Month: July 2024

• Privacy in Digital Learning: What should students expect regarding their privacy when learning online? Think about what level of privacy is reasonable, and why.

In this era of globalized information, protecting personal privacy is extremely important. I think students expect regarding their privacy when learning oSchools can affect student privacy in the following situations. First, the confidentiality of personal information. Even if the security of the learning platform is high, once personal information is leaked, students will face some unnecessary troubles: identity theft, harassment or other malicious activities. Secondly, the confidentiality of academic records. Students’ homework records and grades should only be provided for personal use. I think students deserve the highest level of privacy. Because most students are not yet fully mature mentally, they cannot accurately judge the right and wrong of online information. Preventing the leakage of students’ personal information will help students focus on learning.

Source: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/digitalprivacyleadershipandpolicy/chapter/digital-privacy-in-education/

• Privacy vs. Educational Needs: Sometimes, schools or teachers might need to use tools or take actions that could affect student privacy. Can you think of situations where this might be acceptable or necessary? How can we balance the need to protect student privacy with the need to meet educational goals?

Schools can affect student privacy in the following situations. First, the use of digital platforms. Schools usually use some digital platforms as teaching tools, so using these digital platforms usually requires providing privacy to register an account. Second, communication between teachers and students usually uses digital tools such as email, which is also part of student privacy. Third, schools usually provide extra care for students with disabilities, which means that students with disabilities need to provide additional personal information.I will propose the following points to balance the need to protect student privacy with the need to meet educational goals. First, ensure transparency of information. Schools need to explain to students and parents how information is stored and used. Second, strengthen the security of the website. Third, ensure that personal information is anonymized externally.

• Universal Design for Learning: Reflect on the UDL framework. Originally, it was created to help students with learning disabilities, but now it aims to prevent all types of exclusion. How can UDL effectively be used in digital learning to ensure every student has access and feels included?

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is contributed by three parts:Multiple Means of Engagement, Multiple Means of Representation and Multiple Means of Action and Expression. I think the development of UDL principles needs strong support from schools and society. Schools can create interactive platforms and provide continuous training on UDL for teachers. Society needs to be more inclusive and participatory in this type of learning platform. Not only do students need to participate in platform interactions, but parents also need to provide continuous feedback on the platform.

Source:https://www.carleton.edu/its/blog/how-you-can-implement-universal-design-for-learning-udl-in-small-steps/

• Ethics and Digital Tools in Education: What ethical considerations should be taken into account when choosing and using digital tools in education? How can educators and institutions ensure they are using technology ethically?

I think the following ethical considerations need to be considered when choosing and using digital tools in education. First, the privacy of the platform. Second, the convenience of the platform. Third, the source of platform information needs to be formalized. Similarly, when educators use these platforms, they also need to be supervised by students and parents to prevent unfairness and information leakage.

Here are some tips for students to protest their privacy from digital platform.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZE45J-MIUg&t=44s

Continue reading

• Discuss how open learning principles can make education more accessible and inclusive. Reflect on a situation where open learning could transform educational outcomes.

Compared with traditional classroom teaching methods, open learning principles are more accessible and flexible. Because learners can freely obtain the information they need through digital platforms, and open learning principles provide convenient conditions for students who cannot attend offline teaching, such as people with disabilities. Secondly, open learning principles do not require a specific environment, which means that educational agent  do not need to bear any expenses such as venues, which saves education costs and reduces the economic burden on learners.

• How have historical advancements in educational technology shaped modern educational tools and philosophies? Choose one innovation and explore its impact on today’s learning environments.

The history of educational technology  records the evolution of teaching methods transform from blackboards to online digital tools. For example, zoom. The widespread use of zoom in teaching mode emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The epidemic has prevented most students from returning to school in time, especially international students. Canada is one of the main countries for studying abroad, and many international students are stuck in their original countries due to the epidemic. Therefore, zoom has effectively solved the study problems of most international students, helping them graduate on time.

• Evaluate how the shift from traditional to digital, learner-centred platforms has transformed educational settings. Share your views on how these technologies can further evolve to enhance learning.

The transformation of the education model from traditional to digital has shifted the focus of teaching from teachers to students. For example, in the traditional classroom model, if a student fails to attend class on time, then the student will lose the opportunity to acquire the knowledge learned in this class. However, the digital classroom is different. The teacher can record the class and update it on the platform. Therefore, even if the student fails to attend class on time, he or she can still study independently after class.

• Connect the theories and technological developments to current educational practices. Discuss an example from your readings or personal experiences where these theories have been effectively applied or could have been implemented to improve learning.

Theories and technological developments have improved the learning efficiency of the current education model and formed the backbone of the teaching strategies and learning models used today. These teaching strategies and learning models are closer to students’ needs and stimulate students’ curiosity for knowledge. For example, during the online classes during the epidemic, if the school forced me to return to campus to study, I would most likely refuse this request, which might cause a lag in my student career. However, the flexibility of digital teaching provides me with the freedom to choose the location of the class and allow me to study in a familiar environment which increases my enthusiasm for learning.

• Consider the role of multimedia resources in enriching educational experiences. Provide an example where multimedia has contributed to learning.

Multimedia resources play a very important role in modern education because they can present information in a more relaxed and attractive way. The main presentation modes of multimedia resources are videos, images, audio, animations, and interactive simulations. These resources stimulate students’ senses and deepen their memory of knowledge. For example, language descriptions are usually boring in economics classes . However,  it often plays an unexpected positive role, when economic theory is presented in the form of video stories.

Hi, I am Arlene Liu from Economic. This is my fourth year in Uvic

• What interests you about open and distributed learning?

I think Distributed and Open Learning is more accessible and flexible than traditional teaching methods. Students can freely choose their learning environment and are not restricted to a specific environment on campus and choose the time to attend classes.

• How do you currently use digital tools to support your learning or professional life in the context of education?

In Uvic, we normally use bright space as the major digital tools to support the basic online learning. Professors could post the the information about the class and  update the weekly task we need to finish. Moreover, I personally think zoom is a good  digital tool to offer a good platform to communicate within a group. Furthermore, the different function of google also achieve the goal of sharing idea and making the communication easier.  For example, we can open  a file on google docs, every can enter this file and put their idea on.

• What is your understanding of digital literacy and its importance in open and distributed learning settings?

Digital literacy is a ability to navigate, evaluate, and create information by using the digital tools.  Furthermore，Digital literacy played a crucial role on open and distributed learning settings. Because Proficiency in digital tools can greatly improve your learning efficiency. You will acquire information through various digital tools and process information on some digital platforms.

• Describe any experiences you have with learning in open or distributed contexts. How will you engage with and contribute to this learning approach through the course?

I have registered for two courses at TRU University. These two classes are conducted through  in the form of open and distributed learning. I mainly introduce a course about business here. This course post tasks on an official platform such as Brightspace. Students need to complete these tasks in their own way. These tasks mainly include some assignments and exams. However, the official learning materials are not enough for me to fully understand how to solve the problems, so I used video analysis provided by video platforms such as YouTube during the learning process, which helped me understand what I learned faster. Moreover, the exam was also conducted online. The teacher supervised the students’ behavior during the exam through zoom, which is very convenient for students who are not convenient to go to school for the exam.