Author: chasebrown (Page 1 of 2)

Blog Post #4- Open Pedagogy, Open Educational Resources, Global Trends and Creative Commons Licensing

12 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Key Definition:

Terms to look out for while reading:

Open educational resources: teaching and learning resources that are released to the public and allow individuals to access, adapt and redistribute the source with limited or no restrictions.

Open pedagogy: a learning style that utilizes open educational resources to support learning

Pedagogy: the practices and methods of teaching. The focus is on how we teach rather than what we teach

Instructional Scaffolding: allowing students to who are struggling to work with a more advanced student, adult or resource to allow them to reach their learning goals.

Creative commons license: a license created by the author of the work that sets a guideline for how the public may utilize their resources.

Public Domain: category of creative commons licensing in which the resources are unprotected by property law.

What is Open Pedagogy:

The video above describes open pedagogy. It starts by distinguishing two things–open and pedagogy. Open refers to the use of open educational resources whereas pedagogy refers to the practices and methods used to teach. Open pedagogy relies on an instructors ability to accept and incorporate open educational resources as a tool to make learning more accessible and affordable.

Teachers have many avenues they can take when instructing students. Pedagogy–the practices and methods that guide instruction, can be interpreted and applied differently depending on the instructor and their goals. Open pedagogy, also known as open educational practice is complicated and can be defined in numerous different ways. One way to conceptualize open pedagogy is as a system of practices and methods that utilize open educational resources (OER) to reduce the barriers associated with education and make it more affordable and accessible. Open educational resources are free learning materials that anyone is able to adapt, change or redistribute with minimal or no limitations. This can include videos, textbooks, lesson plans and worksheets.

Open pedagogy is composed of three main features:

Open Planning: when creating course materials and curriculum, there is open collaboration before solidifying the content, lessons and teaching strategies. Instructors are able to see what other teachers have done and their reflections and challenges before solidifying the details of their own course. For example, an instructor may take a look at other teacher’s lesson plans for Biology 11 before solidifying the content breakdown of their own course.
Open Products: Products of the course such as the instructor’s lesson plans and the students work can be used for something larger in the global community.
Open Reflection: Actively and openly reflecting on the course and documenting successes and challenges can enlighten future instructors on the possible challenges associated with the resources, lesson plans or the pedagogical approach taken. For example, a teacher may change their strategy for instructing stoichiometry, if they see other teacher’s commentary on the challenges associated with that practice.

How is Open Pedagogy Different than Traditional Methods?

Each teaching methodology is incredibly different and offers different benefits and challenges for both the instructor and the student. For example, direct instruction is when instructors provide explicit, step-by-step teaching, usually in a lecturing format. This strategy can be beneficial due to how streamline the lessons flow but, can be negative due to low engagement and passive learning. Dissimilarly, inquiry based instruction focuses and supports students ability to explore their problems and questions for themself. This can lead to greater engagement and problem-solving skills, but can result in less structured lessons. As you can see, both strategies listed above, though seemingly different practices, benefits different students depending on their unique needs.

Open pedagogy has unique practices and theories that differ from traditional methods. Below is a few ways that open pedagogy differs from other teaching practices:

4 ways Open Pedagogy differs from Traditional Teaching Methods

1. Allows instructors to build OER alongside their students: although the topic matter may be new to students, asking them to reframe and recreate course material in new ways adds value to OER’s, but allows them to explore the course content.

2. Utilizes participatory or social technologies: Open pedagogy utilizes blogs, wikis that encourage students to engage with individual’s and ideas that span past their own institution.

3. Connected Community: Open pedagogy relies on the interconnectivity of the global community to inform practices and content. This allows more diverse voices to be included in the curriculum, content and assignments found in course.

4. Reflective Practice: Open pedagogy encourages instructors and students to engage in reflective practices openly that inform their own instruction and the instruction of others. This includes using open tools such as blogs for peer feedback and reflection.

How can Open Pedagogy be used to empower students and teachers?

Open pedagogy aims to encourage collaboration and sharing in teacher-teacher and student-teacher dynamics. As a result, Open pedagogy can empower students and instructors alike. Students have been found to be motivated by the opportunity to create artifacts that can be utilized by other individuals. University students who engaged in courses that followed open pedagogical practices, found that they felt empowered by their ability to contribute positively to a body of knowledge rather than just reading it.

The Role and Impact of Open Educational Resources:

You have likely come accross open educational resources (OER) more often than you may think. Open educational resources are freely accessible educational resources that can be used, shared or changed. This includes many of the textbooks, videos and quizzes you find on the internet. A reason that OER are so unique is that they are licensed in a fashion that allows and encourages teachers and other professionals to make changes that align with the needs and goals of their students.

The 5 R’s of Open Educational Resources

Retain: are able to keep and continue to use them as long as you need to.
Reuse: can utilize the resources for yourself
Revise: instructors can adapt, modify, or translate work
Remix: can combine with other resources to make new work
Redistribute: share work with other instructors and users.

Photo by Michal Parzuchowski on
Unsplash

As a student I readily utilize OER‘s to support and reinforce my own educational pursuits. I utilize open access journal articles to conduct research, write papers or to supplement the material covered in class. I also utilize online tutorials as I navigate technologies that I had not used previously. For example, when I took statistics, we were asked to use R, a coding platform to complete analyses and I relied on the tutorials found online to teach myself how to code effectively. Those are just a few examples of how I have used OER, but students can also use OER’s such as videos, open textbooks or open learning modules. All of these are advantageous as they reduce barriers such as the cost to make resources more available. Other advantages include increased flexability due to being able to utilize the online sources anywhere and the adaptability of being able to choose and apply sources sparingly based on what student’s need.

Open educational resources are a great addition to an instructor’s practice as they can reduce barriers to education for their students.

Below are a few advantages of open educational resources for teachers:

Reduces the costs: OER’s allow instructors to utilize high quality resources for their classrooms without needing to spend a large amount of money. For example, they may be able to remove textbook usage and supplement their learning with open educational resources online.
Improve teaching: allows teachers to improve and continually incorporate relevant material and findings as they come. For example, they can use resources that include local landmarks into their word problems.
Streamlines curriculum: open online resources can be used to supplement their own teaching and allows teachers to offer different inclusive materials such as podcasts, books or pamphlets when needed or if they are tackling complex topics. For example, teachers can utilize pre-made lesson plans, videos or podcasts to teach cultural topics such as Lunar New Year or Ramadan, if those cultural celebrations are not within their lived experience.

How does open educational resources contribute to making education more equitable?

Open educational resources can be used efficaciously to reduce the barriers to education to make it more accessible and inclusive for students. Below are just a few ways that OER can make education more accessible to students all over the globe:

How does OER make education accessible?

1. Reduces Cost: Open educational resources are free to access and use reducing the financial strain for students who experience financial
constraints.

2. No pre-requisites: open educational resources are freely available to anyone– meaning that individuals do not need certain GPA’s or course requirements to utilize the materials. For example, to read an article on Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, I do not need to have previously taken an education course.

3. Can access anywhere: the majority of OER’s are accessible on the internet. This increases accessibility for individuals living in rural regions or areas that do not have access to learning centre’s such as universities.

4. Scaffold Learning: OER can scaffold students learning by adapting the resource to support the students needs. Teachers can adapt OER to meet the level of their student. For example, for a student with apraxia, a teacher might include the words they are to fill in with a highlighter so the student can trace the answer and recieve writing practice.

Creative Common’s Licensing:

The video above is about Creative Commons Licenses. Creative commons licensing lets you decide how you want your work to be used by the general public. They are used to make permissions explicit, straight forward and ethical.

Creative common’s licensing is a license created by the copyright owner that allows the public to utilize their work within the guidelines that they have set for their resources. This can range from public domain–meaning the public can utilize the resource in any fashion they would like, to simply copying and distributing at verbatim the resource.

There are 6 types of Creative Commons Licensing

Attribution (BY): able to share, distribute, remix and utilize these resources as you would like, as long as you provide appropriate credit
Attribution- ShareAlike (CC BY-SA): can use, distribute and adapt resources aslong as all usages and adaptations give proper credit.
Attribution- NonCommercial (CC BY-NC): Can use, distribute and adapt resources as long as proper credit is given to the creator and it is for noncommercial reasons.
Attribution- NonCommercial- ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA): can use, distribute and adapt resources as long as proper credit is given to the creator, they are not used for commercial reasons and all adaptations must follow the same terms.
Attribution- No Derivatives (CC BY-ND): Individuals are only able to copy and distribute the material in verbatim as long as credit is given to the creator.
Attribution- NonCommercial- No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND): Can use copy and distribute the material verbatim as long as it is used for commercial reasons and credit is given to the creator.

Why is it important to know these?

When utilizing open educational resources it is important to have a deep understanding about creative commons licensing and how that influences your rights regarding how you can utilize the work. Creative commons is important because it protects people’s work and intellectual property. For example, if I create a lesson plan to inform students on the history of comic books, and I don’t want people to be able to commercialize the lesson plan, I can utilize creative commons licensing to protect my work and ensure it is used effectively. In that example, I may pursue an Attribution- NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) License as it would allow the public to adapt, distribute and share my lesson plan, but not sell it.

Key Takeaways:

Open pedagogy is a learning style that utilizes open educational resources to support learning.
Open educational resources can be used to reduce barriers such as cost for education.
Creative commons licensing is a form of copyright that allows individual’s to choose how their work can be used by the general public.

Peer Response Module #3

11 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Peer Response #1- Elena M

Blog Post #3

Great work this module Elena! I really enjoyed your blog post! Before reading your post this module, I was not aware of Katie Novak’s book titled ‘UDL Now’. I took a quick look online at the book and it seems like a very in-depth resource for applying UDL in the classroom. Being that I am currently completing a practicum in an elementary school, I believe that this book could be an effective resource to turn too as I find ways to add equity and inclusion.

I think you did a great job discussing accessibility in classroom settings. You highlighted some great approaches to creating equitable access to digital resources such as close captioning, text to speech, recorded lectures and customizing settings. I think expanding past that, some other ways we can do this is to offer alternative options for engagement and using affordable or accessible resources. Accessibility can be improved by offering students multiple means of engagement such as course materials in the format of PDF’s, word documents and google docs. Another way to increase accessibility is to use affordable platforms or resources offered through the institution. Many school districts and universities offer accounts for platforms such as Office 365 or Adobe.

Peer Response #2- MY

Blog Post 3

Hi My! Great work on your blog post for Module 3. I think you made a really great point regarding the importance of diversity when creating instructional methods. Offering students the ability to engage with the material in numerous ways and showcasing their learning through varying means of assessment gives all students the ability to learn and accurately demonstrate their learning. You outlined some efficacious ways to foster inclusion in face to face classrooms such as visual aids and assistive technologies. I think some other ways to promote equity in face-to-face classrooms could be providing students opportunities for feedback and reflection. This could be by doing Kahoots, Google forms or IClicker so the students can recieve immediate feedback. Another, it to create personal reflection opportunities such as journaling so they can assess their own understandings.

Ethics is a hugely essential component when interacting and learning in online environments. I think you outlined a few great ways that universities can support ethical behavior such as implementing data protection policies, but I think that individuals can maintain ethics on their own accord. Individuals should be mindful to respect other people’s data ownership, be kind and respectful to others, maintain their digital footprint and ensure they are citing sources accurately to act ethically when online.

Fantastic job this module! I look forward to reading your blog posts in the future!

Peer Response #3- Ishan Jassal

Blog #3

Hello Ishan, awesome job on your blog post! I really enjoyed reading it. As a student who utilizes Brightspace everyday, I am inclined to agree with you that there are ways that it can be improved to better align with UDL principles. For example, I find it frustrating that I am unable to access the website when I do not have my phone due to needing the Duo Mobile App. I think this can make it inaccessible for lots of students who are relying on public computers to use Brightspace as they may not have access to their Duo Mobile to sign in.

I think you did an amazing job outlining the importance of accessibility in online course’s and settings. I believe that you outlined some effective ways to enhance accessibility in online spaces such as user friendly design, captioning, accommodation tools and immersive reading. Expanding past that, when talking inclusivity and accessibility I think it is essential to discuss the digital divide. The digital divide is the gap that lies between people who have access to reliable internet and technology and those who do not. Some ways we can work to reduce the digital divide is to use affordable or institution offered platforms and create a list of suggestions for places with high speed internet.

Great work this week!

Peer Response Module #2

11 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Peer Response #1- Gaia Iturralde

Blog Post #2

Hello Gaia! I appreciated reading your post this module on networked pedagogy, learning theories and instructor’s roles. I greatly appreciate how fluid and concise the post is to read! It is easy to pick out the key details, making it accessible to lots of readers.

I think you did a great job explaining networked pedagogy. It is truly amazing how efficaciously networked pedagogy can reduce barriers associated with time and location. So many learners have barriers that block their ability to learn such as familial obligation, work, geographical location and time constraints.

It is essential to recognize the pivotal role that instructors play in the success of their learners. Similar to you, I believe that instructors need to be easy to reach, helpful and supportive. Beyond that, I think they need to be clear, patient and technologically skilled. Students are relying on their teacher’s ability to be patient and helpful as they navigate potentially new waters when completing online coursework. When asked to think of characteristics that make a great instructor, that leads me to think of different traits that instructors should not have as they teach online. I think a poor online teacher is someone who is unorganized and has an unstructured course. A lot of online learning relies on the instructor’s ability to make a course legible and easy to navigate without the need for constant reassurance or clarification.

Great work this week! I look forward to reading your posts in the future!

Peer Response #2- Justin Scott

Blog Post #2:

Hello Justin! I have enjoyed reading your unique perspective in your blog post this week! Each person has a distinct preference for the teaching practices and pedagogy used in their schooling. I agree with you, and also find that my preference changes depending on the type of coursework I am engaging in. When the course is theoretical, I find that I prefer the opportunity to explore and learn on my own. Dissimilarly, when the course is scientific, math based, or structured, I prefer a direct lecture style where the professor is lecturing the material at us. These differences in preference highlight how important it is that instructors offer numerous modes of instruction and engagement to ensure all students have the opportunity to engage with the material in a fashion that aligns with them.

I appreciate your thorough explanation of the learning theories. In specific, your description of the constructivist approach stood out to me. Being that the constructivist approach places emphasis on active learning, I believe it can be applied beautifully to online courses. Effective online courses offer flexability in learning and assessment, aligning well with principles of constructivism. I think some ways to apply constructivism in the classroom is to utilize discussion forums and alternative assessment options such as podcasts or videos.

Great work this week!

Module #3- Peer Response Posts:

9 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Peer Response #1- Rachel Powell

Blog Post #3

Hello Rachel! I read your post this week and enjoyed reading it! I really liked the use of definitions table at the start of your blog as it made the site easy to follow! I liked the way you highlighted some strategies to protect personal information and privacy when in digital spaces. Extending past reading terms and conditions, being selective and accepting cookies I believe there are a fewer other ways to protect our privacy. I also think that it is important to make use of VPN’s when completing work for school or your career. Another thing is too download an antivirus that can prevent and remove your virus your device.

I like the way you highlighted the importance of inclusivity in education and PLN’s in your post this week. You made great points as to how inclusivity can be fostered through UDL. UDL can be incredibly useful when trying to make an inclusive learning environment for individuals with differing abilities, due to the focus on increased engagement in engagement, representation and expression. Beyond just UDL, I think that there are other things that can support inclusivity in educational settings. I think that it is important to seek out the voices of diverse groups of individuals to recieve their understanding and viewpoint. Another way to support a diverse learning environment is to respectfully communicate with other communities to encourage individuals to share their ideas with others.

I think you gave some great ways to support diversity within learning environments, namely– interacting with resources and choosing to use inclusive features, but I also think that creating and promoting culturally sensitive materials, diversity training and applying materials for different learning styles can also aid to support inclusivity.

Peer Response #2- Justin

Blog Post #3:

https://justinscott.opened.ca/category/edci338/

(This post would not let me embed it into the blog)

Hi Justin! I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week! I really like the way that you explained diversity within digital learning. You did a good job covering the challenges to diversity such as language barriers and limited representation. I also feel that social media platforms such as Instagram, Reddit and TikTok have been great resources as I try to learn information and build a PLN. I think you made a great point as to how social media can be used in PLN’s to supports community building within groups of people. I think that there are a lot of other benefits to social media such as increased motivation and continuous learning. Those ideas left me to wonder about possible challenges to social media in PLN’s? I think that some possible challenges could be confirmation bias, echo chambers, and misinformation. Due to PLN’s access to online resources, it is possible that misinformation could be spread in PLN’s, especially when on social media platforms such as TikTok or Instagram.

Great job this week! I look forward to reading more in the future.

Peer Response #3- Justine Dhillon

https://justinedhillon.opened.ca/category/338-blog-post-3/ (This post would not let me embed it into the blog)

Hello Justine! I enjoyed reading your blog post this week! I really like the way that you described the importance of privacy. Maintaining privacy through two-factor authorization, anti-viruses, and privacy settings is essential to maintaining individuals’ safety when online. Similar to you, I found that as I have gotten older and began to build a PLN, I have been able to use social media in so many ways I had never imagined. I never thought I would use Reddit and TikTok as ways to connect with other people in my field and learn information. Dissimilarly, growing up, I thought it was a form of entertainment. I agree entirely with your sentiment that diversity needs to be a priority in all educational contexts. I think some possible ways to promote diversity are to attend webinars and conferences that discuss diversity, and to join and share online communities and posts that showcase minority voices and perspectives.

Thank you for your contributions to the EDCI 338 community this week!

Module #2- Peer Response Posts:

9 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Peer Response #1- Nando Covelli

Module 2 Blog

Hi Nando, I really enjoyed reading your post this week! In specific, I think you did a spectacular job outlining the differences between professional and personal identities. I think you made an awesome point regarding how difficult it is to seperate these two, especially in a world more digitalized by the day.

I found it interesting the way that you explained how someone should seperate an individuals personal and professional identity through the Visitor and Resident Map. You compared the Visitor and Resident mode as a strategy to seperate personal and professional identities by utilizing both in both settings. Although I think that is a good point and a simple way to understand the influence our actions can have, I think it may miss the complexity needed to truly increase the seperation between our personal and professional digital identities. I think a better strategy could be understanding the power that lies in the content of a post and the influence that that has on your digital identity. Individuals engage as residents more freely than they believe–just because they are not posting images of themself, it does not mean they are not interacting with others. Many social media platforms have an interpersonal component that may not be visible instantly. For example, even if you do not post regularly on Instagram, commenting on your friends post’s, liking posts and sharing them with friends demonstrates an interpersonal component.

As a result, I think two effective strategies to create a seperation between our personal and professional digital identity that can go alongside the Resident and Visitor map, is to be mindful of what you post, and protect your privacy. To be mindful of your posts, it is important to be critical and think of how your post can be cultural sensitive and respectful to ensure that others are clear on the intention behind what you say. I think some other ways to ensure your accounts are seperated is by being cognoscente of your privacy settings. By ensuring that your privacy settings are tight, such as by making a personal Instagram account exclusive to the friends you approve of, it increases the likelihood that you can maintain a seperation between your personal and proffessional accounts

I enjoyed reading your post this week! I look forward to seeing your perspective of the course material in the future!

Peer Response #2- Andrea Pizot

Blog#2

Hello Andrea! I really enjoyed reading your blog post this week! In specific, I really liked the way that you highlighted the differences between professional and personal digital identities and how that can look in a person’s day to day life. As you stated, many individuals utilize social media to share big moments in their life, whether that be a scholarship on their professional LinkedIn, or a trip to Vegas on their personal Instagram. I think you highlighted some efficacious ways to create a seperation between your professional and personal identity such as changing and maintaining privacy, but I think another way is to be mindful of what you post. By being cognoscente to be culturally sensitive and ethical, it reduces the risk that your posts can be taken out of context. Even with the strongest privacy settings, we cannot stop other users ability to screen record and share the intimate moments posted on our private pages with the world.

Additionally, I appreciated your comments on David White’s Visitor and Resident map. As we can see through your personal examples, everyone utilizes social media in such unique ways, especially when comparing personal and professional/academic usage. It was mentioned that as we enter a workforce, our usages of certain platforms such as LinkedIn may increase to reflect our new responsibilities. With that being said, I wonder how other stages in life might influence our presence online. For example, I believe that if an individual enters a stage where they start a family, they may become more of a resident on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook as they share the changes in their life and the milestones of their little ones.

Thank you for your post this week! I look forward to reading more in the future!

Blog Post #4: Personal Learning Networks, Social Media Dynamics and Network Development for Digitalized Learning

9 March 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Key Terms

Definitions to look for in the blog post:

Personalized Learning Network (PLN): a group of individuals who connect and work together to share resources and increase understandings associated with a topic

Professional PLN: a PLN that supports academic and professional endeavors

Personal PLN: a PLN that supports personal curiosity.

Confirmation Bias: to search solely for information that aligns with previous beliefs, understandings and knowledge.

Social Media: form of mass media interactions taking place on the internet

Reciprocity: the mutually beneficial exchange of ideas, beliefs and behaviors between two or more people.

Social Media Dynamics: the patterns and behaviors that emmerge on social networking platforms as users, content and algorithms interact

Extrinsic Motivation: the driver of behavior that is influenced by the prospect of external rewards such as money or praise.

Reinforced: the introduction of positive stimuli after a behavior resulting in the increase of that behavior transpiring

What Are Personalized Learning Networks (PLN) And Why Are They Important?

Personalized Learning Network

This video describes PLN as the group of people or organizations that you work with to further your understanding and learn from their ideas, resources and references. A PLN is not just online, but online is what allows international collaboration. Marc Lalande sees a PLN as personal because YOU CHOOSE who is apart of it, who is in it or if you want to share.

Learning can transpire in numerous settings, whether that be solitary, in a classroom, online or with a group of peers. With a world becoming more digitalized, information and opportunities to learn are changing by the minute, hour and day. A personalized learning network (PLN) is network of individuals that connect to increase knowledge and growth within a subject matter in both face-to-face and digital contexts. PLN’s are personalized as they allow the individual to choose who they interact with, what information interests them, where they go to find this information and when they use the network or platforms.

Many PLN’s share and discuss through social media platform’s allowing individuals from accross the world with different lived experiences and viewpoints to incorporate and share their understandings. These networks also support connections and collaboration with experts and peers within the field and access to relevant resources to support growth. But, PLN’s are complex, multi-faceted and able to support professional, personal and academic growth.

Types of PLN’s:

Proffessional/ Academic Personalized Learning Network: a knowledge based community that supports individual’s learning in information that aids them in their career or educational aspirations. For example, if I work as an elementary teacher, I may be in a reddit group on teaching long division skills or in The Educators PLN on Ning.
Personal Personalized Learning Networks: An information sharing community that aligns and informs your learning and growth in a field of information that aligns with your personal interests. For example, as a proud new parent to a betta fish named Spork, I am apart of r/bettafishcare, a subreddit on betta fish maintenance to increase my own knowledge regarding how to best take care of my fish.
Combined Personalized Learning Networks: Sometimes our PLN’s can meet the needs of both our professional and personal interests. For example a teacher may be apart of a PLN about emotional intelligence to better understand the influence that emotionality has on their students performance, but use those same resources to find strategies to support their own mental and emotional health

How does PLN support learning and growth?

As a university student, my personalized learning network has been fostered to improve my academic goals and aspirations. I am a psychology student with an interest in educational psychology and child development, thus my PLN has been developed to deepen my understanding of both topics. My PLN is supported by face-to-face connections, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and APA PsycInfo. Face-to-face connections allow me to develop a deeper understanding of coursework and share information with peers. Social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok allow me to understand challenges and trends within the field better and academic sources such as APA PsycInfo informs me of the literary findings that are influencing the field.

Those are just a few ways that my personalized learning network has influenced my own learning. Everyone will recieve different benefits from their own PLN, below are a list of some other ways that a PLN has supported my own learning and how it could benefit yours:

5 WAYS A PLN CAN SUPPORT YOUR LEARNING:

Flexability: You do not always have to be online, a PLN allows members to use and interact with the information as they would like or have time too. This ensures information can still be accessible for individuals who have familial obligations or time constraints that may influence their ability to be present often.

Continuous Learning: due to the recipricol nature of PLN’s, there is always an opportunity to interact with other users and learn something new. Individual’s are able to stay up to date on changing trends, new findings and best practices within the field.

Exposure to New Viewpoints: due to the interconnectivity that comes with digital resources, individuals are able to learn and apply culturally sensitive and variable knowledge to their understandings of information.

Opportunities for Collaboration: PLN’s allow you too learn alongside professionals within the field and recieve constructive feedback regarding performance. This also allows individuals to exchange ideas and work productively towards new research and understandings.

Sharing Resources: Recieve access or resources that would not be available or found otherwise. Individuals are able to come accross and find more information together than one individual is able to on their own.

How can a PLN contribute to academic and personal goals?

Personalized learning networks aim to connect people, information and digital resources through networks. As a result, a well organized and developed PLN can efficaciously support individuals as they pursue their academic and personal goals. Academic goals may be associated with future career endeavors, research, or obtainment of information whereas personal goals may be associated with performance and new information. For example an academic goal of mine may be to complete a research paper regarding Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development, whereas a personal goal may be to improve public speaking skills before Toast Masters next year.

Each goal, whether it be academic or personal, will be supported uniquely by a PLN. There is no exact science as to how your personalized learning network can support your development. Below are just a few ways that both academic and personal goals can be supported by a PLN:

Support Academic Goals:

1. Access to diverse learning resources: connections to articles, research papers, webinars, podcasts and educational forums

2. Academic support: allows students to seek guidance when facing challenges in comprehending coursework. Developing study groups for finals, or finding online things such as crash course or Khan Academy to increase their comprehension.

3. Collaboration: allows you to work with individuals of diverse viewpoints and academic experience. Collborating through conferences, seminars, webinars and LinkedIn allow you to connect with other professors, researchers or institutes to further your understanding and academic endeavors. For example, many science fields and lab groups use Slack to communicate with one another.

Support Personal Goals:

1. Self-Paced: As an individual who is juggling practicums, school, work and familial obligations, the ability to pursue my interests and personal goals in a timely manner is especially important. Being able to access resources and a PLN when it makes sense for me, supports my ability to reach my goals as I am able to incorporate it into my daily life. For example, if I am working all day, I may not have time until after dinner to work towards my goal, and due to the flexability of a PLN, I am able to.

2. Collaboration: The increased collaboration with other experts and individuals in the field, allows you to learn more information than you could on your own and recieve feedback to help you work towards your goals. For example, I may post a speech in my free time, and get feedback on the timing, tone and intonation that I use from my peers to improve on my skills.

3. Reduces Bias: If I am looking for information and resources on my own to reach my goals, I may find myself lost in confirmation bias–looking for information that solidifies my previous beliefs and ideas. By recieving input and aid from others, I am better able to create a holistic understanding of the topic at hand to work towards my goal.

Long-Term Networked Development

A personalized learning network is a useful tool to expand knowledge and understanding in a topic of interest. Despite its efficacy, building a personalized learning network (PLN) is not a one-time effort. Users constantly need to put in time and bidirectional efforts to maintain and develop a strong PLN. Growing your PLN is a slow process, because it takes time to meet people and develop meaningful, trusting relationships with other members within the field of study. A key factor to keep in mind when considering how to develop your PLN is reciprocity. Reciprocity is the process of exchanging things, ideas or behaviors with others for mutual benefit. Within your PLN, reciprocity looks like asking questions and reaching out for feedback, but also offering suggestions, feedback and answers to other people’s questions. I like to think of a PLN as a garden–it requires constant planting, weeding and watering to become productive, but that effort results in beautiful flowers or food we can use. A PLN works under the same premise, the more we contribute, create content and answer other people’s questions, the more support, knowledge and resources we receive back.

It takes a long time to learn the proper skills and practices to maintain and strengthen your PLN. Every person’s expectations and needs from their PLN are different, resulting in different ways to foster their network.

Below are a few different strategies for maintaining and improving your personalized learning network over time:

Active and Regular Participation: it is important to regularly contribute to your PLN by asking questions, sharing insights, resources and commenting on other people’s posts. The bidirectional flow of information, that being from you to others and from others to you, is essential in developing a successful PLN. This reciprocity is essential as it allows the PLN to be mutually beneficial and support collaboration and interconnectivity between members.
Stay Informed on Trends: to remain up-to-date on the changes in research, industry and trends of your network, it is important to stay up to date and continuously look for new released information in your field. This is important as it ensures your practices, knowledge and skills align with the present ideas within the field. For example, if I am a therapist and have a PLN associated with therapeutic practices, it is important to seek and look for new strategies of motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy as they come out, instead of maintaining old practices.
- some ways to do this:
  - attend conferences or webinars regularly
  - monitor industry publications and news sources
Authentic Connections: interact with others under the premise of maintaining respect, trust and privacy. To do this, try to be genuine and transparent with your intentions. By doing this, you are fostering close, meaningful relationships within your PLN and supporting a collaborative work environment.
Promote Collaboration: by maintaining authentic connection and actively contributing to the PLN by offering resources, suggestions, knowledge and support, the network can be strengthened through social connectivity resulting in more peer collaboration.
Take Advantage of Technology: Utilize the access we have to technology to broaden your PLN and maintain connections with others. Some ways to do this are to reach out over email or LinkedIn to people in your field, share your email when you meet likeminded people at a conference, or look on YouTube, X or Facebook to find other individuals within your PLN. .

Social Media Dynamics for PLNs

Social media is a huge contributor to the success of personalized learning networks. Social media supports peer collaboration, diverse viewpoints and resource sharing through its ability to connect individuals from across the globe. Social media dynamics are the patterns and behaviors that emmerge on social networking platforms as users communicate online. These social media dynamics help users like us make the most out of each platform’s features.

Different social media platforms allow you to contribute differently. Some may allow for additional peer engagement, others allow likes and comments and some allow for networking. When creating a PLN, it is important to recognize the different benefits of each platform and create a community on platforms that offer engagement opportunities that align with your needs. For example, if I am trying to create a PLN related to betta fish caretaking, I may choose to use a social media platform that includes discussion opportunities and resource sharing such as Reddit so that I am able to recieve resources and start discussions to ask questions as needed. Below is a table of different types of social media platforms and what types of dynamics are fostered:

Social Media Platforms

X: Quick updates, discussion and proffessional and personal networking

LinkedIn: professional network, sharing resources, sharing industry insights

Reddit: community-based learning, resource sharing

Instagram: visual and short form content, professional networking

Facebook: group discussions, resource sharing

TikTok: visual and short form content, personal networking

YouTube: visual and short form content

There are two key features to social media dynamics— engagement leads to visibility and real-time connections. Real-time connections with individuals online fosters global connectivity through the sharing of ideas, resources and information cross-culturally. Engagement in the form of likes, comments and shares leads to individuals’ resources and ideas being shared with more people. For example, if I were to share a post on Facebook about the importance of vaccines in the reduction of illness, my friends, who may have not seen the post otherwise, are now more likely to have access to the information.

Why do Likes, Comments and Shares Amplify the Spread of Information?

Extrinsic Motivation: recieving shares, likes and comments results in the spread of information because it taps into people’s motivation to share information. By receiving likes and shares, it externally reinforces their behavior of creating a post, and makes it more likely that they will create, share and engage with content in the future.
Ripple Effect: if individuals repost and share other people’s posts and information, then the post itself has the possibility of being seen by more people. If an individual reposts their friends post about the importance of eating fibre, then not only does the viewers and followers of the initial person’s post see it, but there is the possability that the followers and users that engage with the second person, see it aswell.

Impact of Social Media on Learning, Academics and Professional Environments.

Social media is growing in popularity, with over 5.20 billion users, making up 64% of the world population. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Quora, Reddit, X and LinkedIn leave lasting impacts on individuals’ academic and professional success. Social media can be used to aid individuals as they pursue educational and professional pursuits.

Social media and personal learning

I have used social media numerous times in my life to further my learning. I have used it in my personal life as a quick resource to find tutorials or suggestions, collaborate with others or to expand my viewpoint associated with topics. For example, my car’s brake light went out last weekend, and instead of paying to get it fixed, I utilized social media, namely YouTube and Reddit, to find a tutorial and suggestions for how to make the swap. Without access to these resources on social media, I likely would not have been able to change the light bulb. That is just one example of how social media can be used to learn new skills.

Social media and proffessional learning

Similarly, social media platforms such as LinkedIn, YouTube and Stack can be used to support professional and academic endeavors. Social media platforms allow people to share information, resources, communicate and network with one another, allowing professionals to cooperate towards common goals. Social media has created more diverse professional networks and allowed for more collaboration. For example, in my practicum in an inclusive education classroom, I have utilized social media to further my understanding of the science of reading and phonics. I have personally used Reddit (namely the subreddit, r/scienceofreading), YouTube videos and podcasts such as Sold a Story, to further my understanding of phonics and develop new strategies to teach reading and literacy skills.

How to use social media to enhance learning, career development and engagement?

The video above discusses how social media is a tool that can be used to connect and further individuals learning and careers. Social media is a huge part of academic life, but they have emphasized the importance of using it to your own benefits. The authors highlight the Three C’s of social media–connection, collaboration and communication. Connection allows people to connect with their communities, build a network, share their work and discover funding . For example, thy may use Google Scholar, ResearchGate and LinkedIn and X. Collaboration is the oppprtunity to collaborate with others accross modules, work, programs and locations. This directly supports the development of a PLN. Lastly, communication is the heart of social media and can be used to connect and learn from individuals accross the world.

There are many ways to monopolize social media to aid your learning in professional environments. Below are a few ways that individuals can use social media to support learning and engagement in professional and personal environments:

Enhance Personal Learning

1. Real world application: social media incorporates real world events and applications into the learning process. Learning from social media incorporates the real-world problems and issues that transpire from the theoretical constraints into the learning process. For example, learning about discrimination from social media gives a better understanding of the implications and influences than a definition given in a textbook.

2. Reinforce Learning Behaviors: social media offers immediate feedback to learners. This form of engagement, reinforces individuals’ innate curiosity as they are able to receive answers or suggestions immediately.

3. Collaboration: social media allows students to engage in learning with one another. This allows students to brainstorm and discuss topics together, receive real-time feedback regarding their performance and share resources and knowledge across the world. Additionally, social media offers the ability to share documents on Microsoft or Google Docs.

4. Improved Literacy, Communication and Reading Skills: reading and interacting with posts and comments on social media provides plenty of information online, and opportunities to practice literacy skills. This exposure to online resources such as blog posts, articles helps them develop stronger reading and writing skills.

Enhance Career Development:

5. Access to opportunities: social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and other platforms allow individuals to find new job opportunities, and research companies and job openings. Additionally, social media also allows individuals to research potential jobs that they would not be aware of otherwise.

6. Collaborations: individuals can utilize social media platforms such as Slack or X to collaborate and work alongside individuals within their field. This results in the sharing of ideas, and allows individuals to recieve feedback on their own work.

7. Proffessional Identity: social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and X, allow individuals to create a curated digital identity or brand that aligns with their work and career goals.

Key Takeaways:

A personalized learning network can support both personal and professional development through resource sharing, exposure to viewpoints and collaboration.
By actively participating, staying informed on trends and by building authentic connections we can create strong, long-term personalized learning networks
Social media can positively enhance career development and personalized learning.

Blog Post #3: Universal Design for Learning, Accessibility, Ethical Challenges and Considerations

26 February 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Key Terms:

Definitions to keep in mind as you read:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): a framework for learning that aims to offer accessible and equitable education through increasing the means of engagement, representation, action and expression

Intrinsic Motivation: the motivation to engage in behavior due to the satisfaction of an activity, not due to external forces

Face-to-Face Learning: education that takes place face-to-face in a classroom setting

Online learning: learning that transpires in digital spaces through the use of the internet and technology.

Accessibility: is ensuring that information, services and spaces are able to be used by people of varying abilities.

The digital divide is the gap between individuals who have access to reliable internet and digital resources and those who do not.

Ethics: is behaving responsibly and respecting others online

Digital Citizenship: the ability to use technology and navigate online spaces responsibly and respectfully.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

This video discusses how UDL is used within the province of Alberta. UDL is a framework that supports accessibility by emphasizing multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation and multiple means of action and expression. This video also discusses the benefits of UDL being that it allows students from all educational backgrounds to thrive and succeed.

As an educator, it is important to consider how you can make your curriculum and coursework readily accessible to all learners. The Universal Design for Learning is a framework of education that highlights the accessibility, equity and inclusion of all learners. The Universal Design for Learning is composed of three main principles namely, multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression.

The three principles of UDL

MULTIPLE MEANS OF ENGAGEMENT: give students the opportunity to engage with the course content, activities and assessments in numerous ways. This includes creating different opportunities for students to develop intrinsic motivation for the material and reflect on their own learning
- Examples: allow students to choose their own topic for the project.
MULTIPLE MEANS OF REPRESENTATION: provide learners with numerous ways to access information and course content.
- Examples: offer course content in numerous formats such as videos, podcasts, readings or lectures.
MULTIPLE MEANS OF ACTION AND EXPRESSION: allow your students to show their learning in numerous ways. Students all have different strengths and allowing them to showcase their learning in a fashion that aligns with their strengths and interests will allow them to succeed.
- Examples: allowing students to choose between essays, exams or creative projects for their assessment.

This framework encourages educators to be flexible and offer numerous opportunities to present the material and allow students to showcase their learning through different forms of assessment. I like to think about UDL through the example of ramps. Ramps are a great accessibility tool for individuals in wheelchairs, but it also makes schools and public facilities more accessible for others as well. Ramps are useful for individuals who have strollers, small children, are on crutches or have mobility issues or ride a bike to work and need to bring it inside. UDL works under the same premise, by reducing barriers and creating accessible learning environments and curricula, we can help all students succeed in their educational journey.

How to Apply the Universal Design for Learning in Educational Settings

Face-to-face classroom environment:

UDL is an incredibly broad framework and can be applied to create accessible learning in countless ways. Each student is diverse and have different needs that will influence how UDL will be applied. Below is just a few ways that the three main principles can be used to foster equitable education for students in a face-to-face classroom setting.

Offer multiple pathways to learn: a simple way to implement UDL is to offer students numerous ways to engage and learn the material. This includes giving visual representations such as videos, audio versions such as podcasts or text versions. For example, if you are teaching using a video, you may consider turning on the captions and offering students a written transcription of the video to follow and/or read to get the information.
- Possible pathways for learning:
  - Videos
  - Readings
  - Demonstrations
  - Infographics, charts and graphics
  - Podcasts
  - Textbooks
Provide opportunities for feedback and reflection: teachers can offer students feedback on a regular basis. This allows the students who require feedback to benefit from the additional supervision, but also allow the students who prefer independence to work towards goals on their own.
- Some ways to offer feedback
  - Do Quizlets, Google forms, IClicker or Kahoots in class for immediate feedback
  - Have marking schedules
  - Have weekly reflection opportunities for them to assess their own learning
  - Offer forms to recieve feedback on the instructors teaching
Opportunities for assessment: teachers can offer their students different ways to engage with the material that fosters intrinsic motivation. To do this, instructors can offer numerous forms of assessment throughout the course to allow them to showcase their learning in a fashion that aligns with their interests and strengths.
- Below are a few ideas for assessments:
  - Exams
  - Essays
  - Oral Presentation
  - Posters
  - PowerPoints
  - Podcasts
  - Videos
  - Art projects ( songs, painting, drawings, dances)

Online learning environments:

Online learning can be greatly enhanced by applying UDL principles. Online learning is marked by many barriers such as unequal access to technology, location, time differences, familial obligation, attention difficulties, fine motor skill difficulties and auditory or visual difficulties. UDL can be used to try and reduce those barriers to accessing open and online education.

Below are some ways to utilize UDL to create an accessible online course

Clear Fonts: ensure the fonts are legible and easily identifiable to make it more accessible for individuals with visual difficulties, attention difficulties or learning dissabilities

Text Color: ensure the coloring of the text on the website is easily identifiable and contrasts with the website.

Auditory and Visual Content: if possible, try to offer content and curriculum in auditory formats, such as videos or podcasts and visuals, such as written transcripts.

Consistent Navigation: try to keep the website that the course is offered on the same throughout the course. This ensures that students are able to continuously find the material and the resources throughout the duration of the course

Offer Numerous ways to Navigate: some students may struggle with fine motor skills, and by using platforms that allow students to scroll with a mouse and use the keys to work through the website they will better be able to succeed.

Accessible Document Formats: if offering assignment details, homework or reading materials, offer them in multiple formats such as PDF, Word or Google Docs.

Subtitles for Images and Videos: when using videos and images in the curriculum, ensure that there is captions to offer relevant information, especially when Text-to-speech or caption options are unavailable.

Applying UDL and Accessibility Principles:

Through this course, I have developed a deeper understanding of the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in learning environments, and believe that I can recognize the ways that different courses and instructors in my past have failed to emphasize equity in their curriculum. The first thing that comes to mind when I think about the accessibility of courses in my past, is my English course that shifted to online during the peak of Covid-19. This course was not executed in a fashion that aligned with the UDL principles. The teacher sent out one email at the start of March outlining our responsibilities–that being to buy Pride and Prejudice, read it, and submit four essays on a topic of our choosing before the end of June. He offered no resources regarding course content, he had no website, he did not send us a PDF of the book nor did he offer office hours or rubrics for the papers we were to submit. With reflection now, I see how this course may have been heavily inaccessible for students with learning disabilities, family obligations, financial struggles, lack of familial support or simply require additional direction or supervision. Below are a list of a few ways I believe the course could have been improved to aid students as they navigated the material and created a more equitable learning environment

6 Ways to Apply UDL to Improve the Accessibility of the Course:

Create a clear and simplistic course website or page: by creating a page or site that outlines the expectations, assignments, teacher information and rubric students would be able to have clearer understanding of what is expected of them for the course. When a course is entirely online and asynchronous, it is essential that the course materials speak for themself and efficaciously explain how to work through the material.

Offer clear rubrics and a course schedule: The instructor should offer a clear rubric outlining the expectations for the assessment namely how they will be marked, the word/page count and what they are each worth. This will allow the students to start their paper with an understanding of how to be successful and succeed in the assessment. Additionally, creating a course schedule will ensure that they are staying on track to complete the material by the end of the term.

Offer digital resources for the novel: if a course has required readings, it would be beneficial for instructors to offer the learners a list of resources to find the readings. This could include access to a digital PDF, a link to a paper copy and a link to an audiobook.

Offer multiple ways to demonstrate learning: this course asks students to solely submit essays which proves to be more difficult for individuals who have learning disabilities such as dyslexia or whose strengths do not lie in creating papers. To better showcase their learning, the instructor could allow the students some leeway regarding assessment. They could ask students to submit two as essays and allow the other two to be creative submissions such as podcasts, PowerPoint presentations or videos. This would allow students to showcase their learning in a way that aligns with their interests and strengths.

Weekly or Bi-weekly class hours: this course could have been strengthened if they had the opportunity to drop in and discuss the material with their teacher or other students. This would also offer a form of peer and instructor interaction to increase social connectivity within the classroom environment.

Offer additional curricula and coursework: this course could have been enhanced by offering the students additional support and resources to aid them as they read Pride and Prejudice. For example, including YouTube videos explaining significant sections or offering readings that delve further into sections of the book would allow students to have a more nuanced understanding of the book.

Ensure Accessibility in Online Settings:

This is a video about accessibility online, primarily for individuals with differing abilities. This video mentions different ways individuals can utilize technology to enhance accessibility such that individuals who are blind, can use Text-to-speech functions. This TedTalk also discusses how websites are outdated and no longer taking additional measures to improve accessibility.

With the shift towards online learning, it is important to be mindful of how accessibility can be greatly influenced by individuals’ access to digital resources. The digital divide is the gap between individuals who have access to reliable internet and digital resources and those who do not. This divide greatly influences an individual’s ability to access digital resources when in education. As instructors, it is important to take the means to recognize how we can try to overcome these boundaries and aid students in their learning. For example, I taught an online course on coaching one summer that relied predominately on Zoom meetings and virtual communication. The students were from all over North America and some experienced difficulties with internet connection and access to the online platforms required for the course. To overcome this, I sent out recordings of the Zoom calls, the PowerPoint slides and transcriptions of the video to ensure all students were able to access the resources. That is just one example of how instructors can use alternative strategies to ensure students have access to digital resources.

Some ways to ensure that learners have adequate access to digital resources and reduce the digital divide:

Use Affordable or Connected Resources: a way to increase access to digital resources is to make use of digital resources available through the university or the school district. For example, many school districts and universities utilize Microsoft 365 to complete homework assignments and distribute course material. Utilizing the resources made available to you, will allow students to readily have access to the material
1:1 Take-Home Technology: many districts and communities support technology access programs such as splitting the price or reducing the price of inexpensive devices such as chrome books. As an instructor, finding opportunities within your community that reduce the price of technology increases students’ ability to access resources.
Offer Suggestions to students for places with High-speed internet: many individuals may not have reliable access to internet in their own homes, but may be able to walk, bus or drive to locations with better internet access within their community. By sending students a broad list of locations that could be in their community such as schools, libraries, community centers and coffee shops that have high speed internet, it may allow them to find locations within their community to complete their coursework.
Offer Alternatives for Engagement: when possible, instructors can offer their students resources, course materials and homework in multiple formats such as PDF’s, Word Documents, Google Docs and other platforms. Many courses rely on online textbooks and sites, by offering resources that can be used without internet, such as PDF’s students will still be able to complete the work without high-speed internet.

Ethical Considerations in Digital Interactions:

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is christina-wocintechchat-com-FPQlXQtjkqU-unsplash-1-1024x684.jpg — Photo by Christina on Unsplash

Maintaining ethics and digital citizenship is a huge part of interacting in online settings. Ethics in digital spaces include acting responsibly online, maintaining morals, and values, and involves considerations of fairness, respect, and security when interacting with others. Ethical behavior is important when in social settings such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook or when in educational environments such as discussion forums or course sites. As an individual who engages in digital interactions, it is essential to be mindful of your responsibilities when interacting with others. Personally, I take ownership of my online interactions by trying to think of the possible impact of my actions before I post by questioning how I would react if someone else acted similarly. That is just one way of realizing your ethical responsability online.

Below are five additional responsibilities to maintain ethics when interacting online.

Respect Data Ownership: Just because you can open something, does not mean you own it. It is important to receive consent from the owner before using other people’s stories, work or images. Additionally, ensure you cite work you have borrowed from other people to ensure they are receiving adequate recognition. Here is a link to learn how to properly cite other people’s work.

Maintain your Digital Footprint: be mindful of the image of yourself you are creating online. Your digital footprint, the trail of information you leave every time you use the internet, can have lasting impacts on your personal and professional endeavors.

Keep Data Safe: Take measures to protect your privacy such as utilizing VPN’s, strong passwords, and double-authorization.

Be Kind and Respectful: it is important to be kind, fair and respectful towards others when interacting online. Treat others the way you would like to be treated!

Key Takeaways

The Universal design for Learning is a framework that encourages equitable and accessible learning for all students
Teachers can ensure equitable access to online and digital resources by using affordable resources, finding community technology access programs and offering their students numerous ways to engage with the material
When interacting online, users have the ethical responsability to be kind, compassionate, and respect information ownership.

Blog #3- Personal Learning Networks, Privacy and

15 February 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Key Terms

Personal Learning Network: the connections in which an individual gathers, collect, communicate, creates and share knowledge and experience with a network of individuals.

Privacy: Keeping ones information, messages, data and files safe on the internet.

Digital Identity: the digital information that is present on the internet about an individual

Ethics: Behaving responsibly and respectfully online

Security: keeping digital interactions safe.

Digital Citizenship: the responsible and ethical use of technology, particularly the internet and social media platforms

Echo Chambers: an environment in which a person only encounters information or opinions that reinforce their own ideas

Confirmation Bias: when an individual seeks out information that reinforces their own beliefs

Universal Design for Learning: an approach to learning that aims to increase the accessibility and success for all students.

Inclusivity: welcoming and accepting different people, ideas and perspectives.

Diversity: the differences in key characteristics between people.

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

With a world becoming more digitalized by the day, less and less education in transpiring in a classroom setting. Personalized learning networks (PLN) are a network of trusted connections in which you communicate, interact, create and share knowledge and experience with one another. If this is your first interaction with PLN’s, they may seem broad and daunting a feeling I once shared too. Before university, I was unaware about PLN’s and focused my learning directly within the classroom setting. It was only once I started university, I realized the positive influence that interpersonal connections, online participation and social media could have on my ability to learn new information from diverse perspectives.

Our PLN’s can encompass face-to-face, interpersonal connections such as your fellow students, employers or professors but our PLN can also include digital connections. Social media platforms such as X, Reddit, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook can all be used to expand your digital PLN. Personally, I use social media to build a broader connection with individuals across the globe to expand my knowledge and supports. There are many ways to leverage social media to build your PLN, but some ways that I do this is:

Connecting with professionals: I follow professionals within my field of interest that can share resources and information that can further my learning. For example, if I am trying to learn about dinosaur species, I may follow different archaeologists who specialize in dinosaur remains.
Professional Account: I create an account that aligns with the knowledge I am trying to develop. I try to have a username that reflects the purpose and include bios that further explain your interests. For example, my username may be ScientificReader if my interests are about learning and sharing information regarding the science of reading.
Join groups: Many social media platforms have different groups that allow you to engage in discussions, resource sharing and collaborative work with other individuals with your shared interests. A great place to look for these groups is Reddit and X.

Personalized learning networks are a great way of furthering our knowledge and understanding of topics Additionally, PLN’s allow interested individuals to connect with others who have similar interests.

Below are a list of other, benefits to fostering an online PLN for yourself:

Increased Motivation: Individuals are free to choose and engage with accounts and individuals that allow them to learn what interests them.
Get Challenged: I enjoy that my PLN allows me to have my ideas challenged. It is refreshing to interact with other people who may have different perspectives or experiences to develop a holistic understanding of nuanced topics. Sometimes we struggle with the same challenges and barriers when learning because we haven’t been looking for a new idea. For example, I used to struggle to teach reading skills to certain students, but once I listened to some podcasts, I was able to learn new skills to reach a broader audience.
Support System: Developing virtual networks allows you to act as support for others and have others support you through the process of learning. This allows you to share your story and connect with others.
Continuous Learning: The biggest benefit to PLN in my opinion is that they offer a wealth of relevant information to peruse at your finger tips. You are able to continuously interact with others to learn more about the topics that are of interest to you. This is beneficial as if allows users to learn anywhere anytime—as long as they have cell-reception and Wifi.

PRIVACY, ETHICS AND SECURITY IN DIGITAL SPACES.

Privacy

When an individual places themself on the internet, it is important to recognize the possible risks associated with digital exposure. Privacy on the internet is the control you have over where your information is going and how it is being used. Maintaining privacy when on the internet is important for maintaining your digital identity.

Below are just a few ways that I have maintained my privacy when using the internet:

How To Maintain Privacy

Using a Private Browser: a private browser limits the information that service providers, websites and apps can collect as you are browsing the internet.

Maintain Digital Identity: being mindful of the personal and professional identity you put forwards online. This includes what you post online, ensure it doesn’t include your location or other personal information.

VPN: if you are completing work for school or work use company VPNs to keep your information and work safe. A good VPN to use is the Norton VPN

Antivirus: you can download computer programs that can prevent, detect and remove computer viruses on your device.

Passwords and Double Verification: It is important to use strong passwords and double verification systems if offered for your accounts. This makes your information harder for individuals to hack.

Digital Ethics

This video is about Digital Ethics. Digital ethics effects everything that we do online such as researching, completing assignments or interacting with others. This video outlines the importance of digital ethics such as the influence we have on others and how to maintain your ethics.

Digital ethics is an essential skill to develop as you navigate online sites, forums, videos and social media platforms. Digital ethics is promoting and preserving human rights, values and dignity by showing respect and responsibility when interacting in digital settings. With the increase in Artificial Intelligence and social media digital ethics is becoming seemingly more and more important. To foster digital ethics within my own practices, I try to develop digital citizenship skills. Digital citizenship is the responsible and ethical use of technology in specific internet and social media when online settings.

Key principles of digital citizenship:

Becoming a Good Digital Citizen: Navigating the Online World Ethically

Respect Others: being kind, not cyberbullying, communicating free of hate, or online harassment
Privacy Awareness: safeguard your own privacy and the privacy of others
Ethical Thinking: Make sure you verify the accuracy of something before you share it
Be aware of biases on the internet
- Echo Chambers: certain groups have spaces that continuously reinforce the same ideas without challenge or opposite opinions. It is important to recognize the value of receiving other people opinions and find yourself in online forums that incorporate numerous perceptions and ideas.
- Confirmation Bias: the tendency that individuals must seek out information that reaffirms their own ideas. It is essential to recognize this bias in yourself as you try to interact with individuals and websites on the internet.
Online Etiquette: use proper language and tone

INCLUSIVITY AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING IN PERSONALIZED LEARNING NETWORK

Inclusivity

With a world that is diversifying by the day, I think it is important to be mindful of how we can foster inclusivity within our personal learning network (PLN). Inclusivity in our PLN includes welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences. An inclusive personal learning environment can offer an individual new perspective and a comprehensive and holistic understanding of challenges and issues. I have found that reaching out to individual of diverse background and experiences has deeply increased the breadth and quality of my understanding. As an example, I currently teach reading skills at an elementary school and found that my skillset and abilities as an educator increased when I reached out to individuals who had been taught or developed skills that were different from the ones I learned in my own training. Every individual should try to take the steps to diversify their PLN to include different ideas, groups and perspectives. Some ways to create a more inclusive PLN are:

Seeking out voices: create a globalized PLN that allows you to hear the voices, opinions and experiences of individuals from different ethnic, racial and cultural backgrounds
Respectful communication: ensure that you are fostering positive, supportive relationships and communities that encourage individuals to share their ideas.
Value other perspective: take the steps to recognize the value of others

Universal Design for Learning

This is a video about the Universal Design of Learning. The video discusses the importance and application of UDL in addition to the three main principles. The three principles are Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means of Representation and Multiple means of Expression and Action.

The universal design for learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching that gives all students and equal access and opportunity to succeed. The main purpose of UDL in my opinion is to help every individual that is using the materials. For example, a wheelchair ramp helps children in wheelchairs, but also helps moms with strollers, people with crutches or an individual bringing a bike to school.

3 Principles of Universal Learning Design

Multiple Means of Engagement: motivating and sustaining the interest of the learner
- Let them make choices regarding how they can engage with the material
- Ensure assessments and teaching practices are culturally relevant
Multiple Means of Representation: offer information in more than one format
- This could be offering students different ways to learn from the course materials such as podcasts, audio, videos, written or kinesthetic opportunities.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression: offering students numerous ways to interact with the material to show what they know
- This can be offering a combination of summative and formative assessments that include exams, oral reports, videos, group projects, essays and podcasts.

How Universal Learning Design influences education

Universal Learning Design is a useful model to create more accessible digital education. Multiple means of engagement in digital courses can make the learning more accessible. For example, providing accessible document formats such as PDFs, Word documents or Google documents allows them to engage with the work using whatever is easiest for them. Additionally, I have found in my experience that offering students both written and visual representations of course material has resulted in their increased attention and engagement with the material. As essential aspect of engagement for an online course is the website, or course system that the instructor chooses. It is important that it is easy to navigate, clear and organized.

The representation and presentation of the course material can become more accessible using universal learning design. An instructor should be mindful of their use of colour and ensure that the fonts are clear for individuals who experience blindness, colour blindness or other accessibility issues that may be hindered by the presentation of the material. Instructors are also recommended to create the curriculum or goals of the course first, then create the resources as it will allow them to ensure that the goals of the curriculum are properly executed in the course work.

When having students engage in an online setting, offering multiple means of action and expression is crucial as it allows students to showcase their learning in meaningful and accessible ways. As an instructor, it is beneficial to offer numerous ways to showcase learning such as essays, exams, podcasts, creative projects or group projects. This allows students with differing abilities, learning styles or interests to complete the assessments in a fashion that aligns with their preferences. UDL is a great tool to ensure that your course is accessible for all learners.

CHALLENGES AND IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN DIGITAL LEAERNING

Diversity is a difficult but essential aspect of online education. Diversity as a broad idea, is the key differences in characteristics between people. This can include differences in ethnicity, age, gender, generation ability, sexual orientation and more. As one can imagine, effectively integrating all diverse individuals equally into education is a challenging them. Some challenges to maintaining equitable diversity are:

Challenges

1. Marginalized Population: individuals who are apart of marginalized communities such as race, gender and location have differing levels of accessibility to online education.

2. Gaps in training: Many educators are not trained for inclusive education in online settings.

3. Systemic issues: Institutionally, there is a lack of equality for individuals of different races, gender, sexual orientations or abilities regarding course content, instructors.

4. Limited representation: Many cultures, perspectives and ways of life are not accurately or equally represented in course material.

5. Language Barriers: Lots of online courses rely predominately on English written language,, creating barriers for individuals who speak different languages or have differing abilities that influence their ability to comprehend spoken word.

5. Accessibility Issues: many online courses are not accessible for students who have varying physical, auditory or visual difficulties creating barriers for accessability.

With all of those barriers in mind, It believe that it can become evident how important equitable diversity and inclusivity is in online education. Diversity is important as it reduces biases in instructing, course material and student interaction. Additionally, diversity enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills and aids to foster a globalized and diverse perspective amoung young learners.

How to Promote Inclusivity within Digital Learning Environments

Understand different learning styles: As an instructor, it is important to be mindful of how you can reduce barriers and increase engagement in the material for student. Universal Design for Learning, can be used to increase accessibility and incorporate individuals of all learning styles.
Ensure Material is Culturally Sensitive: instructors should be diligent in ensuring that their course material is both accessible for individuals of different cultural contexts and that their material is respectful to different culture groups.
Multilingual support: offer subtitles or translated materials for students who speak different native languages.
Offer in multiple formats: Ensure the material is offered to your students in numerous ways. For example if you have audio, offer text, if you have text, offer audio
Class Climate: make sure it supports the participation of all students
Design Elements for Accessibility: recognize that not all student have access to reliable technology
- Ensure you are offering recordings, written material, include transcriptions for recorded lectures
Reflect on own belief about teaching to maximize self-awareness and committment to inclusion: As an instructor, it is important to recognize the biases that you bring to the table regarding gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation and age and reflect on how that may influence the way you treat, reply and aid your students.
Take training for Diversity and inclusivity educational for online settings: Inclusivity looks different in every setting. It is important to ensure you have the proper training to offer diverse, accessible and inclusive education in an online environment.

As an instructor, it is important to recognize your role in creating and fostering an inclusive, accessible and diverse learning environment for your students. By recognizing your own shortcomings and biases, you can begin to foster an equitable and inclusive digital space!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Social media such as TikTok, Reddit or LinkedIn can be used to strengthen our personalized learning networks

2. You can use private browsers, ad blockers, VPN’s, anti-viruses and strong passwords to product your privacy whilst using the internet.

3. Inclusive personal learning networks foster a richer exchange of ideas and a more globalized, holistic understanding of information.

4. Universal Design for Learning is an approach to teaching that maximizes students engagement and ability to succeed through maximizing engagement, representation, action and expression.

5. Diversity and inclusivity can be promoted in digital learning spaces by understanding learning styles, creating culturally sensitive course materials, offering multilingual support and designing the class elements for accessability.

Peer Response Module #1

4 February 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Blog Post 1

Hi Matt

I enjoyed being able to learn a little bit about you and your personal perspective through your blog post in module one! I found your definitions for open education and distributed education to be very clear and easily distinguishable from one another. I agree with your definition of open education and find the benefits such as reduced cost, flexibility in location and deadlines to be a cornerstone of this type of learning. Despite that, I think that for some individual the lack of structure regarding scheduling along with the lack of face-to-face interactions could lead to difficulties for some students.

I think you have some great strategies for how to maintain your professional and personal identity. In specific, I like your suggestion for posting and commenting in a fashion that aligns with how you envision yourself and sharing information that is relevant to your goals and the field. I wonder in what ways you think digital identities shift, change and mold over time? I believe that it is possible that the balance between digital and personal identities may shift as you enter different stages of life. For example, my professional identity may shift if I go from being a student to being a doctor similarly as my personal identity shifts from being a young adult to being a mother. I wonder if you have any ideas as to how it may change or have any suggestions to maintain this balance overtime.

Digital Learning

Hi Rondean!

I really enjoyed reading your post from module one! I enjoyed the way you highlighted the benefits of open education—in specific, the financial benefits. Surpassing the financial benefits, I also believe that open education is beneficial in numerous other ways such as for individuals with familial obligations or are from geographically remote locations. Although I am an individual who prefers to receive my education in a face-to-face context, I agree with your points on how beneficial asynchronous education can be. As you said, it can be beneficial for students with complex schedules or who have large commutes into work. With the current snow falling outside, I can’t help but think how accessible and convenient my online courses have become being that I am able to work on all my work and complete the lecture material from the warmth of my couch at home.

I found your point about the shift to online learning during Covid-19 fascinating. Although this has increased students’ exposure to digital platforms, I would be intrigued to know if digital literacy skills were taught alongside it. As an individual who underwent the shift to online learning through COVID-19, I never was directly taught digital literacy skills, it was an expectation that I explored and taught myself. For the future, what do you think are some efficacious ways for schools and teachers to implement digital literacy skills into the curriculum? Do you think they should incorporate it into the curriculum or offer courses or subjects regarding digital literacy and digital citizenship in school?

Exploring Distributed and Open Learning – Blog #1

Hello Atalayah!!

I really enjoyed reading your post this week! I aree with your sentiment on the importance of teachers learning and being efficient in digital literacy skills. A lot of the time we focus solely on the importance of children and adolescence building these skills, but it is essential for anyone who consumes media. I wonder if you can think of any ways to increase knowledge and education regarding digital literacy skills. For example, I think it may be beneficial to offer courses or bulletin boards at public libraries or community centres to teach digital literacy skills. Additionally, I wonder what you think the best way to implement digital literacy in schools is? Do you think it would be better to implement it into curriculums, teach it during library time or offer courses?

Blog #2: Pedagogy, Learning Theories, Instructor Roles and Digital Spaces in Online Learning

4 February 2025 / chasebrown / 0 Comments

Key Terms

*Pedagogy*: the methods and practices of teaching that include engagement, assessment and instruction strategies.
*Direct Instruction:* the teacher design the program by selecting the methods and educational materials while students follow along.
*Collaborative Learning*: using group work and interpersonal communication to enhance learning and understandings
*Network Pedagogy*: emphasizes the connection between people, ideas and resources.
*Constructivism*: learners construct their own understandings and knowledge of the world through experience.
*Intrinsic Motivation:* the motivation to engage in a behavior due to its inherent benefits or satisfaction
*Digital Spaces*: places where people can interact, learn and communicate on the internet.

Pedagogy and Networked Pedagogy

Pedagogy

Pedagogy is the study of teaching methods encompassing the way an instructor teaches, to the way they choose to engage their students, to the way they assess them. Pedagogy is not just what we teach, it is also how and why we teach it the way we do to support students learning. I will be the first to admit, that I struggle to fully comprehend the comprehensiveness of pedagogy. I understand pedagogy as the art of teaching— how an educator can create a meaningful, engaging and holistic learning experience for their students whilst simultaneously creating an environment that fosters curiosity and growth.

Reflecting on my own experiences as a learner, I can acknowledge a few strategies of instruction that have directly influenced my comprehension of classwork material, namely, direct instruction and collaborative learning. Despite being two very different ideas, both greatly add to my comprehension. Direct instruction, a strategy that focuses on structured, sequenced and clear instruction, is beneficial as it allows me to develop a base understanding of material before applying it further. For example, if I am in a clinical psychology course, it is beneficial to learn the criteria of bipolar disorder from my professor before then applying it in a case study. Succeeding direct instruction, I greatly appreciate collaborative learning—the strategy of using groups to enhance learning through working together. This strategy of instruction allows me to converse with other students to solidify and expand upon the information covered in class. For instance, collaborative learning in a clinical psychology class, could be completing a case study and conceptualization on an individual with bipolar disorder.

If I was to translate this knowledge and experience into teaching practices, I think I would try to create a learning environment that supports both direct instruction and collaborative learning. I would offer students the opportunity to learn material through lecture to ensure clarity in guidance, but also allow them to engage in group discussions, group projects, think-pair-share or case study analysis to support interpersonal development and knowledge comprehension. Surpassing those basic strategies, I also think a hugely important part of pedagogy is offering students the opportunity to engage in the material that aligns with their needs. For example, I think it is important to offer auditory, visual and kinesthetic opportunities to engage with the material.

Networked Pedagogy

Branching from the pedagogy that is used in face-to-face instruction, an instructor can employ networked pedagogy as they instruct in online environments. Networked pedagogy is an approach to education that emphasizes connection between people, resources and ideas through leveraging tools such as social media, blogs or podcasts. I believe that network pedagogy can be harnessed and greatly improve the learning experience of students as they undertake virtual learning. By asking students to use social media or blogs to showcase their learning, teachers are offering students the opportunity to interpersonally engage with the material and showcase their skills in a setting they are used too. Many students use social media in their free time, and by offering them the opportunity to complete assessments using social media, they can develop additional digital literacy skills they can use in their personal life.

Technology offers students the opportunity to be flexible in their communication and allows interpersonal connection to be more accessible for many students. For example, discussion forums allow students to find others to do group projects with or can use them to make study groups and social media such as Instagram or Zoom allows students to connect with one another outside of class or when meeting in person is not possible. For example, with the snowfall, my group members and I have been able to meet over zoom to discuss our projects and my study group for my psychology class have been messaging questions we have about the material as we study for our exam next week. Technology can be used to remove the circumstances that inhibit communication and support connection between students.

Learning Theories

The video above outlines the five main learning theories namely behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, Humanism, and Connectivism. Behaviorism supports the ideas of positive and negative reinforcement and conditioned stimulus. Cognitivism runs on the framework that the mind is active in the process of learning and works like a computer. Constructivism sees the learner as the being that constructs their own knowledge and understanding. Humanism sees learning as an opportunity to reach full potential rather than meeting learning requirements. Connectivism focuses on the idea that people grow and learn as they begin to form connections.

Constructivism

There are numerous learning theories that influence the way a teacher frames their classroom and coursework. As we learned in the video above, Constructivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building their own understandings of material. Before this course, I was not aware of constructivism and the emphasis this theory places on active learning and social construction stood out to me. I think the constructivist approach can be applied to online learning beautifully as virtual courses allow the flexability for students to showcase their understandings in so many different ways and are not locked into the face-to-face exam format. In an asynchronous course, an instructor could include some of the practices below in accordance with the constructivist approach

Discussion forums: can create a direction for discussion, but allow students the space to include personal experience, interpretations, reactions and opinions into the response. This also allows students to find their own information and knowledge and report it back to the rest of the class to enhance everyone’s learning. For example, creating a discussion post that asks students to find a case study on business management then explain it in the discussion forum
Alternative assessment options: allowing students the freedom to choose what type of assessments they want to hand in that supports their own learning. For example, if I am teaching a course on business management, I can offer the opportunity for students to submit a formative essay, a Mock interview on the topic, an engaging podcast or blog segment to showcase their learning and understandings.
Open-ended topics: giving the students the opportunity to choose the topic for study that aligns with their own interests and their own level of knowledge.

I believe that having an understanding of the constructivist approach will allow me to create a learning environment that better supports students intrinsic motivation to create their own understandings. Many students are driven by grades or efforts on a report card, but creating an environment that fosters active participation by the students may make them inclined to seek out knowledge

Roles of an Online Instructor

Above is the link to a podcast on the roles and expectations as an online instructor. The hosts discuss the role of teaching in an online setting and how teaching works in an online setting, in specific the shift in learning methodology.

A virtual class is only as good as its instructor, making it essential that an instructor is competent, and efficacious in an online environemnt. Being a student who has undergone numerous online courses, it is important for instructors to be mindful of what qualities they can bring to the course that can support or inhibit their students’ abilities to learn. Below is a list of numerous qualities that are essential for an instructor to develop to foster a productive and successful learning experience for their students.

Good Qualities in an Online Instructor

Clarity: ensuring materials are offered clearly and structured, this includes instruction, lectures and assessments. It is important that lectures are effective and accessible to all types of students. Creating resources for assignments that are clear and directly outline the expectations that a teacher has for the project.

Be online: ensure that you are available for students and there to support them. Continuously monitor students’ performance and offer support and feedback as needed

Patient and empathetic: be patient towards students who are experiencing online courses for the first time. Understanding that many students have barriers that prevent them from face-to-face learning that may create accessibility difficulties as they navigate virtual courses.

Technologically skilled: the instructor should be able to effectively use the technology that the students are learning from. Have the skills to be able to teach students how to use the technology platforms.

Motivated to help students succeed: able to motivate their students to work through the material and excel!Receptive to feedback to improve their own instruction and the course framework to learning more accessible.

There are lots of things instructors do that inhibit or reduce the quality of their students education. Below is a list of qualities to try to avoid as an instructor.

Qualities not to have as an online instructor

Lack of structure and organization: offering a course that is not structured in a way that is easy to navigate for students

Lacking knowledge on technology: not understanding how to use the platforms they are asking their students to use or failing to offer guided resources on how to use the applications needed for the course.

Failing to make class resources clear: online settings requires the professor to be competent in their understanding of the course material because students are unable to ask questions as they come in the same way they can in a face to face setting.

Absence: failing to answer emails or offer office hours regularly for students to attend and ask questions if needed. Students still require time in which they can receive clarification or receive feedback when on an online course.

Digital Spaces

Digital spaces are places where people can interact, communicate, learn and collaborate on the internet. These spaces are virtual, interconnected, dynamic and flexible in nature. Some benefits of digital spaces are increased connectivity, improved collaboration, enhanced access to information and increased efficiency. Some possible challenges are cybersecurity, information overload, social isolation and digital inequalities.

I believe to positively contribute to digital spaces it is important to be mindful of the content, and tone of what you say. Similarly to in-person interaction, to positively contribute it is important to be respectful, kind, supporting, and talk about appropriate and culturally sensitive topics.

Key Takeaways

Pedagogy is the science of teaching and includes what you are teaching and how you do it
Network pedagogy is a technique that supports the connection between people and resources through technology
Constructivism is a learning strategy that can be efficaciously used in an online setting by creating open-ended assignments and discussion forums.
There are many qualities such as clarity, empathy and presence that supports being a successful online teacher

Key Definition:

What is Open Pedagogy:

The Role and Impact of Open Educational Resources:

Creative Common’s Licensing:

Key Takeaways:

Key Terms

What Are Personalized Learning Networks (PLN) And Why Are They Important?

Personalized Learning Network

How does PLN support learning and growth?

How can a PLN contribute to academic and personal goals?

Long-Term Networked Development

Social Media Dynamics for PLNs

Impact of Social Media on Learning, Academics and Professional Environments.

Social media and personal learning

Social media and proffessional learning

How to use social media to enhance learning, career development and engagement?

Key Takeaways:

Key Terms:

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

How to Apply the Universal Design for Learning in Educational Settings

Applying UDL and Accessibility Principles:

Ensure Accessibility in Online Settings:

Ethical Considerations in Digital Interactions:

Key Takeaways

Key Terms

PERSONAL LEARNING NETWORKS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

PRIVACY, ETHICS AND SECURITY IN DIGITAL SPACES.

Privacy

Digital Ethics

INCLUSIVITY AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING IN PERSONALIZED LEARNING NETWORK

Inclusivity

Universal Design for Learning

CHALLENGES AND IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN DIGITAL LEAERNING

How to Promote Inclusivity within Digital Learning Environments

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Key Terms

Pedagogy and Networked Pedagogy

Learning Theories

Roles of an Online Instructor

Digital Spaces

Key Takeaways

References

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