An online network learning environment (ONLE) is just that - an environment rather than a specific instructional strategy. Certainly, some instructional strategies are more suited for ONLE than not, but much as technology is used to support specific pedagogy, ONLE supports online instructional strategies. A good environment empowers participation and networking as learners connect, create, and curate resources and tools to support learning, rooted in constructivist and/or connectivist learning theory. When considering an ONLE, an instructor needs to ask whether it is able to facilitate collaboration and networking. If not, then the ONLE may need to be adjusted or augmented with other tools. 

The Collaborative Coding professional development seminar below was offered to interested teachers in the Flagstaff school district, NAU faculty, and other educational technology students. It incorporates concepts of ONLE  and offers an example of what it might look like in practice. In this training, we encouraged participants to think beyond coding as a tool and consider how it might function as a vehicle for collaboration and how it might serve a broader educational purpose. Creating this training program provided the foundational knowledge for the creation of the Coding InfoDoc. Overall, we were pleased with our choice of topic and the ideas presented, which well-matched the expectations of attendees. However, there was not quite enough time for participants to fully engage with the activities, and I would like to run this training again as a 40-50 min interactive training session, where participants have an extended opportunity to engage with the activities and ask questions. 

Although I have previous experience with using coding as a tool for research, this assignment pushed me to continue learning. A bibliographic analysis showed key concepts important in coding today, like machine learning, deep learning, artificial intelligence, and big data, prompting me to dig deeper into these concepts. However, the most beneficial part of this assignment came in considering how to integrate these concepts into the lives of adult learners who are new to coding. Rather than describing big data or machine learning, I pondered how it might serve learners in a non-formal learning environment. I began to see coding as more than a tool. Rather, coding offers an on-ramp to promoting data and digital literacy so that students can engage fully with their own learning analytics and develop into self-determined learners. Through this assignment, my viewed shifted from seeing coding as only useful for scientists and tech corporations to seeing it as a vital skill for all learners.

In this presentation, we outline a professional development activity for pre-service science teachers. In this activity, educators will become comfortable using virtual and augmented reality to gamify their classrooms through standards-based instruction. 

Note: Click on the speaker icon on the first slide for the introduction. Subsequent slides will play automatically. 

The Canvas LMS supports a wide variety of learners through its accessible format and compatibility with assistive technologies. The documents below show a professional development experience designed in Canvas. The course uses theories in constructivist learning, online collaboration, OCoP, online social presence, and culturally responsive teaching to facilitate learner-centered instruction and community-building.

Learners in a PD course on Global Digital Learning and Global Digital Citizenship will have a wide range of familiarity with technology and a wide range of knowledge, and this course is designed to facilitate a deeper understanding of these topics, regardless of prior experience. My group and I chose assignments that fostered social connections and gave learners options on which resources they engaged with. Additionally, we provide a variety of assignments and resource types to build in UDL strategies. With some minor adjustments, this course could be implemented in the context for which it was designed – as a professional development course for faculty at Delaware technical community college.

What is the difference between a resident and a citizen? At the base level, a resident lives in a particular location or resides there, while a citizen denotes a more specialized status than simple residence. Notably, several definitions of citizen mention that this special status confers certain rights or privileges or entitlements to a citizen that are not necessarily granted to a simple resident. For example, the definition in the American Heritage Dictionary (5th ed) states that a citizen is “a resident of a city or town, especially one entitled to vote and enjoy other privileges there.” Note the words entitled and privileges. 

Comparatively, older definitions of the word also mention the obligations or responsibilities or reciprocity inherent in the role of a truly-engaged citizen. Take, for example, the Century Dictionary which was published at the turn of the 20th century. Here, a citizen is “a member of the state or nation; one bound to the state by the reciprocal obligation of allegiance on the one hand and protection on the other.” Note here the words reciprocal obligation. In considering what it means to be a “digital citizen” or have “digital citizenship,” this reciprocal obligation is key. We should expect some amount of protection with our use of digital resources, but we must also do our part as individuals to protect each other and our access to these digital environments. Protecting one another means supporting accessibility, encouraging equitable use for people of all backgrounds, and discouraging the harmful use of digital resources through policies that inhibit antagonism, bullying, and theft. Protecting use means investing in technical infrastructure, hardware, and software to ensure equitable access to digital content. 

When working as technology directors, we must take particular notice of the needs of our local community. Keep in mind that our “local” community might be digitally local, like members of an online community of practice (OCoP) or community of inquiry (CoI), in addition to (or instead of) being physically local. In our leadership roles, we must ask ourselves three questions: 

1. How can we meet the engagement and learning needs of our community? 

2. How can we support participation from our fellow digital citizens?

3. How can we accomplish this equitably?

A goal of digital citizenship is one where participants are more than just online residents. Rather, I hope to engender a reciprocal set of obligations where we support and are supported by our digital neighbors at all levels of online community engagement.

To be an engaged citizen in the physical world, people need the tools and skills to succeed. This might look like education requirements to promote literacy, ADA requirements to support physical access to community spaces, or an understanding of how to effect change through activism or voting. Similarly, the digital citizen needs tools and skills to succeed in online spaces. Digital literacy, for example, is becoming as essential as reading literacy, and digital access to community spaces is just as important as physical access, especially as daily life becomes more and more dependent on navigating digital spaces. As such, in my work I need to ensure that members of my community have both. 

I can facilitate digital literacy by scaffolding-in the use of technical tools, allowing students to familiarize themselves with the digital space before layering in subject-specific content. Similarly, offering tutorials, additional resources, and/or alternate options for completing assignments will allow learners to engage at a level that promotes learning rather than hindering it. Meanwhile, I can model accessibility through the intentional design of digital spaces that I create. An easy start is to select platforms with robust accessibility tools and then use them. For instance, while many platforms will allow you to add alt-text to images, how many instructors actually use them? How many use them well? I can follow-up by using learner-centered educational strategies to promote inclusive discourse and select resources that span a range of identities and backgrounds. There are, of course, still the physical barriers to accessing online spaces, and we must ensure that students are familiar with community resources for digital access, like where to access free computers and/or wifi. 

Here are a few tools I can recommend for improving your own digital citizenship!

• To support digital literacy, I recommend starting with Digital Skills for a Global Society. Take their questionnaire to get connected with resources targeting the digital skills where you lack confidence. 

• Speech-to-text tools are a promising way to support accessibility, as are guidelines for universal design for learning (UDL). Need assistive technology? Something likely already exists! Don’t be afraid to ask your local library or college for resources.

• When considering resources to support digital citizenship, don’t overlook the physical resources needed to access online spaces. Many local libraries, community centers, and senior centers have publicly-available computers and occasionally offer classes and training to get you started!