Digital Citizenship in Teacher Education

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This reading reflection is for 6511 SDL and is one of the course specific listed readings. This can also become one of the readings I can potentially include in my annotated bibliography, depending on the direction that assignment will take after my library consultation. This should and could also be considered for the literature review I will write as part of the course work.

Reading Reference:

Choi, M., Cristol, D., & Gimbert, B. (2018). Teachers as digital citizens: The influence of individual backgrounds, internet use and psychological characteristics on teachers’ levels of digital citizenship. Computers & Education, 12, 143-161.

FOUR SENTENCE SUMMARY: Choi, Cristol and Gimbert reveal findings from an empirical research study that identify “factors that influence teachers’ levels of digital citizenship (DC), defined in terms of individuals’ thinking, skills and behaviours with regard to Internet use.” (abstract, p. 144). Beginning by examining DC as a multidimensional concept and examining factors influencing levels of DC, Choi et al then explore the methods, results and a discussion of their empirical research into levels of digital citizenship exhibited by teachers, the relationship between DC and psychological variables, and how factors such as background, internet use and psychological factors influence DC in the educators studied. Empirical evidence that enables “a clearer understanding of teachers’ sense of digital citizenship” is essential in order to “educate teachers as effective digital citizens who teach digitally oriented P-12 students” so that “their ability, competence, and belief in using the internet” (p. 154) is considered in faculties of education and teacher professional learning. Limitations to this study include the selection of participants from a non-traditional teacher preparation pathway, only three specific variables were selected, school related factors or variables were not included so there is no relationship to student achievement, and that the survey results are based on self-reported responses rather than verified through follow-up researcher interviews or observations. Choi et al. conclude their report by stating that by “building personal, social, and teacher identity as digital citizens based on their self-efficacy towards the effective use of the Internet and digital technologies, pre-service, new, and experienced teachers can develop roles of responsibilities of a digital citizen” (p. 155).

NOTE TO SELF – some concerns with the currency of some of the citations used in this research, will need to examine if there are other current authors or academic works relating to this topic.

DEFINITION: “Digital citizenship can be understood either narrowly as ethical, responsible, and safe use of the Internet and a variety of digital technologies (references omitted) or in a broad context, as a multi-dimensional concept with five dimensions, Technical Skills, Local/Global Awareness, Networking Agency, Internet Political Activism, and Critical Perspectives (Choi 2016)”. (italics included in original) (p. 143/144)

“While a discrete definition of digital citizenship defies large-scale consensus, policy makers, educational community members and practitioners advocate the important goal for each classroom teacher to act as a responsible, informed, and active digital citizens within a globalized and networked society has become an important purpose of education (references omitted).” (p. 144) 1. Avoid e.g. cyberbullying, trolling; respect and protect; 2. Encourage e.g. become informed, active communication; 3. Engage e.g. political events such as elections, social concerns

“…without understanding what influrences how teachers perceive themselves as digital citizens, researchers cannot presuppose teachers explicitly understand how to facilitate the skills and knowledge of being a digital citizen for our digitally connected students.” (p. 144)

“Conventionally, the concept of digital citizenship comprises the following categories:” (p. 144)

  • Digital ethics: included ethical, responsible online behavior; awareness of political, social, cultural issues arising from access to digital technologies; rights & responsibilities such as protecting personal info, preventing cyber-bullying or trolling
  • Media and Information Literacy: efficient access to the internet; use of digital technologies and search skills toward advanced online activities; psychological capabilities such as cognitive-intellectual abilities, socio-communicative abilities, emotional abilities and open source intelligence
  • Participation/Engagement: political oriented participation using the internet; personal interest-centered online engagement such as gaming, creating entertainment related petitions
  • Critical Resistance: critique of unequal power structures existing in online communities; transformative participation using the internet to challenge the status quo and injustices (p 145)

“This study primarily draws on Choi et al 2017 model of three conditions of complexity of digital citizenship with its five levels. …. Choi et al (2017) developed the Digital Citizenship Scale (DCS)” (p. 145)

  1. Technical skills – instrumental/tech competencies when accessing internet and using dig tech; fundamental condition; function as pre-requisite and fundamental aspect for immersion into online communities
  2. Local/Global Awareness – search and obtain info relating to social, political, economic, cultural issues at local, national and global levels; using the internet to effectively communicate with diverse populations; become ethical consumers of new info sources; efficiently locate  information on local & global issues, appropriate info into their thinking; not able to develop or share critical responses and/or collaborate with others to extend the scope of the info as part of a knowledge building community.
  3. Becoming involved in Internet based communicating, cooperating and collaborating with others online (networking agency) engaging in political actions (internet political activism) and critically thinking on issues of injustice, bias, and/or power structure occurring on the internet (critical perspective); complex and difficult to achieve, require connections with goal-based, action-oriented, and transformation-driven undertakings. (p. 145)

QUOTE: “…but they often consume information rather than producing it. Through ethical consumption of information using the Internet (Hirzalla & van Zonnen, 2010), teachers have more opportunities to be aware of local and global issues. In addition, the use of SNSs (social networking sites) for teaching had some influence on NA (networking agency), IPA (internet political activism), and CP (critical perspective), suggesting active use of SNSs for teaching relates to becoming critical, engaged, and transformative digital citizens. …. Teachers using SNSs for teaching could be more given to having the advanced levels of digital citizenship. This study suggests that educators need to focus on how actively teachers use social media to teach as part of, rather than apart from, their daily professional lives.” (p. 154)

QUOTE: “In order to educate teachers as effective digital citizens who teach digitally oriented P-12 students, their ability, competence, and belief in using the Internet should be considered in teacher preparation programs and professional development. Before promoting advanced levels of digital citizenship, teachers need to successfully achieve online activities in democratic and varied ways.” (p. 154)

NOTE TO SELF: this is something to include in my own writing – argument for what I am doing

QUOTE: “The findings advocate that teacher educators, researchers, and policy makers need to understand how to engage teachers as responsible, informed, and engaged digital citizens in a globalized and networked society, by accounting for teachers’ personal backgrounds, Internet use, and self-efficacy towards successfully completing Internet-based activities.” (p. 154)

NOTE TO SELF: perhaps this is something to include in my own writing – argument for what I am doing

QUOTE: “In our digital and global age, teachers should strive to become informed and engaged digital citizen as they model digital citizenship for P-12 students in an evolving digital culture. Further, teacher education should present learning challenges for pre- and in-service teachers to critically explore the Internet and participate in online communities impacting on oneself, community, society, and the world of what one sees and produces with the Internet beyond having enough competence relating to Internet use. By building personal, social, and teacher identity as digital citizens based on their self-efficacy towards the effective use of the Internet and digital technologies, pre-service, new, and experienced teachers can develop roles of responsibilities of a digital citizen.” (p. 155)