Overview
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the final unit in our course, Learning with Technology. In this last unit we will have a chance to explore some digital tools that you may encounter in your academic studies at TWU. We’ll look at how these skills translate to preparing you for the workplace and will examine the role technology plays in your chosen field of study. You’ll also have the opportunity to research some current events related to societal issues and the internet and will discuss how to address these challenges. Finally, we’ll conclude our course with a discussion on digital wisdom. As you begin this unit, here are some guiding questions to consider:
- How will my use of technology support my social, academic, and spiritual goals?
- How will I share my knowledge and skills to engage as a digital global citizen?
- How will I connect and collaborate with others as part of an inclusive digital community?
Topics
This unit is divided into the following topics:
- Sharing Your Learning at TWU
- Digital Practices in the Workplace
- Societal Issues and the Internet
- Digital Wisdom
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this unit you will be able to:
- Explore social learning theories and explain how we learn through connecting with others
- Use technology to discover and share knowledge, collaborate with others, and become engaged digital global citizens
- Discuss how technology has changed business practices in your field of interest or career
- Describe societal issues and problematic online behaviours which have emerged in the digital world, and how to deal with these challenges in an ethical manner
- Create inclusive digital communities which embody a sense of belonging, connection, and Christian hospitality
- Create a personalized narrative to document and express your learning process
Learning Activities
Here is a list of learning activities that will benefit you in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.
- Watch the video Higher Ed Trends: Student Career Anxiety and the Future of Work (2015)
- Read the articles on how the internet impacted the newspaper and music industries.
- Discuss the impact of digital technology on business.
- Explore AI tools for university students and view the resources provided.
- View the resources on AI and plagiarism.
- Discuss the impact of automation and AI in the workplace.
- View the resources on the price of AI and discuss the ethical implications.
- Investigate and publish a blog post on a topic focusing on societal issues on the internet, such as website tracking, trolling, net neutrality, and digital redlining.
- Read the article on digital wisdom and reflect on how technology serves both personal and communal benefits.
Resources
- All resources will be provided online in the unit.
Tip: Remember to continuously add resources to your Zotero library that align with your learning goals.
6.1 Sharing Your Learning at TWU
Community is an essential component of Trinity Western University. Just have a look at the TWU website and you will find several references to learning within a community. For example:
At Trinity Western University, you’ll experience an authentic and engaging community as you enrich your understanding of the world—preparing for a life of faithful engagement in your community and profession. We are deeply committed to providing a transformational education, where you will develop practical professional skills while exploring bigger ideas about who you are, what you believe, and what you’re called to do in the world. (Trinity Western University, n.d.-c)
Why is community so important to TWU, and how does it help us learn? Have a quick read about TWU’s Core Values (n.d.-b). At this point in the course, we hope you have taken full advantage of the online community and have personal examples of how these interactions have impacted you.
As for learning … how does sharing our learning within a community help us achieve our personal and professional goals?
There are several social learning theories and practices that explain how social interactions impact our learning (e.g., situated learning, social constructivism, connectivism, cooperative and collaborative learning, communities of inquiry, and so on). If you’re interested, feel free to look these up online or use tools such as LitMaps to explore the research on these theories.
In this course we have promoted the use of tools that allow you to share your learning online: Discourse, Hypothes.is, and WordPress. Our goal is to help you utilize technology to discover and share knowledge, collaborate with others, and become engaged digital global citizens. In the next activity, we ask you to reflect on your learning experiences and your goals.
6.1.1 Activity: Learning in Community
6.1.2 Activity: Preparing for the Future
TWU has a Centre for Calling & Career Development that aims to equip students for their future careers. Have a look at their Career Ready Framework in the figure below.
Source: From “Centre for Calling & Career Development,” by Trinity Western University. (n.d.)
What competencies do you see that relate to social learning and digital skills? As this course aims to prepare you for the technology skills that are needed in this digital age, we also want to encourage you to develop personal and professional learning networks to discover and share knowledge, collaborate with others, and become engaged digital global citizens.
Consider the following questions:
- What skills and competencies do you want to practice to be successful in your future career?
- How does collaborative learning and sharing your learning contribute to your learning journey?
Feel free to share your thoughts in your Obsidian journal, Discourse, or your WordPress blog.
6.2 Digital Practices in the Workplace
In this topic we consider how changes in technology have and will continue to impact digital practices in the workplace. Pause and consider the following questions:
- How do professionals in your field of interest network online?
- How has technology changed business practices in your field of interest or career?
- What are the implications for learning and skills development in your future career precipitated by changes in digital technology?
6.2.1 Activity: The Future of Work
Technology and Change
Throughout history there are technologies that have influenced change in society. Consider, for example, the invention of the steam engine and its contribution to the Industrial Revolution. In more recent times, the advent of digital photography displaced Kodachrome (at one time, the market leader in colour film sales) which ceased production in 2009.
6.2.2 Activity: Newspaper and Music Industry in a Digital Age
6.2.3 Activity: Impact of Digital Technology on Business
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming society and business, from self-driving cars to voice-activated assistants and advanced machine learning systems. For example, commercially available chess programs can now defeat skilled players, including grandmasters, showcasing the impressive capability of AI-driven systems.
In this section, we’ll explore a few compelling examples of AI to give you a sense of how these technologies are evolving and shaping the world around us.
First, let’s define AI:
The theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. (Oxford Reference, n.d.)
The capacity of a computer, robot, programmed device, or software application to perform operations and tasks analogous to learning and decision making in humans, such as speech recognition or question answering. (Dictionary.com, 2024)
What is your experience with AI? Have you used AI tools such as Grammerly or ChatGPT? How has this technology affected you as a student, and what impact does it have on your chosen profession?
In the next activity, we’ll explore some of these questions and concerns.
6.2.4 Activity: How Can I Use AI as a Student?
6.2.5 Activity: How to Identify AI Generated Text
Jobs and Automation
In this section we consider the impact of automation on the future job market and the implications for education and training. Consider:
- Will robots replace humans?
- What jobs are most at risk of being replaced by robots?
- What are the implications for learning in a digital age?
6.2.6 Activity: Impact of Automation and AI in the Workplace
6.2.7 Activity: The Price of AI
6.3 Societal Issues and the Internet
In this next topic we introduce a number of societal issues and problematic online behaviours that have emerged in the digital world. Our list is not comprehensive and does not provide a thorough examination of the issues. Here, we encourage you to choose one of the following issues for further investigation.
- Website tracking
- Online impersonation
- Internet trolling
- Online harassment
- Psychological issues
- Net neutrality
- Digital redlining
Choose one societal issue or antisocial behaviour associated with the internet that you would like to investigate further. You may wish to browse the other sections, but each topic can be time-consuming, so be sure to map out your time so you can complete your learning goals. Your task will be to publish an editorial on your chosen topic in your course blog. You will base your focus on your reading of open access resources you find online. Your blog post will also help you build your online identity.
6.3.1 Activity: Problematic Online Behaviours—Key Terms Quiz
Website Tracking
Website tracking is the practice of collecting data about a user’s online activities when they visit websites or use web services. This data is gathered primarily for marketing and analytical purposes, allowing website owners, advertisers, and service providers to better understand user behaviour, tailor their services, and deliver targeted content and advertisements.
6.3.2 Activity: The True Cost of Free Websites
Were you surprised by any ideas presented in the video? Do you think this is a valid and reliable source for the topic?
Next we will give an overview of how website tracking works, how your data is used, and how you can protect yourself online.
6.3.3 Activity: Website Tracking Resources
Online Impersonation
Impersonation online refers to the act of creating an online presence in someone else’s name. This is potentially a complex issue as some social media sites permit parody accounts or accounts that are intended to represent real individuals. It is not necessarily illegal to impersonate someone per se, for example in comedy, but online impersonation is a growing problem. Many social media sites have anti-impersonation policies, but this is not sufficient guarantee or protection against the risks of online impersonation.
6.3.4 Activity: Identify the Imposter!
6.3.5 Activity: How to Spot a Scammer
6.3.6 Activity: Case Study on Catfishing
Internet Trolling
Sometimes trolls live under bridges. But not everyone living under a bridge is a troll. (Wikimedia Foundations, n.d.)
It is estimated that that the internet has about 5.35 billion users, almost half the population of the world (Tsvetkova, 2023). With the growing number of internet and social media users we are witnessing an increase in antisocial behaviour online.
In this section we explore the phenomenon of internet trolling and strategies for managing disruptive online behaviour, taking the communication context into account.
In slang, a troll is a person who posts deliberately offensive or provocative messages online (such as in social media, a newsgroup, a forum, a chat room, an online video game) or who performs similar behaviors in real life. The methods and motivations of trolls can range from benign to sadistic. These messages can be inflammatory, insincere, digressive, extraneous, or off-topic, and may have the intent of provoking others into displaying emotional responses, or manipulating others’ perception, thus acting as a bully or a provocateur. The behavior is typically for the troll’s amusement, or to achieve a specific result such as disrupting a rival’s online activities or purposefully causing confusion or harm to others. (“Troll (Slang),” 2024)
Online Harassment
41 % of Americans have been personally subjected to harassing behavior online, and an even larger share (66 %) has witnessed these behaviors directed at others (Duggan, 2017).
Many of us associate online harassment with extreme cases such as cyberbullying and teenage suicide, or cyberstalking leading to physical sexual harassment. Notwithstanding the seriousness of these offences, antisocial behaviours associated with other forms of online harassment are more pervasive than most people realize.
In this section, we will review research on the state of online harassment and consider how leading social media sites attempt to manage the challenge.
6.3.8 Activity: The State of Online Harassment
Psychological Issues
The internet, social media, and mobile devices have introduced new psychological issues. These include, for example, phantom ringing syndrome, nomophobia, cybersickness, and internet addiction disorder.
In this section, we identify selected psychological issues that you may choose to research further as you select a societal issue on which you’ll include comments on your blog.
6.3.10 Activity: How Online Personas Are Redefining Human Connection
Net Neutrality
The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past. (Tim Berners-Lee, 2009, as cited in Medium, 2023)
The World Wide Web was originally designed to provide universal access to a large universe of documents. To achieve universal access it was paramount to design the web as an open system without a central locus of control. However, on the internet there are an increasing number of “walled gardens” that aim to control user’s access to content and services. In this section we explore the concept of net neutrality and reflect on the risks associated with universal access to online information.
Net neutrality is a critical concept in the realm of internet policy and regulation. It revolves around the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) should treat all data on the internet equally. In other words, they should not discriminate against, or charge differently based on user, content, website, application, or platform. The primary goal of net neutrality is to ensure that the internet remains an open and level playing field where all data and information can be accessed and transmitted freely.
Arguments For Net Neutrality
- Preservation of open internet: Net neutrality proponents argue that it is essential to maintain the open nature of the internet, where all content is equally accessible to users. This fosters innovation, competition, and free expression.
- Equal access: Net neutrality ensures that users, regardless of their economic status, can access all online content without discrimination. It prevents ISPs from creating fast lanes for certain content, disadvantaging others.
- Innovation: Without net neutrality, ISPs could prioritize certain services or websites, potentially stifling innovation by making it difficult for new, smaller players to compete on a level playing field.
Arguments Against Net Neutrality
- Investment and infrastructure: Opponents argue that without the ability to offer paid prioritization or tiered services, ISPs may have less incentive to invest in and improve network infrastructure, potentially hindering the growth of broadband services.
- Regulatory overreach: Some argue that government intervention in net neutrality is unnecessary, and that market forces should determine how ISPs manage their networks. They fear that regulation could lead to unintended consequences such as the government controlling access to online content.
- Quality of service: In certain cases, ISPs claim they need the flexibility to manage network traffic to provide a better quality of service for applications such as real-time video and gaming.
Key Concerns
Concerns surrounding net neutrality involve potential discrimination, a lack of competition, and the profound implications for free speech and innovation. The absence of robust net neutrality principles could pave the way for ISPs to exert unwarranted control. They might throttle or obstruct access to specific websites, promote their own content, or levy extra charges for particular online services.
At the same time there is a significant concern about government overreach in this digital domain. The debate over how much the government should regulate the internet is a hot topic, as it could hamper innovation and limit the free sharing of information. Excessive regulation could put the power to control or tamper with online content in the hands of the government or regulators, potentially jeopardizing our democratic values and our basic freedom of expression. Navigating this tricky balance between rules and protecting our personal freedoms is a key challenge in the digital era.
Canadian Context
In Canada, the discussion on net neutrality is intertwined with the debate over Bill C-10, also known as the Broadcasting Act. This bill, introduced in 2021, aims to update Canada’s broadcasting and telecommunications regulations to account for the digital age. Critics of Bill C-10 have expressed concerns that it could infringe on net neutrality principles by giving more power to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to regulate online content, potentially leading to restrictions on free expression and innovation.
In addition to Bill C-10, another significant piece of legislation to consider in the Canadian context is Bill C-18, which is also known as the Online Streaming Act. This bill, introduced to the Canadian Parliament, is designed to regulate online streaming services, potentially affecting the content and accessibility of such platforms. Critics argue that Bill C-18 could raise concerns related to net neutrality by granting the government more authority over the content available on streaming platforms and potentially infringing on free expression and access to diverse content.
Questions to Consider
As you view the resources in the activity below, consider the following questions:
- How does the principle of net neutrality impact the way you access and use the internet, and how might changes in net neutrality regulations affect your online experience?
- What is the role of government and regulatory bodies, such as the CRTC in Canada, in ensuring a balance between net neutrality and the need to regulate online content and services?
- What measures can be taken to ensure that government regulations, while addressing valid concerns, do not lead to the overreach of power and the erosion of fundamental rights such as free speech on the internet?
- Can net neutrality coexist with the goal of ensuring high quality internet service and fostering investment in digital infrastructure, or are these objectives inherently in conflict?
Consider drawing a mind map such as the following to track your understanding of the subject.
6.3.11 Activity: The Meaning of Net Neutrality
6.3.12 Activity: Perspectives on Net Neutrality
Digital Redlining
Digital redlining refers to the discriminatory practice of denying or limiting access to certain services, information, or opportunities in the digital world, based on a person’s location, economic status, race, or other demographic factors. It is an extension of the historical concept of redlining, which originally referred to the discriminatory practice of marking certain neighborhoods on physical maps and denying residents of those areas access to financial services, insurance, and other resources.
In the context of the digital age, digital redlining manifests in various ways:
Limited internet access: Some areas, often low income neighborhoods or rural regions, may lack access to high speed internet or affordable data plans. This limits people’s ability to access online education, job opportunities, government services, and other online resources.
Discriminatory algorithms: Algorithms used in various online services such as lending, housing, and employment platforms may inadvertently or intentionally discriminate against certain groups. For example, an algorithm may give preferential treatment to job applicants from specific demographics.
Targeted advertising and privacy concerns: Certain demographics may be disproportionately exposed to predatory or harmful online advertisements, while more privileged individuals receive personalized, less invasive content. This can lead to manipulation and exploitation.
Educational disparities: Inadequate access to technology and online educational resources can limit learning opportunities for students in underserved communities.
Healthcare access: Some communities may have limited access to telehealth services, which have become increasingly important, especially, for example, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data collection and surveillance: Vulnerable populations are often subject to more extensive data collection and surveillance, leading to privacy concerns and potential discrimination based on the data collected.
Addressing digital redlining is essential to ensure equitable access to the benefits of the digital age. Efforts to combat digital redlining include policies aimed at closing the digital divide, regulating algorithms to prevent discriminatory outcomes, promoting net neutrality, and protecting data privacy. These measures aim to create a more inclusive and fair digital environment for all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, or location.
6.3.13 Activity: Indigenous Communities in Canada
6.3.14 Activity: Where Do You See Digital Redlining?
We’ve explored a number of societal issues associated with the internet. In the activity below, you will choose a topic of interest relating to societal issues or problematic behaviours on the internet for further investigation. You can select one of the topics introduced in this unit or an alternate issue you find more interesting.
Here are few additional topics to consider:
- 10 Forms of Online Harassment (2015)
- Cyberchondria (2017)
- The Woman Whose Phone ‘Misdiagnosed HIV’ (2017) (complexities of mobile ownership in the developing world)
- Face-off Between MPs and Social Media Giants Over Online Hate Speech (2017) (hate speech online)
- Keystroke Logging (2024)
- The Price of Connection: Surveillance Capitalism (2016) (surveillance capitalism)
- How Bots Took Over Twitter (2015) (bot problems)
- Scams and how to Avoid Them (n.d.)
- Fake News (2024)
6.3.15 Activity: Editorial: Societal Issues on the Internet
6.4 Digital Wisdom
To conclude our course we will examine another perspective on ethics and technology. This may tap into the foundational lens with which you approach many ethical issues, so take a moment to reflect on the following:
- What role does technology play in my social, academic, and spiritual life?
- What guidance does the Bible have on our use of technology today?
- How will my use of technology support my social, academic, and spiritual goals?
6.4.1 Activity: Digital Wisdom
Summary
As you complete this course and continue on your learning journey we trust that you have acquired skills that will not only prepare you for your academic studies but also for your professional goals.
We began this final unit by emphasizing the value of community in online learning. Throughout the course we have encouraged you to connect with others—fellow TWU students, instructors, colleagues, family, friends, and other online communities. Reflect on how these connections have influenced your learning experience. Additionally, we discussed the impact of technology in the workplace and how you might use tools effectively in your business practices or field of study. You have had opportunities to engage as global digital citizens by using technology to discover and share knowledge. Furthermore, we examined emerging societal issues and online behaviours, discussing strategies to address these challenges effectively.
Finally, we introduced the concept of digital wisdom. As you continue to integrate technology into your learning journey, we encourage you to consider how your online contributions can positively impact others. Reflect on TWU’s mission and vision statements and how they resonate with you and guide your commitment to serving others and glorifying God.
The mission of Trinity Western University, as an arm of the Church, is to develop godly Christian leaders: positive, goal-oriented university graduates with thoroughly Christian minds; growing disciples of Jesus Christ who glorify God through fulfilling the Great Commission, serving God and people in the various marketplaces of life.
Every graduate is equipped to think truthfully, act justly, and live faithfully for the good of the world and the glory of God. (Trinity Western University, n.d.-d)