Blog Post 3: PLN Dynamics and Inclusivity

PLN Spaces Through Social Media

Social Media plays a massive role in developing my Personal Learning Network (PLN). It allows me to connect to resources, educators and professionals to learn from. I use social media to help build my PLN by engaging in apps through participation in conversations and following the educators whom I choose to learn from and follow. 

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

How I use Social Media to Grow my PLN and the Benefits 

Platform	PLN Use	Benefits
Twitter (X)	Following experts, educators, and people with real experiences in learning and teaching.	Academic conversations, experts insights, and updates on new things within the learning world.
TikTok	Access to Microlearning, following learning content, commenting and engaging with other educators.	Different ways and types of learning through the idea of microlearning which teaches learning in a different way that I am exposed to. Engaging through comments to access information from others.
Reddit	Sharing resources, following threads and hashtags of others experiences and participating in existing forums.	Building a sense of community with others by replying to threads and learning from others experiences.

Overall, using social media benefits my PLN by providing access to different perspectives, such as connecting with educational videos from professionals, educators, or individuals with experience in a specific area of study or field. This also benefits from building a sense of community with people, which allows individuals to bridge formal and informal learning through participatory digital cultures, thereby releasing forms of isolation and supporting connections through communities (Greenhow & Lewin, 2016).

Privacy, Ethics and Security in Digital Spaces

We as individuals are responsible for our own presence in the digital world, as well as we are in charge of taking action in protecting our information online and creating a digital basis that is secure and private for security and privacy reasons.

Photo by Philip Oroni on Unsplash

How I Protect my Information

• Putting restrictions on apps, such as location services and permission to access photos, etc. (especially for apps that don’t require location services and permission to access photos to use). 
• Protecting my information by using strong and unique passwords that I won’t forget, which will keep my information secure from unauthorized access. 
• Having private accounts for privacy reasons limits people from viewing your account and the personal information that may be on it. 

These are ways I protect my online information and online presence to safeguard my digital footprint better. 

Ethical Practices that I Follow in Digital Spaces 

• Being mindful of what information about others I post without their knowledge or consent. 
• Being aware of what I post on social media regarding my beliefs, which may come across to some people as disrespectful, and being mindful of how my comments, posts, and other actions may be perceived by others. 
• Making sure to give credit to sources that I use gives other people credit for the ideas they come up with and the information I find that is not my own. 

Why are these practices important for creating a safe, trustworthy digital environment? 

“ Privacy is essential to the autonomy and the digital of individuals. The ability to control one’s personal information is a fundamental aspect of human autonomy and enables individuals to make informed decisions.” (Zostant & Chataut, 2023) 

Having these ethical and privacy practices gives people control and autonomy over how their information is accessed online. Setting boundaries also helps people feel less stressed when they are vulnerable to harassment, privacy violations, and other people using their information. 

Inclusivity and UDL in PLNs 

Ensuring my PLN is inclusive means: 

• Engaging with communities and individuals from different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Following and learning from different educators from diverse cultures and backgrounds across all different platforms. 
• Learn more about educators and learning communities that I have limited knowledge about. 
• I seek to understand perspectives that don’t necessarily align, to push myself to view learning tools and educators from different angles, and thereby broaden my understanding of various topics.

UDL Principles

Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL provides a framework for supporting inclusivity in digital learning spaces. Through the exploration of UDL there are 3 key guidelines: 

1. Multiple Means of Engagement 
2. Multiple Means of Representation 
3. Multiple Means of Action and Expression

This video explains how UDL is a framework that reduces barriers in learning for individuals by offering the three guidelines. This demonstrates that learners are given flexibility in ways to access content, assess understanding, and different ways in learning content. 

Using the UDL guidelines,UDL additional Information  the video I have reflected on my PLN and how these guidelines are reflected in my PLN.

Multiple Means of Engagement	I participate in PLN spaces in varying ways such as commenting and participating in discussions, but I also participate by watching videos and clips which demonstrate different levels of engagement within content that give me different perspectives, and allows me to choose in which way I want to participate in PLN spaces, I have autonomy on the type of engagement I want to participate in.
Multiple Means of Representation	I make sure my PLN includes educators that use inclusive accessibility options such as visuals, close captions, audio etc. For example on Tiktok within microlearning having captions and visuals that engage the listener as well as helps with different accessibility needs.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression	Continue to challenge knowledge and ask questions in discussions or comments by going one step further to understand content and collaboration. Overall interactive collaboration with others within communities goes beyond just posting but also sharing knowledge and learning from new environments.

Challenges and Importance of Diversity in Digital Learning

Diversity in digital learning is important because it ensures equality in learning and allows learners to experience different perspectives and allows a sense of belonging to education for all individuals. There are challenges that can marginalize certain groups of students. 

Challenges can include: 

• Accessibility 
• Language barriers 
• Underrepresentation for marginalized groups

Storm (2016) emphasizes that UDL can play a huge role in addressing these challenges by helping educators design learning experiences that reflect the needs of all different students regardless of their challenges. 

Steps to Promote an Inclusive Digital Learning Environment

Photo found on Strengthening Inclusive Learning Networks

1. Offer different formats and options for learning content 
2. Incorporate Student Autonomy over their learning 
3. Include diverse perspectives 
4. Use language that is clear for students 
5. Provide regular feedback and peer collaboration 

References

About UDL. UDL On Campus: About UDL. (n.d.-a). http://udloncampus.cast.org/page/udl_about

Clarida, B. H., Bobeva, M., Hutchings, M., & Taylor, J. (2015). Strategies for digital inclusion: Towards a pedagogy for embracing and sustaining student diversity and engagement with online learning. IAFOR Journal of Education, 3(SE). https://doi.org/10.22492/ije.3.se.06

Greenhow, C., & Lewin, C. (2016). Social media and education: Reconceptualizing the boundaries of formal and informal learning. Learning, Media and Technology, 41(1), 6–30.

Universal Design for learning｜Cast. CAST. (n.d.). https://www.cast.org/what-we-do/universal-design-for-learning/ 

Zostant, M., & Chataut, R. (2023). Privacy in computer ethics: Navigating the Digital age. Computer Science and Information Technologies, 4(2), 183–190. https://doi.org/10.11591/csit.v4i2.pp183-190