Journey to Digital Competency

A look into what we covered in each module from the digital literacy course with Queen's university.

A reflection of the courses I took in the Digital Literacy course with Queen's University.

When I decided to take on this course, I was excited to learn more about today's digital literacy. For me, digital literacy was our ability to use the computer, online resources and avoiding scammers. As we took on modules in digital literacy, I took a deep dive into new perspectives and revisited old learned habits. The following here captures a glimpse of what I learned in each module:

Module 1: Digital Literacy

In this module, we were enouraged to engage in our own digital literacy, definitions, experiences, strengths, fears, and identities. We set a goal for the course, recalled what we knew as digital literacy, and learned about who we are and how we are as online persons and in the workplace and we created an autobiography, as well as reading literature that conveyed information needed to understand digital literacy.

From this module, I took away a saying which was "healthy skeptisism". It is important to be a healthy skeptic when we are dealing with the internet, especially if we are to share private informaiton. Later in the course, we learned the importance of staying safe online which being a healthy skeptic becomes a great trait as an individual who uses online tools.

Module 2: Machine Learning and Algorithmic Bias

In module two, we learned about the biases online tools and AI may have due to the fact that they are made by a certian group of people. We watched a video to help us learn about the bias internet providers have, and I especially found this interesting as the video showed us how light skinned people were well received by early years cameras and dark skinned people were not. This may have a lasting effect on today's society, and it shows us who created the entertainment industry and who they created these resources for.

In this module, my assignment compared google and duckduckgo which are two search engines. I searched images for "Indigenous Women Canada" and "Inuit today" on both search engines. In my findings, I noticed google was more outdated on the images I wanted to see, as well, they portrayed a more negative light on Indigenous women. The search on duckduckgo was more positive and the images from that search engine showed us more accurate pictures of Inuit today.

This module helped me see that my trusted and preferred search engine is not always up to par with what we may be searching for, thus, I became aware that there are other search engines that are more trustworthy.

Module 3: Digital Justice

We looked into barriers and inequities we may unknowingly perpetuate. For this module, we were tasked with reading one of the suggested articles and to create an outcome. I decided to look into Barbie and created a blog for this module.

Module 4: Misinformation Online

In this module, we learned techniques that could help us to debunk misinformation or information that seem inaccurate. The following are pointers taken from a YouTube video made by Canadian Teachers' Federation (2021):

• 4 easy ways to tell something is real:

  • use fact-checking tools

  • find the original source

  • verify the source

  • check other sources.

• Snopes.com

• Search on google and add fake or hoax

• use Bit.ly/fact-search

• use Bit.ly/durantcheer

• Check other sources **fastest way

Reference: Canadian Teachers’ Federation. (2021, February 22). Break the fake [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHeNabULAE0 

We made an online comic and the image you see is one of the slides, the full project as well as access to the other projects made during this course are accessible on the PME 815 tab.

Module 5: Technology and the Law

For this module, we learned about consequences of technology facilitated violence (TFV) and discussed laws around it. We read some examples of real crimes made using technology, the one i read about was of a young man, 17, who targetted young women. He got their personal information and swatted (fake emergencies to private homes) and doxed them(revealing private information online).

For this module, I created an infographic with Canva describing the crime, consequences of this crime and provided helpful online resources using QR codes on the poster.

That's it for a short information session on what we learned in Digital Literacy with Queen's.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the website to see the projects I have created during this course that are available for viewing in the PME 815 tab.

Thank you, qujannamiik (thank you in Inuktitut).

I would also like to extend my thank yous to JJ our instructor, you have been very helpful during this course and I really appreciated what you have done for all of us, especially the introduction videos which were especially helpful for me. Also to my online classmates, although we have not met in person, I feel like we have grown together as a community. It was a pleasure learning together!

Appolina Makkigak