About me
My name is Mike Li or Shihong Li, and I’m currently in my 2nd year Computer Science student at University of Victoria. My educational journey has been shaped by identifying the difference in education culture within China and Canada. These experiences have helped me appreciate the evolving landscape of education and how it caters to diverse learners.
What is Distrbuted Education?
Distributed education refers to that form of learning utilizing technology and other resources on computers and digital media to create flexible and personalized learning free from the bonds of class location. The approach differs from the more traditional and passive forms, as it enables learners to study at their own rate and pace independent of their place. It greatly promotes access, providing chances to learn to many people who may need special services because of their location or time (UVic, n.d.). For me, this distributed learning is a stepping-stone out of the hostage situation created by our traditional educations.
What is Open Education?
Open education is a situation of equal opportunity for all learners regarding educational resources. It intends to reduce financial and geographical problems by adopting open educational resources(OERs), openly licensed courses, among others, to make education all-inclusive. This will help develop equal opportunities for quality education for all regardless of background (EDUCAUSE, 2018). Those who cannot afford textbooks may use the free OERs.
Modes of Learning
Learning could be face-to-face, online, or blended. I favor the blended class because it offers the best of both worlds in terms of personal connection and immediacy in a face-to-face class, while offering flexibility in the online resources. To begin with, the mode increases my engagement in learning and makes it easier for me to adjust my learning schedule and activities that best suit my needs. One possible example that could happen is attending and participating in class discussions and conducting assignments or viewing recorded lectures online at my own pace (Begley, 2018).
Digital Identity
My digital identity is the version of me that exists in online environments, both academic and professional. This, I control through active participation on professional sites like LinkedIn, adding nothing but keeping all personal social media accounts private. My digital identity means everything in terms of networking, coding demonstration, and professional reputation, which are all important in my aspirations concerning my career. It is a lifelong process of trying to make sure my activities online are congruent with the kind of person I am or want to be, whether it be in educational or professional life (Kreijns et al., 2014).
Digital Literacy
Digital literacy refers to the navigation, evaluation, and creation of information by means of digital technologies and platforms. It is also important within an open and distributed learning environment since learners are able to efficiently locate, select, and use online resources. For instance, knowledge concerning how to critically evaluate sources of information on the internet effectively ensures that only credible research material is used in assignments, while using collaborative tools like Google Drive increases efficiency in group work within a digital environment (Begley, 2018).
References
Begley, S. (2018). Digital Literacy: Realizing the Promise of Technology [Video]. TEDxRoyalRoadsU. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGwSzp2xBU4
EDUCAUSE. (2018). Twenty Years of EdTech. Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/7/twenty-years-of-edtech
Kreijns, K., Van Acker, F., Vermeulen, M., & Van Buuren, H. (2014). Community of Inquiry: Social Presence Revisited. Open University of the Netherlands. Retrieved from [link to resource, if available]
UVic. (n.d.). Acceptable Use of Electronic Information Resources Policy. University of Victoria. Retrieved from https://search.library.uvic.ca