Privacy and Human-Centred Learning
After completing the readings for this first topic, I have been reflecting a lot about my personal experiences with technology, as well as my experiences with blended learning at UVic thus far.
Before I began the B.Ed program this past fall, I never really gave my online privacy a second thought. I would sign up for anything, giving the company whatever information they required. Whether it be signing up for my Quizlet, WordPress, Instagram, Snapchat, anything, I would give out all my information. Where I lived, where I went to school, my birth date, credit card information, you name it! Not only was I giving up my privacy through data, but I also wasn’t aware of how anything we post or upload online is extremely accessible. It wasn’t until I took my first EdTech class that I realized the issues with my lack of privacy. I quickly realized the consequences that I could have faced if I continued to use social media and online platforms the way that I did. I tidied up my privacy settings, and am now more cautious about what information I give to certain companies.
After reading Regan and Jesse’s (2019) article, I started to think about how I have a whole separate “side” of me that is strictly educational. Meaning, I have my personal Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (etc.) accounts, and then I have accounts that I use for school, such as WordPress, Quizlet or an educational Twitter account. It is true that privacy will always be an issue with educational technologies, however our privacy also allows for the “capability of edtech to deliver more personalized learning based on the needs and skill levels of individual students” (Regan & Jesse, 2019, p. 168). I completely agree with this idea. I think that the way technology is being used in an educational setting can help a learner enhance their experience with the technology, and help the teacher to better understand how to help a learner. That being said, it is important that as educators, we are cautious about which technologies we introduce to our students and what privacy laws are put in place by that company in order to continue “protecting student information from inappropriate access or secondary uses” (Regan & Jesse, 2019, p. 170), because a child’s privacy should be of utmost importance.
This brings me to some other thoughts about online learning communities, and Vaughan and Garrison’s (2013) article. I think that in this day and age, adapting to the ever-changing standards of the internet and online learning is crucial. By using blended learning, where a mix of online learning and face-to-face learning is used, educators can allow for more access and opportunity for students to interact (Vaughan & Garrison, 2013). Before COVID, I had no clue what Zoom was! Even the transition from Coursespaces to Brightspace was a pretty big shift. During the pandemic, we did not get to experience face-to-face learning, but I do feel like in my time at UVic, I have been able to experience blended learning very well, via lectures (before COVID), online forums on Brightspace, and through my WordPress blog in other classes. As I continued to read, I did come up with a question about blended learning, though. Vaughan and Garrison list the principles of good practice in undergraduate education (can this mean K-12 education as well?). I agree with these principles, however it is stated that “these principles need to be updated to address the changing needs in higher education to become information literate in the age of the Internet” (Vaughan & Garrison, 2013). Being that this article was published 9 years ago, I am curious to know if these principles have been updated?
References
Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2
Vaughan, N. D., Garrison, D. R., & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. AU Press.