if you believe the message, you should be very careful–and check somewhere else before spending money or believing the tale.

      This is very true. No one should be allowed to gain money in any way without telling the pure and objective truth, just the same way that no instructor should give D or F grades to any student, including me, in any way for him or her to repeat courses that will put them on the borderline of being kicked out of school for financial gain for the instructor and the school only. This is why racial classes of individuals should not exist because it gives one set of people permission to look good and even join with another group, but they take advantage and scam another group, and because the other group is smaller, the majority wins because people are depending on votes, which should not have taken place at first. Everyone, including me, should believe in the book of life for everything and should have their names, including mine, in the book of life. 

      LiDA101

                            **References**
      

      You are being redirected. . . (n.d.). https://gracevalley.org/sermon/is-your-name-written-in-the-lambs-book-of-life/#:~:text=We%20read%20in%20Revelation%2020,fire%20and%20remain%20there%20forever.

    2. Good looks are not evidence of credibility.

      It is very true that good looks are not evidence of credibility, and no one, including me, should be deceived and naive to believe a website, anything, or anyone has high credibility based on their looks. Scammers can create websites for people to believe that they will get hired, and then when he or she signs up, he or she gets a message saying that they will be paid first with sums of money equal to and/or above $500, and then a fake check is sent to them. When deposited, it looks like money is being added to their account, and then in a few hours or the next day, the same amount of money is withdrawn from their account. And banks like Bank of America put up signs in their advertisements about how they will protect you from fraud, but in the case of fraud, they won't actually protect you; they will want you to pay the money back to them that is withdrawn from your account, especially if it is below $0, and tell you lessons learned. To be true, in America, no one is walking up to you to be your friend and protect you all along. The reality is that you are all alone. No one, including me, should learn lessons after losing something valuable. 

      LiDA101

  2. May 2024
  3. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. For example, teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions, in addition to reminding students to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities.

      Hi Everyone,

      So digital skills, which everyone, including me, should have, are learning how to get images from the internet, and moreover, the capacity to utilize digital devices, such as computers and smartphones, to search, assess, use, share, and create material, is known as digital skills. When it comes to digital literacies, everyone, including me, should be literate and digitally literate. Digital literacy is using what is appropriate and correct to convey information, especially from one person to another. 

      LiDA101

                               **Reference**
      

      What are digital skills & why are they important? (2024, May 2). UNLV. https://digitalskills.unlv.edu/digital-marketing/what-are-digital-skills/

  4. Mar 2023
  5. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. but this does not mean avoiding teaching digital literacy. It means discussing with them why they would post a real photo of themselves as avatars versus something more abstract.

      Not sure if Maha intended to associate real-photo vs abstract-avatar with high-risk situations, but this is one position I found a bit exposing as part of being a digital scholar in the OERu journey. I think it is the inevitable other side of the coin; is to put yourself out there.

  6. Jan 2023
  7. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      Digital skills = what, how Digital literacy = when, where, for whom, why

      LIDA101

  8. Jul 2022
    1. Educators will need support from their institutions in creating opportunities to develop coherent, transparent, and culturally sustaining instruction and assessment practices, and in recognizing their labor as creators, curators, and facilitators of deeper learning

      It is very important that Institutions at all levels, primary, secondary and higher levels should be trained/up-skilled to implement OERs, however, champions need to be identified to drive an action plan. There are so many opportunities created by the use of OERs that can only benefit us all.

    2. We need to prepare educators to support students’ development and exploration of their cultures and identities to encourage open practices like giving students voice in shaping lessons, and facilitating different learning pathways, so that every student develops the critical skills, mindsets, and agency that they need to succeed

      Students and educators need to actively become co-creators of knowledge. It stems from the educators to encourage this mindset.

    1. All students alluded to the need to developnot only academic skills but also self-management. This included skills such asdeveloping work/life balance, self-control,confidence, and become discerning in theirchoices around study

      University life is about developing self and time management skills. Students are expected to be adults, therefore, balacning all aspects of life is an important skills that students will realise and develop in order to servive, progresss and complete their studies.

    2. thiscontemporary environment, a sociallyinclusive approach must necessarily seekto understand the diversity of students’experiences and consider ways to developapproaches to learning which are inclusiveof all students irrespective of their level ofacademic preparedness and socio-culturalbackground

      It is only through understanding the needs and experiences of all students that we can use socially inclusive approach.

    1. If our curricula are guided by human rights principles and practices, then we are engaged in making a society that is humane, democratic, socially inclusive and collaborative

      The higher education curricula should cater for the needs and experiences of all students no matter their perspective regarding student different backgrounds, academic levels, performance and social standing. As teachers and educators, social inclusivity must take precedence over anything.

    1. Another higher education OER trend is collaboration across university roles to implement OER on campus. Grants to organizations like the Open Textbook Network, the Rebus Foundation, and Achieving the Dream have helped increase the diversity of open content and the number of faculty users. They are engaging librarians who support faculty adoption of OER, establishing and supporting communities of faculty who collaboratively author open textbooks, and supporting groups of faculty at individual institutions to adopt open textbooks and other open content for entire degree programs.

      This has not taken place in my country Namibia yet. Higher education instituions who fall under the umbrella of NOLNeT are all obliged to develop OER policies and to ensure that OERimplementation takes place,however, there is no collaboration regarding OER implementation or usage as yet.

    1. MOOCs and microcredentials provide flexibility—whether learners are looking to work full-time and take online courses to improve their career outcomes or they are mid-career professionals looking to skill-up or pursue a completely new caree

      In these compettitive world, we all need some kind of advantage, therefore supplementing your skills and knowledge with MOOCs and OERs will let the employers sit back and otice you.

    2. The boom in credentials that are alternatives to actual degrees might be a sign that the higher ed marketplace has strayed from this tried-and-true model. Alternative credentialing might be the “something” that employers and students are looking for.

      The relevancy and currency of degrees become extinct quickly as due to information technology, skills and required knowledge become obsolete fast. Alternative credentials can add value to your degree, therefore since online learning is free, you only pay for assessment whenever you are ready....this is the future for us all.

    1. UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN ONLINE SHORT COURSE

      Im interested in this course, I have signed up for more information, however, I first need to complete Lida2-4. Perhaps I will do this course in 2023.

  9. Jun 2022
    1. “What source or what kind of source would be the most credible for providing information in this particular case?” Which sources are likely to be fair, objective, lacking hidden motives, showing quality control

      It is also important to look at the number of citations if your search is for academic writing, the more people cite the source, the more likely the source is credible and reliable.

    2. Information is everywhere on the Internet, existing in large quantities and continuously being created and revised. This information exists in a large variety of kinds (facts, opinions, stories, interpretations, statistics) and is created for many purposes (to inform, to persuade, to sell, to present a viewpoint, and to create or change an attitude or belief). For each of these various kinds and purposes, information exists on many levels of quality and reliability. It ranges from very good to very bad and includes every shade in between.

      Lida101 I believe the purpose why we look for information on internet is also vital. For training and teaching purposes, I guess, we have to look for open access resources such as OERs, meaning we actively need to use OER search engines and be on the lookout for the type of licences used, while if its for research aim, we need to look for the journal, the timeframe(last 5 yrs) for published article etc.

      However, no matter the aim for searching information, it must be quality assured and reliable.

    3. LIDA101 I have not used a checklist like this before to assess my material but this is a great resource for others. With the wilful spread of disinformation occurring at the moment knowing how to assess information is more critical than ever before. If we can teach people this then we wont have so many problems with people believing news like this https://www.theonion.com/

    1. Personal or team reflection Teachers can use the tool either individually or as part of a team, for example with a group of teachers within their school or with a team of subject teachers in their region or country. This can help planning within a school, network of schools, teacher education institution or local education authority. All responses to SELFIE for TEACHERS are anonymous and no personal data is shared. The data is not designed to rank or assess teacher performance but to empower teachers to learn how they can use technology effectively in their work and how they can foster digital skills of their students.

      Self reflection Both the teachers and students can use reflection as a learning tool by keeping a journal. It can be used in two ways: Self reflection after the weeks learning and make create a mindmap about key concepts OR students can be divided into groups to share their reflections in a team and provide feedback to each other.

    1. Innovative approaches based around use of creative media and onlinepeer and self-assessment; Accurate, timely and accessible evidenceon the effectiveness of curriculum design and delivery. (p. 9)

      Through the use of Learning Management systems, various innovative strategies can be employed to assess learning, this include self directed learning assessment activites identified by the tutors, peer assessment and the provision of feedback.

    1. ICTC’s primary research identifies the top technical skills required by educators (such as digital literacy, information/media literacy, and LMS fluency and awareness) and the top “human” or soft/transferrable skills (such as digital curiosity, interpersonal communication, and confidence). Similarly, interviewees identified the top technical and academic skills and competencies required by K-12 students for future success (such as digital citizenship, digital fluency, coding, etc.) as well as the top human or transferrable skills needed by students (such as critical thinking, communication, and adaptability, etc.).

      Getting tertiary students ready for world of work should be part of the visible curriculum, it needs to be scheduled just like any other module to prepare students for the workplace expectations, together with the industry involvement.

    2. In turn, this also requires teachers to be supported to develop the skills and knowledge required to fully utilize the capabilities of technology, whether in the classroom or in a hybridized model that utilizes distributed online learning.

      Digital skills need to start with teachers, hence my research topic on digital skills for teachers. Students are co-creatrors of knowledge therefore teachers need to be one step ahead of students. During school holidays scuh as this, teacher workshops should be organised to upskill and capacitate teachers.

    1. Spreading the Word. Communicating about the concept by highlighting the work of institutions that have established zero-textbook-cost degrees has great potential to attract mainstream media and create an atmosphere of excitement around the idea.

      The library is a great channel for spreading the word. Through the library we can engage with both teachers and learners and can help get them excited over the idea. There are great potential benefits to both sides, as teachers can actually tailor the material to their own contexts and learning goals. And the benefits for students of course is the affordability and access to the resources meaning there is no discrepancy between students who are financially comfortable from those who struggle to afford the basic resource requirement of courses they are enrolled in. it should be a requirement, of public institutions in particular, to make at least the core course work available to the students enrolled.

    1. Wikipedia article writing is not yet a mainstream coursework assignment in colleges. It is high time to make that happen. In 2019 Wikipedia turned 18, so maybe academics should start treating it as an adult.

      Academia needs to accept Wikipedia for the tool it is, and the nature of wiki writing needs to be taught to university students.

    1. Wikipedia's entries are comparable in quality to those in prestigious encyclopedias such as Britannica. However, it is difficult to measure the consistency of information that can be altered at any time.

      Encyclopaedias regular require updates where as Wikipedia is regularly updated. Crowdsourcing knowledge is beneficial when it is received and utilised with a careful critical perspective.

    1. Traditional academic articles – the most common source of scientific evidence – are typically only peer-reviewed by up to three people and then never edited again.

      This points to an interesting benefit of wiki's which is that an article is alive and can update its 'facts' as aspects may change. This is a leg up on traditional academic publishing which is only discounted by newer publications, and even if newer info is released the old information is still accorded academic reliability due to the reputation of the publication or journal it was published. Outdated, incorrect information cited from respected sources may do more damage than a wikipedia article which should always be viewed with acritical eye.

    1. The Top 10 Reasons Students Cannot Cite or Rely on Wikipedia published by finding Dulcinea.

      This resource is no longer available, or it requires authorisation or link is broken.

    1. Armed with these skills, students, like scientists, can mine Wikipedia for accurate and credible information without falling for fake news.

      This is not so much a comment on Wikipedia but rather any information resource found online, if one is equipped with the skills to evaluate the quality and reliability of a resource then the spaces where one can search for and find useable resources is broadened considerably.

    1. its contributors can chose which area they want to write about, which, in theory, means they only produce content where they are most qualified to do so

      according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_of_Wikipedia 77% of articles are written by 1% of writers, this would suggest that content is not created by those most qualified to do so but rather those most inclined to do so. It feels like an article goes up as a work in progress and then it relies on public engagement to correct and update.

    1. Wikipedia carries the general disclaimer that it can be "edited by anyone at any time" and maintains an inclusion threshold of "verifiability, not truth". This editing model is highly concentrated, as 77% of all articles are written by 1% of its editors, a majority of whom have chosen to remain anonymous.[1][2]

      This points to the problem of a large amount of work being attributed to a small amount of anonymous people. This would suggest that even if the facts are straight there is bound to be an amount of subjectivity meaning that the majority of articles are written with a similar worldview in mind. It may not effect the accuracy of work but it may affect was is and is not included in what is considered a comprehensive account on any given subject

  10. May 2022
  11. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. LiDA101 This page provides a great explanation of how the semantic differences of skills, and literacy and proficiency are experience in real life and why it is important to acknowledge the difference when it comes to teaching and learning goals and outcomes.

  12. Jun 2021
    1. A discipline specific system or framework is needed, which explicitly articulates the skills students require, guides the processes of embedding such skills into the curriculum, and at the same time values and acknowledges other ways of creating and conveying knowledge.

      Without this the students will not be able to make proper and full use of this mode of education.

    1. It will do so by focusing on particular problems and challenges for which OER provides an especially promising solution—from the out-of-control rise in the cost of textbooks to the provision of educational materials in the developing world

      The grants disbursed in such a focused manner will help in implementing ORE solutions and benefiting large number of school and students. It will go a long way in promoting equity in educaiton.

    1. OER’s potential impact is greatest at the individual level – in the lives of faculty, teachers and students, especially those from underserved backgrounds or who have different learning needs and styles

      The individuals make up the group and once the take advantage of OER improve and whole group will be benefitted. I am certain that the teachers and trainers of the conventional system will also take advantage and enrich their teaching strategies, methods and and their own basket of tools and techniques and in turn facilitate learning of their students.

    1. You Passed! Now, let's get your official Certification!

      Passing Certificate for the Course.

    1. Any threat to self is minimised, any handy reward is tempting. This alone accounts for a great deal of our procrastination as we avoid tasks that threaten the self, and we discount future rewards in favour of immediate gratification. A little more focus on emotional intelligence can help here. Too often, feelings trump reasons, and we give into feeling good.

    1. Welcome to Introduction to Predictive Analytics using Python

      Good and useful course to understand what predictive analysis entail. Will pursue it.

  13. May 2021
    1. Identifying a child’s dyslexia doesn’t limit their potential. It empowers them to understand the nature of their difficulties and strengths and their path for success

      This is a powerful statement. My son was diagnosed with Dysgraphia, he has always struggled with writing sentences and no matter how hard he tried, it looked like a scramble of letters on a page. Now he has been diagnosed, He can move on and focus his attention to learning, he now has the ability to use tools to help his dysgraphia (speech to text, laptops in exams) in exams and class project work. He is a smart kid and now on a path for success.

    1. His words run together, the letters are different sizes, and his sentences trail off in the middle. His spelling tests are atrocious, even though he can often spell the words correctly out loud in class

      This is exactly what my son shows in his written work. He is great at spelling and has no problems typing his thoughts down on a keyboard/ laptop. He has since been diagnosed with dysgraphia which now allows him to use a computer for his NCEA exams and tests. With out being tested, he would have struggled, I wonder how may other students might have been missed and as a result of it, have been disadvantage in learning?

  14. Apr 2021
    1. Dr Austen-Baker says that some articles on Wikipedia can be "exotically inaccurate", and that undergraduates must familiarise themselves with the equivalent, and often ignored, written encyclopaedias. He adds that over-reliance on free electronic materials makes it increasingly difficult to publish traditional books at all.

      This is a good point to make. Sometimes it is difficult to get your hands on written encyclopaedias, this maybe due to cost or the current Covid lock-down situation. If the cost of having wrong information out ways the cost of traditionally published reliable information, should we not try to spread reliable information?

    2. Lancaster lecturer Dr Catherine Easton says students must develop an ability to analyse the nature of the source material within Wikipedia, adding that the educator should ensure there is "a strong, continuing focus on the need to support academic work with references to acceptable scholarly sources".

      Teaching how to evaluate online content for reliability is a much more valuable research tool in the long run and what sustainable learning is all about - teaching skills which can be used in the future to generate more learning.

    1. Wikipedia can actually be a constructive tool in the classroom if understood and used correctly.

      Like anything, if you use the tool for what it should be, it can be effective.

  15. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      This is a great starting point for learners as it keeps it simple to read and follow. Building on this would be to incorporate digital fluences so the student is able to create new digital content. #LiDA101

  16. Mar 2021
    1. First year social work students reported considerable uncertainty about what was expected from them with regard to academic skills. Interview participants stated they felt like they had to “learn” these inherent assumptions during their initial weeks at university, while simultaneously learning course material and navigation of the institution as a whole.

      On this point, skills can learn by day-to-day experience of the social workers, somehow they have to learn their job theoretically and fundamentally. Degree is the validity of your knowledge and experience.

    1. Most OER degree programs are at community colleges, which serve student populations from lower income backgrounds, for whom the high cost of textbooks is an especially difficult challenge. But we’ve also supported OER degree programs at universities that serve some of the most disadvantaged student populations in the United States, and through the OERuniversitas, which is partnering with universities from around the world to offer a free, OER-based degree to everyone.

      I believe in this statement. Hoping that the OER degree would allow by the government to be adopted. It will give a great opportunity to the less fortunate people for them to have an education.

  17. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      Digital literacy focuses on the reasons for using digital technologies and how to use the digital technologies is more of a digital skill

    2. Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it is usually a good enough first stop to learn about something. However, students need to know how it is updated. They need to recognize that there are back-channel discussions about what ends up appearing on the site. These discussions can be fraught with power dynamics, resulting in controversial issues appearing unbalanced as more powerful authors block alternative viewpoints.

      Knowing that a source is not infallible is one one thing, but it it is useful to be reminded of the deliberate (for what ever reason) skewing of information. A healthy dose of cynicism is required!

    3. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      Great, succinct definitions of digital skills and digital literacies. Good way to introduce the ideas as well, as this is easy to remember and can be built on.

    1. Student reflections on micro-credentials earned through the CCoL Global Leaders Program show that students remain skeptical of the efficacy of micro-credentials in college admissions decisions. This adds credence to the belief that micro-credentials can serve as a framework for increasing student agency and promoting 21st Century learning goals, yet more could be done to communicate the value of micro-credentials to those earning them. If “value” is a function of what colleges look at in admissions decisions, and colleges need good examples in order to develop a systematic and fair way to assess badge submissions, this could present a chicken-and-egg problem.

      Highlights the need for a holistic approach - the ecosystem idea. Efficacy relates to the perceived goal, and if a common goal is to increase inclusion and diversity in higher education then Colleges need to determine the criteria they will use to evaluate a range of badges.

    1. Joined-up thinking, and the importance of digital literacy to active citizenship. The need for active citizenship (requiring equity of access to learning) to be a goal, to create a "more effective and equitable lifelong learning ecosystem."

    2. Importance of inclusion and equity for the future of micro credentials, beyond the traditional job-market and tertiary education environment

  18. Feb 2021
  19. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. he discuss

      Discussions are very important for keeping students engaged. Very often I find the students bringing in different perspective if they are given the opportunity to feel free to speak their minds. However, using technology alone cannot foster discussions. It is important to identify few students who are willing to share ideas, then others can join in to discuss.

  20. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Teaching digital literacy does not mean teaching digital skills in a vacuum, but doing so in an authentic context that makes sense to students. It means teaching progressively rather than sequentially, which helps learners understand better and more clearly over time.

      This is important point. Literacy is not linear but situated and authentic. This is why digital literacy needs to be embedded across the curriculum. #LiDA101

    2. technical proficiency but about the issues

      Very often the case is that children are encourage to build their technical proficiency in the digital world. One thing that is missing from this approach is the emphasis on building Digital Intelligence (DQ) which is a set of competencies based on moral values. more details and a comprehensive framework for developing, assessing and integrating DQ into digital literacy curriculam can be found at https://www.dqinstitute.org/dq-framework/#digital_intelligence.

  21. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Engaging in Reading, Authoring, and Community Through Virtual Literacy-Casts

      This is a very insightful article that contains valuable tips for making an online class interactive. The participants of the class were quite diverse ranging from school students, parents, teachers and graduate students. The takeaways from their more than 50 sessions having 60 to 80 students are as follows: 1. sessions can fail if proper control on participants microphone, screen name edit capability and WiFi access devices, 2. Once the participants are muted encouraging them to through ideas on the chat room and later reading aloud some of the chat comments to all the participants helps, 3. If the teaching and online class management tasks are shared with participants as co-hosts, the class can collaborate more, 4. if the detail lesson plan is shared in advance, the students have a better idea when certain teaching items will be delivered and can prepare better, 5. encouraging the participants to write and share blogs through sending invitations can help, 6. creating an engaging community among the participants can boast the over all class engagement significantly.

  22. Oct 2020
    1. How is digital fluency different from digital literacy? In learning a foreign language, a literate person can read, speak, and listen for understanding in the new language. A fluent person can create something in the language: a story, a poem, a play, or a conversation. Similarly, digital literacy is an understanding of how to use the tools; digital fluency is the ability to create something new with those tools. Digital fluency can be viewed as an evolving collection of fluencies including, but not limited to, curiosity fluency, communication fluency, creation fluency, data fluency, and innovation fluency.

      This comparison takes a narrow view of digital literacy. Often the term includes the ability to critically evaluate digital content and to create digital media (see e.g. Perspectives of digital literacies. However, the concept of digital fluency is also useful and this definition includes useful elements.

    1. Digital literacy is a language; the more digital skills you have, the better you can speak it.

      This metaphor doesn't really make sense to me.

    2. Cornell University defines digital literacy as ‘the ability to find, evaluate, utilize, share, and create content using information technologies and the Internet’6. By this definition, digital skills are any skills related to being digitally literate. Anything from the ability to find out your high-score on Minesweeper to coding a website counts as a digital skill.

      The Cornell University definition of digital literacy is useful, but this article focuses on digital skills, which miss out the higher order skills like evaluating and creating. Digital literacy, not just a collection of digital skills, is necessary to succeed in many workplaces.

    1. Digital literacy should be positioned as an entitlement for students that supports their full participation in a society in which social, cultural, political, and financial life are increasingly mediated by digital literacies

      Positioning digital literacy as an entitlement is useful language to persuade individual educators and institutions that digital literacy is core to 21st century education, not just an optional add-on.

    1. lives of faculty

      This is especially the case for contract academic staff or those in precariously positions.

    2. open educational practice captures the true potential of OER to improve teaching and learning

      I think this is where the real power of open education can be felt. Sure free textbooks are great, but how can we leverage them to inform our teaching.

    1. Hi Everyone.....I guess we are all enjoying our courses. It has been a thrilling experience for me so far.

  23. Sep 2020
    1. Susceptibility to bias

      For a class called "Women, Art, and Society" students were assigned artists to research and either add to Wikipedia or edit and expand their current pages. It was surprising to see the number of women, and other marginalized artists that were rejected because they were not "established" enough.

    2. Viewing Wikipedia as fitting the economists' definition of a perfectly competitive marketplace of ideas, George Bragues (University of Guelph-Humber), examined Wikipedia's articles on seven top Western philosophers: Aristotle, Plato, Immanuel Kant, René Descartes, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Thomas Aquinas, and John Locke. Wikipedia's articles were compared to a consensus list of themes culled from four reference works in philosophy. Bragues found that, on average, Wikipedia's articles only covered 52% of consensus themes. No errors were found, though there were significant omissions

      Yes, these are accurate but I think this example does point to the extent to which Wikipedia marginalizes the contributions of women, and people of colour.

      LiDA101

    1. Truncate search terms to retrieve all variants of a term. Truncation symbols vary from database to database. Examples include: *, ?, !, % and $. For example:  If you search on the term plagiar* in ProQuest, you will retrieve articles that contain any words that begin with the letters plagiar, including: plagiarism, plagiarize, plagiarizing, plagiarized, plagiarizer, plagiarizers, plagiarist, etc. Using the truncation symbol will allow you to broaden your search to include materials on any variant of a term. Most database search interfaces are not sophisticated enough to search for all variants of a term automatically.
  24. www.literacyworldwide.org www.literacyworldwide.org
    1. Teaching digital literacy does not mean teaching digital skills in a vacuum, but doing so in an authentic context that makes sense to students. It means teaching progressively rather than sequentially, which helps learners understand better and more clearly over time.

      There should be gradual introduction of digital literacy in the learning process as students have different levels and means of understanding and translating and relating meaning. As living in the real world is not a linear process, living in the digital world and embracing its different literacy needs needs rather a continuous process of varying depth of understanding.

    2. To be honest, I avoid putting my students in high-risk situations, but this does not mean avoiding teaching digital literacy. It means discussing with them why they would post a real photo of themselves as avatars versus something more abstract. It means talking about audience—whom they are addressing and who are people who might accidentally come across their blogs or tweets. It means opening dialogue about why we write in public, to what end, and for whose benefit.

      This is an example of how to teach digital literacies and critical thinking

    1. Digital literacy is the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills."

      It is a good description of digital literacy,in my opinion.

  25. May 2020
    1. To make use of open social annotation does not necessarily mean that instructional activities must be done in a public layer

      At OERu, we encourage public annotations tagged with the specific course code which enables these interactions to be harvested for a syndicated course feed for the benefit of the open learning cohorts.

    1. reliability has been tested

      This is a confirmation of the creditability for sources extracted from Wikipedia

    1. Our research shows that scientists are using Wikipedia and it is influencing how they write about the science that they are doing,

      It's true. It is safe to use Wikipedia as a reliable sourch especially for academics since information put on Wikipedia is verified before published.

    1. Information is everywhere on the Internet, existing in large quantities and continuously being created and revised.

      Much as information is commonly based on facts, opinions, stories and interpretations. Verification of reliability and accuracy is very important in learning and conducting researches, and for what they are intended for.

    1. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.
      1. Our learners needs to be taught how to become Digital literate with the emphasis of educational resources (purposed), that is how to discover information, control, manage, store and reflect on it to accomplish learning desires. It is true Digital Literacy is not about the skill of using technology, we see many youth in the world using technology for other features like setting up a Personal Computer to fixing them. Judgement to this conclusion is an attributable factor into digital literacy, questions like "How do we use social media platforms for and what we intend to achieve" should be addressed in the concept of Digital Literacy, that is, to find, evaluate and compose clear information through writing, pruducing images, audios and designs using technologies using both cognitive and technical skills.
  26. Oct 2019
    1. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom. For example, teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions, in addition to reminding students to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities.

      Knowing how to carry out the digital tasks would be the skills that the individual has. However, when he can explain the rationale behind choices made and knows the proper etiquette that guides his actions when performing the skill, then he can be said to be digitally literate

    2. We can only begin to put the seeds of this critical literacy in our classes and hope students will transfer this beyond the classroom and into their increasingly digital identities and lives.

      This is a point really relevant to our world now. Digital use of technology has drastically increased, and is relied upon in classroom teaching environments. What we are seeing in our younger communities is research about overuse of digital technology having a potentially negative effect on learning, ability to communicate and empathise, and mental health. Things, such as bullying, can be carried out in private rather than in the school playground, which can make it a more dangerous behaviour. We've got to acknowledge that while digital technology is fantastic, overuse of digital platforms such as social networking can be detrimental. Digital technology has ballooned faster than we can understand its effects on us. I propose that part of digital literacy is also learning appropriateness of its use, and how to balance the use of technology in our lives so that it does not become all consuming.

    1. As an educator, I have applied digital literacy skills in my secondary school science classrooms. I have used instructional media like iClickers and SMART boards for interactive activities and virtual laboratories. I have also used grade management software like MarkBook to deduce and analyze trends for individual students and whole classes. Online instructional tools such as Wikis empower digitally smart educators to collaboratively design and deliver resources to nurture young minds. For students to be digitally literate, they not only need to learn how to use technology, but to be critical of the information they gather. Students are exposed to information digitally—articles, statistics, videos. They require explicit instruction that information might be old, biased, fake, illegal, or discriminatory. The Ontario provincial curriculum, like many others, talks about imparting 21st century skills, and digital literacy falls under that category. Educators are evolving instruction to teach students to discern information by being analytical thinkers.

      This is an interesting view of the differences in digital literacy according to who the user is, particularly from an education perspective. We have the educator using technology as a resource to share information, and the learner using technology as a resource to learn while also learning how to be critically reflective of how they are using it. Without saying so, this is a fair example of the difference between digital skills, and digital literacy.

    1. In 2016, Wikipedia defined Digital literacy as the knowledge, skills, and behaviors used in a broad range of digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs, all of which are seen as network rather than computing devices. In other words, this definition somehow extends computer literacy by networking aspects, but further down, digital literacy is rather defined in terms of applicable competencies, including social ones

      This statement acknowledges the flexibility of the definition of digital literacy. This edutech wiki article has introductions to a collection of different models with links to the sources and a reference list. A great overview and launchpad for understanding digital literacy.

    1. But when they're actually doing something themselves--in the virtual worlds on iPads or laptops--that retention rate skyrockets to 90%.

      This resonates with teaching and learning philosophies. Learning through reading, hearing, seeing are passive activities and utlise less brain activity. Active participation increases activation of neuro pathways which increases the ability to make connections and cognitively develop knowledge. This research reflects that appropriately managed use of digital technology can be beneficial in education and as this demonstrates, can promote education. It would be helpful if this article had a reference list.

  27. Sep 2019
    1. The use of social media during the Arab Spring. People used social media in a way that went far beyond knowing how to click and deep into civic uses and navigating ways to communicate with others under the radar of a communication-hindering government. It was a way of both encouraging one another to remain critical and supporting one another through adversity in creative ways.

    1. takes time to build.

      This is such an important point. Critical judgement about any topic takes time to learn - probably more time than a handful of workshops, a single subject or even a semester. And it will be an ongoing process as the cultural context and technologies change. Teaching these skills/literacies is not a one-and-done

    2. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      This excerpt brings to mind a video-editing course I taught at a local art college. The students came from various backgrounds and skill levels, so I had to access their individual approaches to storytelling before we could even attempt an assembly of clips. We watched a lot of films from different genres and countries. Our discussions about how frames are stitched together to form "visual grammar" revealed that no two editors assemble a film the exact same way. Mastering the skills of visual communication allowed the students to than work toward mastering the software; but had I concentrated on just teaching them the mechanics of editing (which my faculty head insisted on) there would've been less compelling edits and more of the same cookie-cutter results. We also kept a careful eye on our student "audience" responses to help analyze what worked and what didn't. The culmination of all this was a focused deconstruction of how movies are spliced together to form the experiences that we enjoy.

    1. Professors rightly object to its use for final papers, but see it as a valuable jumping off point for research,

      The irony of an entry on the "Reliability of Wikipedia" posted on Wikipedia notwithstanding, the author(s) do make the point that I have heard directly from my professors and instructors; that Wikipedia is a good starting point and the footnotes and bibliographies can often lead to more accurate resources.

    1. “The first step is admitting that everyone, from students to doctors, uses Wikipedia,”

      Good advice, since it's not designed to dismiss Wikipedia out of hand, but acknowledges the fact that it is the de facto source for online information second (probably) to Google.

    1. Fairness includes offering a balanced, reasoned argument, not selected or slanted.

      "Fairness" has weighted connotations and can be easily confused with unbiased opinion. The FCC once had a policy that allowed for diverse views to be broadcast thus facilitating open discourse while allowing divergent views a quorum for public evaluation. In this context, one must consider the facts as they're presented and look for signs of deceptive argumentation: straw man, ad hominem, or fallacies of false equivalencies all of which can sound analytical, but are antithetical to fairness.

  28. Aug 2019
    1. Although most of these editors are undoubtedly intelligent and passionate about enhancing the accuracy of Wikipedia, the site falls far short of its ideals of providing “the sum of all human knowledge” without the broad perspectives that a more diversified pool of editors would bring.

      "The sum of all human knowledge" should have editors of diverse cultural backgrounds from all parts of the world.

    1. For example, at the University of California, Los Angeles, Jeff Share teaches his education students to triangulate any research they come across online by finding multiple sources of the same information, reports The Washington Post.

      Triangulation seems to be a good way of weeding out doubtful sources.

    2. Yet, because anyone can write a Wikipedia entry, it’s often highly stigmatized in academic communities. This latest study, however, shows that if consumed carefully, Wikipedia can be a legitimate resource.

      We obviously have to carefully evaluate the information using CARS or any other recommended checklist.

    3. So, if Wikipedia is good enough for scientists, it should be good enough for students, right? This is where digital literacy best practices come in

      Not sure I agree with this statement.

    1. Research. As zero-textbook-cost degrees are implemented across the country, research could be conducted to analyze the impact of degree establishment on student access and success, as well as on faculty pedagogical practice. Metrics related to access and success might include credit loads, withdrawal rates, persistence rates, pass rates, and actual cost savings.

      Zero-textbook cost degrees is still a long way off as far as India goes. Our students are now extremely proficient in the use of the internet and open sources. However, compared to open access resources use of standardised textbooks in traditionnal classrooms is definitely better as teachers has a personal connect with the student. This is particularly necessary as students are becoming victims of PUBG and other such addctive games leading to either suicide or other behavioural problems. We do not need a plethora of zombie students in our schools and colleges!

    1. As far as I can tell, open educational practice captures the true potential of OER to improve teaching and learning. Now that adoption of OER has been maturing and expanding, more people are interested in how to use OER more effectively. In other words, they’re asking what can OER do that traditional textbooks cannot?

      Replacing text books with open resources does push teachers out of their comfort zones!

    1. Digital literacy is very much different from digital skills. Actually Librarian nowaday is training students with these DL skills: copyright, academic integrity, permissions,...

  29. Jun 2019
  30. Mar 2019
  31. Oct 2018
    1. Increase In The Usage Of mLearning For Formal Learning Fueled by microlearning and the concept of learning paths that now enable traditional eLearning courses to be mapped to multiple microlearning nuggets that can be taken on the go, this trend will continue to grow.
    2. Mobile eLearners typically study for 40 minutes longer than students using a desktop or tablet. (Source: MNAlearning) Smartphone learners complete course material 45% faster than those using a computer. (Source: Lynda)

      I found this information very interesting.

  32. Sep 2018
    1. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing. We can only begin to put the seeds of this critical literacy in our classes and hope students will transfer this beyond the classroom and into their increasingly digital identities and lives.

      Extremely true and relatable concluding statements that sum up the purpose behind this article and transcends awareness over the issue.

    2. They need to recognize that there are back-channel discussions about what ends up appearing on the site. These discussions can be fraught with power dynamics, resulting in controversial issues appearing unbalanced as more powerful authors block alternative viewpoints.

      I never knew about this! It is quite interesting as it shifts our thoughts to the possibility of having different digital power dynamics at play and who decides about what ends up appearing on the site.

    3. After students have the skill to use multiple platforms, I allow them the choice of which platform to use for the support they need, but I make sure they ask questions. When is it best to do a Google search versus ask a question on Twitter? Why would students tweet to a particular hashtag or person versus another? When they tweet to people from another country in another time zone, what kind of context do they need to consider? What should they add, remove, or modify in order to communicate better?

      I think these are very insightful questions that rarely come to mind when I personally use social media. However these questions should be taken into account to know the audience you are addressing, and what kind of message do you want to put out there, and which social media platform to use.

    4. For example, teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions, in addition to reminding students to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities.

      A very helpful and simple example that clearly distinguishes between digital skills and digital literacies.

    5. It was a way of both encouraging one another to remain critical and supporting one another through adversity in creative ways.

      Social media had a huge role in the activating the initial sparks of the Arab spring through political posts and various media sharing

    6. For example, teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions, in addition to reminding students to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities

      Examples always makes it easier to grasp and understand the differences between such information. This example really helps a lot explaining the difference between digital literacy and digital skills..

    7. For example, it is worth discussing the process of Wikipedia. Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it is usually a good enough first stop to learn about something. However, students need to know how it is updated. They need to recognize that there are back-channel discussions about what ends up appearing on the site. These discussions can be fraught with power dynamics, resulting in controversial issues appearing unbalanced as more powerful authors block alternative viewpoints.

      University professors always discourage us "students" from using Wikipedia or even taking a look at it as it's not credible, yet i agree it's useful for some background information

    8. confidence

      Lack of confidence is a significant barrier to digital engagement, especially among people who have not grown up with digital technology from childhood. This has several aspects, including: (a) feeling unsure of their own technical skills, (b) anticipating stressful technical problems with software and/or hardware, (c) lacking the tools to assess the trustworthiness of software/media providers and (d) having a heightened sense of 'stranger danger' because of the absence of familiar social cues and safeguards.

    1. Broadly speaking, digital fluency is a combination of these three concepts:digital, or technical, proficiency: able to understand, make judgements about, select and use appropriate technologies and technological systems for different purposes; this might include knowing how to use technologies to protect one’s data, digital identity, and device security.   digital literacy: in digital spaces, being able to read, create, critique and make judgements about the accuracy and worth of information being accessed; being fluent in critical thinking and problem-solving online; Use digital tools to collaborate and construct information across all relevant and significant contexts social competence, or dispositional knowledge: the ability to be able to relate to others and communicate with them effectively; able to manage one’s identity, information, relationships in ways that are appropriate, responsible, safe and sustainable.

      Digital fluency definition.

  33. Aug 2018
    1. This is a introduction to the OERu, with a special focus on the open source tools that make it all work for both learners and educators around the globe!

  34. May 2018
    1. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      this is very true. At first, I did not understand the difference very well, but i believe that this sentence perfectly describes how literacy is about The What and the Why while the sskills are about the How.

  35. Apr 2018
    1. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      Although they may seem different, but these terms are highly interrelated, and they are highly complementary, but one must understand the distinction between each term.

    2. When we encourage students to use technology, do we remind them of the risks of placing their information online and give them choices of how much personal information to reveal? Do our students recognize the ways in which Facebook’s privacy settings continually shift without user permission, and what posting a photo today might mean for their future employment opportunities? Do students recognize the importance of password-protecting their devices and having different passwords across platforms?

      I believe that this is highly important when technology is used in classrooms. These facts about privacy and taking security measures must be greatly stressed on and taught in classes as it expands the students' digital literacy and minimizes the risks that might happen.

    3. Digital skills would focus on which tool to use (e.g., Twitter) and how to use it (e.g., how to tweet, retweet, use TweetDeck), while digital literacy would include in-depth questions: When would you use Twitter instead of a more private forum? Why would you use it for advocacy? Who puts themselves at risk when they do so?

      This paragraph clearly distinct and explains the difference between digital skills and digital literacy using a great example that is easily understood.

    4. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      Key component for understanding the difference but also the interconnectedness between Digital Skills and Digital Literacy.

    1. Many of the students work part time in addition to studying, but despite this often feel under financial constraint: There’s a few fees you’ve got t

      This is not only what I experiences through all levels of college. It is also what I see as a growing reality and the colleges have not adequately adapted to understanding and supporting this reality.

  36. Mar 2018
    1. civic, critical, creative, and communicative. The other four are cultural, cognitive, constructive, and confidence

      Younger people have many of these skills to a degree that people of my generation are deeply lacking while often not being deliberately taught them, but because of the lack of explicit teaching there can be glaring gaps in these skills, especially norms around respect.

    2. Teaching digital literacy does not mean teaching digital skills in a vacuum, but doing so in an authentic context that makes sense to students

      Context is a critical element for developing digital literacy. Learning by doing is an age old adage and learning in meaningful contexts ensures that the doing part is something that the learner would be doing anyway. Using online referencing tools like Zotero allows a learner to read, make a record of that reading and refer to that in an essay. At the same time they can learn about online and offline tools and synchronisation, sharing, commenting, co-operation, cultural norms of accrediting ideas, licensing, browser extensions, and confidence in setting up and utilising digital applications. The learner wants to ensure they have references for their essay. They get this and develop their digital skills and literacies at the same time without being 'taught'.

    3. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      This is so true many people don't think about the logic and reasoning as to why they choose to do what they want with devices. People don't look at all the possibilities when it comes to posting that picture or editing it... There's just so much with technology it can be scary.

    4. I place students in authentic situations as much as possible.

      I do this as well for info lit sessions - the students aren't going to retain the information if you don't give them hands on experience using the tools in conjunction with the newly discovered literacy ability.

    5. Moreover, it is worth discussing how to enhance accessibility of students’ digital content. Are they cognizant of using fonts that are easy to read? Are they conscious of accessible color schemes? Do they know to provide alternative text to images?

      There are whole websites devoted to running accessibility tests and yet so few of our websites and content there in is truly accessible. I think of students I know and the complaints they have voiced over struggling to read busy pages, or pages with too sharp a contrast.

    6. It is important for students to recognize that although technology gives us a lot of power, it also restricts us in many ways, and we need to question how the affordances of technology modify our communication and our behavior.

      This is a point of great interest to me. I am interested to hear ideas about how we can develop this understanding among students and all users of the internet.

    7. We also need to recognize the risks of blogging/tweeting, which include opening avenues for abuse.

      This is something that I always think about before I write anything online. In the past many students have told me that trolling and online abuse is just normal—perhaps that shows that while they knew how to use many digital tools, they didn't have strong digital literacy.

    8. Digital skills would focus on which tool to use (e.g., Twitter) and how to use it (e.g., how to tweet, retweet, use TweetDeck), while digital literacy would include in-depth questions: When would you use Twitter instead of a more private forum? Why would you use it for advocacy? Who puts themselves at risk when they do so?

      This a great example to show the difference between digital skills and digital literacy. I like the example because reflects a very common situation in social media.

    1. teaches her students to execute critical thinking no matter where they are doing their online research.

      As part of our info lit sessions, at my employing institution, we teach students that they can possibly utilize the bibliography and build up subject terms from Wikipedia. The caveat is indeed that we are trying to get the to think critically, while doing this - if it isn't appearing anywhere else, it's probably too good to be true.

    2. today’s climate of “fake” and biased news.

      This is a good point, the news has always been biased, the ease that people can create and share information has made this a huge issue.

    3. “Scholarly inquiry requires analyzing information for credibility and understanding if an online resource is primary, secondary or irrelevant,” Pasquini writes.

      Digital literacy assists with this, being able to see if a source is credible, by fact checking with other sources as well.

    4. “We need to change the conversation from one of abstinence to intelligent information consumption

      Henceforth, the importance of digital literacy, summed up in a basic sentence, especially when dealing with Wikipedia.

    1. Well, where to begin? My experience of #lida101 has demonstrated that my learning style has changed dramatically from my previous experience in formal learning environments. This course has taught me that I am an inconsistent learner (I didn’t always follow  instructions, learning plans or syllabus prompts, nor did I complete all the tasks). I have to acknowledge that I no longer follow a linear pattern of learning. Somewhat embarrassingly, I have become that student that just does their own thing, pottering around distractedly, probably much to the frustration of the t

      I can relate to this so much. It's been about 10 years since I've actually been in a college classroom and I miss it because everyone has their own learning styles and I like being around people. But what I've learned about doing this online course about myself is while I am that student who does go off track and does her own thing I don't necessarily think that it's a bad thing. And I say that because we are creating our own personal learning environment and that does mean us branching out into different places and doing different things. Learning in this digital age you have so many resources in there so many people to communicate with but at the end of the day it's still just you working with that piece of technology. And I've always been one to March to the Beat of My Own Drum and do my own thing but I've learned lots of different things and I will continue to learn different things despite my faults. I hope you can relate.

    1. K-12 school districts are starting to not just adopt, but to focus on teaching teachers how to effectively use OER in ways that improve student learning.

      I'm curious about how widespread this integration into "teaching the teachers" is in other countries, especially in the Pacific region. While their does appear to be some uptake by primary & secondary educators, it doesn't yet appear widespread in this region yet.

    1. A bottom-up approach driven by faculty and embraced by college administrators is far more likely to lead to changes that will be broadly accepted on campus and endure

      So it means finding advocates within an institution, and supporting them with their open textbook projects, as well as giving them the support & tools to advocate to their administration about the benefits of OpenTextbooks.

      One concern for academics might be that their work on zero-textbooks is not recognized as a legitimate academic activity that contributes towards tenure or performance-based funding - how can we support their argument that it is valid?

    2. with the average U.S. college student now spending $1200 each year on textbooks and other course materials on top of tuition,

      This is an extreme cost, and this was written in 2015 so fees have only sky rockted since then, which makes OpenStax an amazing resource for students needing textbooks.

    1. Millennial students seem to prefer badging and certificate programs to traditional bachelor’s degrees

      Students are searching for alternative credits which add to their degrees or perhaps help in some way when they graduate.

    1. Website detailing alternative credits and how they can improve upon degrees.

    2. The thing that is important to note is that this is a “both and” not an “either or” scenario.

      In the OERu context, this is an important point. Many OERu micro-credentials are mapped to formal academic credit towards university qualifications.

    1. MOOC provider offering career education and prepartion courses and provides skill set education.

    1. . There is little diversity among editors. According to a 2009 survey by the Wikimedia Foundation, 87 percent of Wikipedia editors are male, with an average age of 26.8 years. According to executive director Sue Gardner, they hail mostly from Europe and North America, and many of them are in graduate school. Although most of these editors are undoubtedly intelligent and passionate about enhancing the accuracy of Wikipedia, the site falls far short of its ideals of providing “the sum of all human knowledge” without the broad perspectives that a more diversified pool of editors would bring.

      An issue with all things tech-related.

    1. (inserting false, defamatory or biased statements into biographies) have attracted publicity.[2][3]

      Always double check sources, as using one bad source can discredit anything it's used on. This also basically sums up the entire article and is evidence of why digital literacy is so imperative.

    1. Accuracy The goal of the accuracy test is to assure that the information is actually correct: up to date, factual, detailed, exact, and comprehensive.

      Accuracy is the single most important thing you can find online, although it's almost impossible. One bad source can discredit an entire report/paper/essay as it bleeds through with misinformation and non-credible sources.

    1. This work explores the connection between psychological well-being and Internet use in older adults

      This could be an interesting research topic.

    1. Those capabilities that mean an individual is fit for living, learning and working in a digital society. Digital literacy is about being able to make use of technologies to participate in and contribute to modern social, cultural, political and economic life.'

      Defining digital literacy.

    1. This includes individuals who create or adapt OER for their own teaching and learning purposes; nonprofit OER publishers and libraries; commercial OER publishers; as well as educational technology vendors looking to incorporate OER into their products or services.

      The OER ecosystem comprises many players with different goals, and that's fine. For this reason I think the CARE values are important for building a thriving and sustainable network.

  37. Feb 2018
    1. Twitter instead of

      Or for example, the implications of choosing a proprietary tool like Twitter versus using an open source service like Mastodon.

    2. Who puts themselves at risk when they do so?

      Digital literacy involves assessing the risks associated with actions you take online.

    3. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      Skills versus literacy

    4. Digital literacies are not solely about technical proficiency but about the issues, norms, and habits of mind surrounding technologies used for a particular purpose. —Doug Belshaw, educational researcher

      Digital skills, literacy, and fluency are interdependent.

  38. Sep 2017
    1. It was a way of both encouraging one another to remain critical and supporting one another through adversity in creative ways.

      At the time of the Arab Spring it may have been a very effective tool for speaking out but now I personally believe that social networks are constantly watched by governments because I know people who have private posts on facebook who were tracked down and arrested for political posts. Therefore, the reliability of social media as a means of voicing opinions about controversial matters has become highly questionable to me.

    2. It is important for students to recognize that although technology gives us a lot of power, it also restricts us in many ways, and we need to question how the affordances of technology modify our communication and our behavior.

      We are blinded in seeing the downsides to using technology since it has become an essential part of our lives and not questioning the risks of what can go wrong e.g. hacking etc. can lead to serious problems because people don't think twice about what they say or post online and how troublesome it can be if it falls in the wrong hands.

    3. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      The for whom part made me realize that most people our age who's daily lives are dependent on technology are not very digitally literate even though we may be highly skilled. This is because the majority of us don't really think about how posting things on the internet are accessible by everyone and sometimes it can be really hard to limit the audience.

    4. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      Significant when discussing digital literacies as being mindful and alert/aware is a crucial aspect.

    5. digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions, in addition to reminding students to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities.

      Clear example when representing the difference between digital skills and digital literacy, as it conveys that both terms have distinctive goals and purposes.

    6. to use alternative text for images to support those with visual disabilities.

      This is something that everyone must strive to learn because you have to be able to include everyone when sharing information. This also raises awareness that there are people with different abilities and that they should not she excluded because of them.

    7. teaching digital skills would include showing students how to download images from the Internet and insert them into PowerPoint slides or webpages. Digital literacy would focus on helping students choose appropriate images, recognize copyright licensing, and cite or get permissions

      I found this example to be insightful because coming to think about it now, in school all we were taught were the skills but our teachers never thought that it would be useful for us in this day and age to be digitally literate.

    8. When is it best to do a Google search versus ask a question on Twitter? Why would students tweet to a particular hashtag or person versus another? When they tweet to people from another country in another time zone, what kind of context do they need to consider? What should they add, remove, or modify in order to communicate better?

      This is significant because it portrays the importance of highlighting the different platforms being used depending on the task. Nowadays many people consider social media as a package, resulting in an excess of information regarding the individual, literally all over the internet.

    9. We should not be throwing students into the public domain to discuss sensitive topics without having conversations with them on what they might face and which of these risks they are willing to take, how they would handle it, and how they might support each other.

      This is extremely important especially with students who were born into this technological world, those who see it as the norm. We, or actually i myself was able to experience a technology free childhood and that is why i take my precautions when using any public domain because i understand what might happen but younger children who see the internet as a part of their everyday lives must be educated on its dangers.

    10. confidence

      I believe not only confidence but also mutual respect.

    11. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom.

      I believe that both are interlinked. To be able to be digitally literate one must be digitally skilled.

    12. It is important for students to recognize that although technology gives us a lot of power, it also restricts us in many ways, and we need to question how the affordances of technology modify our communication and our behavior.

      I really liked this part as, with the power of technology, some people might think that they are actually more free, to communicate or to behave in the way in which they see as appropriate, however they might not see that their own behaviors might offend someone, and could cause even more serious problems.

    13. Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.

      I believe that digital literacy is co-dependent on the individual's own views, norms, and experiences. Therefore, it is important to teach digital skills while teaching those important aspects of digital literacies that they might not have been aware of such as privacy, when to post and talk about a certain issue and when not to, who to address, etc.

    14. Digital literacies are not solely about technical proficiency but about the issues, norms, and habits of mind surrounding technologies used for a particular purpose.

      It very true to understand the difference between digital literacy and digital skills. In the past, I was ignorant about this issue and never thought about it them as being two separate terms. Skills is like giving someone a paintbrush and show them how to paint a tree, then the literacy would be applied when the student start reflecting on their emotions, experience, and their still life view to paint a unique piece of painting. Inspiring the student to understand digital literacy is very important for them to learn beyond what they have learned in class and some of the assignments.

    15. Digital literacies are not solely about technical proficiency

      This is a key message - digital literacies are much more than digital skills. The concept is also culturally bounded taking into account the social norms of the respective communities. Can you think of any examples? Please share by replying to this annotation.

    1. academic skill requirements and how they would be assessed

      This emphasises the importance of reading the criteria of the marking rubric to determine what academic skills will be assessed.

    2. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education

      This is an open access journal, therefore we have permissions to host an online copy of the article.

    3. he skills necessary for higher education (Horstmanshof & Brownie, 2013), particularly as students are entering deg

      The OERu's Learning in a Digital Age course was developed to respond to this need.

    1. zero-textbook-cost degrees

      The zero-textbook cost degrees will save learners millions of dollars. The OERu takes this one step further by assembling full online courses based entirely on OER. Of interest, if you have studied at university before, how much money did you spend on average per year purchasing proprietary textbooks? In the past, have you decided not to purchase a prescribed text because it was too expensive?

    1. improve learning through teaching practices that are enabled by content that is freely available to copy, edit and share.

      Thinking about what open can do that can't be easily be replicated using "closed" models is key - because this is the strategic point of difference for OER. This LiDA course is a good example - learners are encouraged to source open access materials in pursuit of their own interests rather than prescribing a closed textbook. Can you think of other examples that open enables?

    1. peer review process

      LiDA is a tertiary education course and as such we place a high value on peer reviewed research. Its always a good idea to check the respective journal's review processes online. See for example the Peer Review Process for IRRODL: http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/about/editorialPolicies#peerReviewProcess

  39. Aug 2017
    1. Librem 5, the phone that focuses on security by design and privacy protection by default. Running Free/Libre and Open Source software and a GNU+Linux Operating System designed to create an open development utopia, rather than the walled gardens from all other phone providers.

      This is relevant to anyone uncomfortable with the degree of control multinational corporations have over their digital identity, which is increasingly becoming peoples' main identity.