Cumulative Critical Review of My Learning

What have you learned during this module

To begin, this module has completely changed my outlook on the online world, and everything to do with online learning. I have learned so many great things throughout this module which I will discuss throughout this critical review, such as the difference between Scholarly and Popular Sources, the effect of Social Media Influencers, Creating and Managing Information Online, Personalised Marketing and creating things such as a YouTube Video, a Privacy Policy and more. Honestly, I have found all tasks in this module helpful and really beneficial. 

Firstly, I have learnt an immense amount of lessons in this module. Every week we were introduced to a new topic relating to our DigiLives and the online world, some of these weeks I found that I learned the most in so I will go through them. Firstly, in week 1 we discussed all to do with Scholarly and Popular Sources. In my opinion this was the most beneficial as in college, it is necessary to use the right sources to find information for essays and assignments. After reading Chapter 4 of Digital Detectives: Solving Information Dilemmas in an Online World, by Crystal Fulton, I realised that this was an issue for most people online. When searching for a credible source of information for academic essays, people usually go for peer reviewed sources. ‘Peer review refers to a part of the publication process in which a piece is evaluated by experts in the field to ensure it meets scholarly publication standards’ (Fulton & McGuinness, 2016). 

Another beneficial thing I learned was how to manage your information online. This topic was practiced in Digital Badge 2, during week 6, where we had to create a Pinterest, Pocket and a Google Maps. These are all applications and tools that allow users to manage their information and organize it in a way that will help reach their goals. For example, on Pinterest, I created a profile and was able to create different folders in which I pinned my favourite things associated with that folder. I now use this to help me with my hobby of design and also to gather ideas for college assignments. 

Something else very important that I learned was the world of Personalised Marketing. This is a topic I knew a small bit about going into the module however my eyes were opened when I read different statistics on how much “…marketing personalization can sway potential customers to become buyers”(Buryan, 2018). This is a topic that is important to our lives nowadays as everything is online. I do a lot of my shopping online, mainly from Irish businesses, and personalisation helps me find things quick and easy, which makes me want to go back and purchase more. 

In week 8, we completed Badge 4, in which we had to create a YouTube video of a screencast. We had to film how to search for Google Images, edit the video and upload it with a description and title. This task was beneficial as I saw how easy it can be to create a video for the public and for my learning. I find that when I listen to videos on YouTube, I retain a lot more information than I would if I read the information in a book or reading. According to a Psychology Today article “Video vs. Text: The Brain Perspective”, ‘the primary reason people learn well via video is because the human brain processes videos 60,000 times faster than it does text’. I will be able to create my own YouTube videos, about topics I am interested in, that will not only inform myself, but the general public of YouTube users. 

Lastly, for Badge 4 in week 12, I had to create my own Privacy Policy for my chosen application, create a Linkedin account and create an Infographic of my learning throughout this module. I enjoyed completing all of these tasks however, creating an Infographic was my favourite. This is because I feel like I have learned a new skill that will stick with me forever and that will make my life easier when it comes to college and everyday life.

How your prior learning before this module helped you progress in your learning

In terms of how my prior learning before this module has helped me progress my learning, I do not believe it has made a lot of a difference. In my previous modules, for example DigiComp, I covered things such as Wikipedia and how to create and manage a page and other things to do with the online world, however I do not think it has helped me progress in my learning. I believe that this has been one of the most challenging, rewarding and beneficial modules I have done in my two years in college. 

How did peer feedback process help you with your learning?

The peer feedback part of each DigiLife Badge has had a huge effect on my learning. I find it extremely helpful hearing what my classmates have to say about my work as well as my teacher. I have never done anything like this before and I believe it was a great way for each student to interact with one another, especially because we were giving and receiving, not just receiving. It taught me that it is nice to give feedback to people to help them progress as you would like to progress. 

How do you plan to apply your learning in your future studies or career?

I will most definitely be using what I have learned in this module in my future studies and career. The tasks such as creating an infographic, a pinterest and a YouTube video, will be skills that I can use to enhance my studying experience and make life a lot easier. I am a visual learner, therefore I like to create graphs and use visual learning aids to help me study and complete assignments. According to Bobek and Tversky, “…translating verbal information from the text into a visual explanation may promote deeper processing of the material and more complete and comprehensive mental models”.  Thanks to the introduction of these tools and applications into my learning, I will now be able to learn in a more effective way that is suited to my preferred learning style. 

Bibliography:

Fulton, C., & McGuinness, C. (2016). Digital detectives (p. 47). Cambridge, MA: Chandos Publishing.

Buryan, M. (2018). Personalized Marketing on Social Media: The Ultimate Guide [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.socialbakers.com/blog/personalized-marketing-on-social-media

Bobek, E., & Tversky, B. (2016). Creating visual explanations improves learning. Cognitive Research: Principles And Implications, 1(1). doi: 10.1186/s41235-016-0031-6

Margalit, Ph.D., L. (2017). Video vs Text: The Brain Perspective [Blog]. Retrieved from http://wondermouse.us/blog-post/blog-test-1/