Final Wrap-up

baowenliu


Initial Learning Goals and Recap
When I first enrolled in EDCI338, my goal was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the Personal Learning Network (PLN) and learn how to make the most of it. The concept of a personal learning network was entirely new to me. In the past, I was more accustomed to passively absorbing fragmented information online, for example, watching funny videos on TikTok and my primary focus was on maximizing entertainment value; I had never explored how a PLN actually works. This proves that I only know how to use the internet, not how to think about it.

Growth
Over the past three months of study, I have clearly noticed an improvement in my understanding of the online world and my media literacy. First, I have learned to think critically about whether my online presence needs to be limited to entertainment. For example, I now spend more time building a professional online profile—such as my LinkedIn page—to foster my personal growth, access resources for career development, and learn information that benefits my professional development. Second, I have come to understand that the internet is diverse; it can be both inclusive and rife with negative commentary. However, this course has taught me how to maintain personal media literacy. Through this learning, I deeply understand that the world is full of different perspectives and groups that differ from my own. My role is to embrace them, not oppose them. When encountering serious information, I must also regulate my own behavior and not let the anonymity of the internet lead to a lack of self-discipline. Finally, I will reflect deeply on privacy issues related to my Personal Learning Network (PLN). I have learned about the PIPEDA privacy regulations, which have given me a deeper understanding of my PLN. At the same time, I will critically examine whether the internet can truly protect my personal information.

Challange
In this course, the biggest challenge for me was actually writing the weekly blog posts, which were a central part of the course. When I first started building my personal website, I was really worried and didn’t know where to begin, since I don’t use computers very often and had never created a webpage before. But Jesse’s patient guidance helped me get through it. Every time I wrote a blog post, I had to engage in critical thinking, which gave me the opportunity to critique my own work—something that sometimes felt stressful. But amazingly, every time I finished a blog post, I felt a sense of accomplishment, as if I had pushed myself to grow just a little bit.

Future Goals

  1. I will continue to explore the potential of my Personal Learning Network (PLN) and expand its scope.
  2. Gain a deeper understanding of online privacy laws and examine various cases of data breaches.
  3. The Proper Use of AI

Summary
I’ve really enjoyed spending this semester with my classmates and professor. Although this was an online course and we weren’t able to meet in person, the Mattermost channel was very active, which made me feel fully engaged. During the group assignments, my teammates were exceptionally responsible, and everyone completed their tasks perfectly. The professor’s weekly posts were also clear enough for me, as a non-native English speaker, to fully understand. This was a very interesting course, and one from which I’ve benefited greatly. Thank you all!