Week 9: Digital Responsibility and Voicethread

This week, we discussed the various aspects of digital responsibility, and learned to use two fantastic tools - Voicethread and PollDaddy. 

Voicethread and PollDaddy 

(Reisinger, 2009, http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10262618-2.html)

This week, our first activity required us to answer several questions via PollDaddy about our attitudes regarding certain digital responsibility situations. PollDaddy is an useful online based survey tool that allows users to respond to questions created by another user. I noticed that it was incredibly simple to use, which makes it an ideal tool for students to use for various purposes. Students can post practice questions on course material so that others can use it as a rehearsal for the actual test. Additionally, students conducting research can use it to retrieve casual responses to questions of interest. When using it this week to respond to an opinion question, it allowed me to see where my response stands in terms of popularity compared to others who also answered the survey question. Therefore, it is an effective collaborative tool that can fit in the collaboration section of my PLE.

(Riddle, 2010, http://cit.duke.edu/blog/2010/02/feedback-on-voicethread/) 

Similarly, Voicethread is an easy to use, Internet-based collaborative tool that allows us to express our views and opinions, while accessing and understanding others'. However, in addition to allowing us to collaborate and socialize, it also allows us to produce content, reflect on content, and practice digital responsibility. By allowing us to upload slides and document, it also allows us to share our work with the world. 

Discussion and the exchange of views regarding ideas presented is a central part of the reflection process of learning. Voicethread, unlike other tools that allow us to discuss with others our views on certain topics, allows us to easily upload video, audio or text comments on the original slides. Therefore, Voicethread allows for a seminar or meeting-like atmosphere, without being restricted by whether or not participants can attend because of their location or availability during the day - they are able to upload their responses whenever and wherever they want. As fellow classmate Charon discussed in her blog post, "teachers can set up discussions after their lectures on this website and then allow their students to view and comment on content. (Bhullar, 2014, http://cbhullar03.blogspot.ca/2014/03/week-9-report-and-reflection.html) Compared to other collaborative tools, "more lengthy and detailed explanations are feasible, intonation and voice patterns convey information that can be missed or misconstrued in text based markup. (Educause Learning Initiative, 2009, http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7050.pdf)" 

The interactive discussion that Voicethread allows for also gives students an opportunity to develop their verbal communication skills. Voicethread also allows users to take advantage of it as a presentation software, as they can annotate their own presentations and share it with anybody in the world that has a connection to the Internet. A doodling function is also one that facilitates Voicethread's use as a presentation software, allowing presenters and commenters to direct viewers' attention to areas under discussion. In all, Voicethread's creative potential "may promote greater digital literacy and greater enthusiasm for multimedia creation. (Educause Learning Initiative, 2009, http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7050.pdf)"

Digital Responsibilities 

This week, the topic of digital responsibilities also brought to light many new rules about being a positive digital citizen that I now need to adopt. Initially in my exploration of these concepts, much of the rules seemed very common-sense and obvious. However, Tucker's (2010, http://catlintucker.com/2010/12/top-10-dos-and-don%E2%80%99ts-online-student-communication/) list of suggestions really made me step back and realize that I need to make some changes. 5 of Tucker's rules that had the greatest effect on my were: 

1. RESPOND instead of REACTING. Allow for time to calm down before responding. 

- I have a tendency to react too much to signs of aggression through social media. Often, it is a result of miscommunication. I am not trying to justify my past behaviours, but I also feel as if overreacting is something that is very in our popular culture. 

2. REREAD messages before sending them to ensure that ideas are clearly communicated. 

- There have been to many cases where I have accidentally sent a message that was worded improperly, leading to embarrassment! 

3. CAREFULLY read peers' responses, and respect the time they have spent presenting their ideas - avoid misunderstandings! 

- There were absolutely times when I took others' comments the wrong way by failing to really understand what they were trying to say. 

4. ASK questions if anything is unclear to prevent confusion! 

5. Keep language DIRECT and RESPECTFUL, as readers can't see your body language or hear the tone of your voice. 

These all fall in the category of effective online communication, and in light of these suggestions, I feel as if our education system doesn't place enough emphasis on effective online communication. Especially in a culture where so much of our communication is dependent upon technology, being able to successfully articulate, understand, and respond is a skill that is absolutely crucial. This information shouldn't only be taught to those studying communication - being able to understand others and be understood is important in all settings and for EVERYBODY who uses the Internet. 

Feedly Update This week, an article that I found through my Feedly reader was a harmless but thought-provoking article about Chelsea Clinton discussing her experiences teaching her parents how to text, use email and other electronic communication tools (Griggs, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/11/tech/innovation/chelsea-clinton-sxsw/index.html). This made me reflect on the importance of teaching the older generations about the importance of effective digital communication skills as they learn about using these tools. There are many sources that discuss the importance of teaching these digital citizenship skills to students, but I feel that the more mature populations who are also learning to use these tools have been neglected. They are often in positions of power and influence, so their misuse of digital tools may have more disastrous consequences than if it happened with students!