Book to 6. Digital citizenship
Developed by: Technological University of the Shannon TUS
November 2023
What to Expect
In this learning station, we will explore some digital citizenship concepts. We will begin by looking at Digital Tools for Civic and Social Participation before investigating Learning and Working in Digital Environments and finishing up by exploring Digital Health and Wellness.
So what do we mean when we talk about Digital Tools for Civic and Social Participation? This is a broad topic that covers areas such as digital rights and responsibilities, digital law, digital etiquette, digital commerce and finally administrative procedures online. When referring to Digital Tools for Civic and Social Participation we are talking about completing civil activities such as voting online, applying for a passport or a drivers license and participating socially through the use of social networks. In the Learning and Working in Digital Environments section we will explore e-learning opportunities, virtual learning environments, and technologies to support working from home and using tools to support our learning and working with others. Finally, in the Digital Health and Wellbeing section, we will explore the physical set-up and ergonomics, as well as the social and emotional impacts we need to be aware of when using digital technologies.
Learning objectives
After completing this learning station you will be able to
Identify your rights and responsibilities as a digital citizen and relevant laws that apply when you engage in the online space.
Understand Digital Commerce and the role it plays in today's world. Be able to buy and sell goods online.
Recognise and be able to locate and use tools supporting administrative procedures online.
Utilise tools for learning and/or working online
Describe the most appropriate physical set when using digital technologies and devices
Explain the social and emotional impacts of using technology
What do we mean when we use the term digital citizen? A digital citizen is an individual who is skilled in using the internet and other digital technologies effectively and engages responsibly and ethically in the digital world, respecting the rights and responsibilities of online participation. This definition covers many different areas of digital citizenship which we will explore in this learning station.
Retrieved from: https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en/blog/digital-citizenship-transformation?fbclid=IwAR0QSR8Oa6QAIw96nks_TsmD7bu7bPGNgKlmu9F9iaLiioI1rs1t2jK5JuA
It is becoming increasingly difficult to participate in civic and social life without using digital technologies. Engaging with government agencies, booking flights and keeping in contact with friends and family are just some of the things that we now do more and more online. In order to do this, we need to know how to engage with others in an appropriate way. We need to understand the laws governing our digital interactions as well as our rights and responsibilities and the rules governing appropriate behaviour when interacting with others in the online space. Being able to access government agencies and supporting organisations online. Ensuring administrative procedures and activities are understood, and being able to complete necessary activities is extremely important for citizens both in the real world and online. The addition of online facilities such as banking, voting, applying for a driver’s license, registering a birth and or death, applying for a passport and paying a speeding ticket has given citizens of a country an increased ability to complete tasks out of hours and from the comfort of their own home. Ensuring processes and procedures and general administrative activities are more accessible, easier to use and achieve and result in faster response time.
Digital Tools for Civic and Social Participation
Digital rights and responsibilities
As digital citizens, we all need to ensure we know our rights and responsibilities online and understand the relevant laws that apply to us and others as we engage in activities both personal and professional in the online space. We must all consider what we have a “Right” to do online as a digital citizen. We can complete a series of activities including accessing online materials, creating materials, reading, and sharing content. We can express views and ideas freely and appropriately. Ensuring our personal privacy and that of our friends and colleagues is protected. We must be prepared to recognise and react to inappropriate online behaviors such as online harassment or bullying and ensure that we respond with appropriate actions to eliminate such behaviors just as we do in the real world. To distinguish between one’s rights and one’s responsibility online we must consider the following, a right is what you are entitled or allowed to do online, your responsibility is to ensure you do something as you have to or should do in the online environment. It is our responsibility to ensure we respect one another online. We need to obey the laws that govern the Internet.
URL: Rights and Responsibilities: Outlining the Rights and Responsibilities of a Digital Citizen.
ΜΟRE: What Are My Digital Rights and Responsibilities? (rumie.org)
Task: Consider how you would report an issue of harassment in a social network environment, such issues can range from the inappropriate sharing of a photograph among friends and colleagues to your account being hacked and inappropriate content being shared to the wider community. How would you resolve such an issue?
Video: Rights and Responsibilities
Digital Law
Digital Law is a complex subject, as with any law they usually preside over a jurisdiction. What makes digital law so complicated is the fact that there is no obvious delineation of jurisdiction and therefore the laws can overlap and indeed conflict between countries, continents, businesses and persons. Illegal activities can include, illegal file downloading and sharing, watching videos and listening to music downloaded illegally, copyright infringement, unethical hacking and creating computer viruses for malicious purposes.
Retrieved from https://liberalforum.eu/2021/04/digitising-europe-the-digital-services-act-and-beyond/
The EU’s first digital law saw the introduction of the….
Videos
Digital Law:
Task: Briefly compare and contrast the privacy laws of Europe with those of the United States of America.
Digital Étiquette (Netiquette)
Digital Etiquette or Netiquette refers to how we behave in an appropriate polite and respectful manner through the use of digital technologies. There are many behaviors that we have developed from working and interacting online. Some are respectful and sometimes we can forget ourselves as we are no longer in a formal environment in which we physically acknowledge how we must engage, comply and behave.
However, when using digital technologies it is very important that we maintain the standards and behaviors set for us in society be it online or offline. Common activities which should be considered when communicating through digital tools.
Retrieved from http://digitalcitizenshipeducationgroup3.weebly.com/netiquette.html
Rules of Netiquette:
Always communicate effectively.
Always be polite and ensure that you do not use bad language.
Never share information or pictures without permission.
Be respectful and acknowledge that cultural differences can lead to miscommunication.
Task: Given
Videos
Netiquette
Digital Commerce
To understand Digital Commerce and the role it plays in today’s world, we must be able to distinguish between the term Digital Commerce and E-commerce. Although both are used interchangeably, Digital commerce is a broader term used to describe all digital transactions which happen both over the internet and in everyday life. E-commerce was the original term used to describe buying and selling goods online.
Digital Commerce includes the activities of
E-commerce, however, further incorporates broader activities such as how we use digital technologies to complete tasks such as physically paying for digital products. Overall it is concerned with the use of digital technologies to support the customer experience, this could include the use of digital technologies for marketing, customer service, logistics and many other activities which support businesses digitally. Paying for goods and services online can cause concern for most individuals as it is important to recognise that the sites you are using are reputable and trustworthy, ensuring that when you give your payment details, your payment will be made securely. Always look for the HTTPS protocol which proceeds the website address. E.g this ensures that the site you are using is secure, however, always be aware fraudulent websites exist and only use sites which you can guarantee are.
Task: Locate a shop online from which you would like to buy three items. Select the three items and add them to your shopping cart. Check out the item for purchase.
Video:
How to use Amazon.
Administrative Procedures Online.
In the context of digital citizenship when we talk about administrative procedures we are referring to the procedures which we use as a citizen of a country to complete our everyday tasks. These activities may include banking, voting, registering births and deaths to communicating with government departments online. Completing online procedures can be a daunting task as many systems may be new and unfamiliar to you.
Example 1 : Ireland - gov.ie - Search for services or information (www.gov.ie)
Example 2 : Ireland - Passport Online - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfa.ie)
Example 3 : Ireland - Motor Tax Online
Example 4 : Ireland - How to Apply Online - National Driver Licence Service (ndls.ie)
Task 1: Locate your government’s website and explore the facilities available to you.
Task 2: Discover the procedures necessary to apply for a passport online.
Task 3: Discover the procedures necessary to tax your vehicle online.
Task 4: Discover the procedures necessary to apply for a driver's license online.
Learning & Working in Digital Environments
Like so many aspects of our lives, how we learn and how we work has changed through technology. This module will help you to understand how to take advantage of online tools for learning and working. Previously in order to learn we may have had to attend classes in person but now we can learn in lots of different ways and at times that suit us better. When we talk about e-learning we are referring to learning electronically. Digital tools also allow us to work in more flexible ways.
E-Learning Opportunities (how to look for free e-learning opportunities)
Depending on what you want to learn and how you want to learn there are lots of different options. One such option is YouTube which can prove to be a very useful tool for learning. You can also find other e-learning opportunities by doing a Google search on the topic you want to learn about. For more formal learning courses you can try applications like LinkedIn Learning and Courses. (can I only include free e-learning options?)
Task: Identify a topic that you would like to learn more about and do a search in YouTube for this topic for example if I wanted to learn how to make a paper plane I could search for “make a paper plane”. Watch one of the videos from your search.
Virtual Learning Environments
Virtual Learning Environments are web-based applications that facilitate learning. They generally provide learning resources and incorporate information spaces and communication spaces for learners. They are often referred to using the abbreviation VLE. Some examples of Virtual Learning Environments include Moodle, which these learning stations are hosted on, Canvas and BrightSpace. They are generally associated with schools, colleges and universities but they are being used more and more in other areas too.
Retrieved from https://www.skillshub.com/blog/guide-to-virtual-learning-environment/
Video Link explaining what a Virtual Learning Environment is
Working from Home
For many people, Covid 19 significantly changed how they work. The need to restrict our interactions with other people in order to minimise the spread of the coronavirus meant that many people got an opportunity to work from home where previously they had to work from their work office. Prior to Covid-19 most people had never heard of Zoom calls but now most of us have heard of this term. Zoom is a web application that allows us to schedule and run meetings online. There are also other applications that allow us to have online meetings such as Microsoft Teams and Webex. Even those who don’t work from home regularly use online meetings to work with colleagues without the need for everyone to be in the same room.
As well as applications that allow us to have online meetings, people who work from home may also use storage tools such as Google Drive and OneDrive to store and back up documents.
Tools to learn and work with others
There are lots of online applications that allow us to learn and work with others. Google Drive and OneDrive which were mentioned above as storage applications can also be used to collaborate and work with colleagues. Some other applications which can be used include Padlet, Jamboard, Google Docs etc.
Task: In YouTube search for “padlet for beginners” and watch one of the videos from your search
Digital Health & Wellness
According to the World Health Organisation, "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.". Digital Health and Wellness is concerned with our health and wellness in the context of our digital interactions. As outlined above this is concerned with physical, mental and social aspects.
Retrieved from
Ergonomics / Physical Setups
Ergonomics relates to the physical setup of an environment and is often used in relation to the setup of a workspace. It is concerned with safety, comfort and ease of use. When working from home it is important to ensure that your workspace is set up appropriately. In addition, because we are now using digital technology for much of our social interaction we need to be aware of the physical setup of the environment in which we undertake such digital interaction. It is not unusual for people to spend significant periods of time on social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.
Retrieved from https://formaspace.com/articles/workplace-bulletin/benefits-of-ergonomics-workplace/
Video Link explaining Ergonomics
Social and Emotional Aspects
Interacting digitally, especially through social media can impact on our social and emotional wellbeing. This impact can be positive and negative. On the positive side, online social interaction can help us to keep in contact with friends and family in different parts of the world in a way that was not possible previously. During the Covid-19 pandemic when social interaction was restricted in order to protect our most vulnerable citizens, applications such as Zoom, FaceTime and WhatsApp became easy ways for grandparents and grandchildren to keep in contact when they couldn’t meet in person. Similarly, online interaction can provide a sense of support for people who are dealing with emotional or physical illnesses as such interaction can feel less intrusive and anxiety inducing for many.
However, there can also be significant negative aspects to engaging online. Online harassment can be a feature of such engagement for many people. Online harassment can take many forms for example, personal threats and intimidation, impersonation, stalking or harassment, exclusion and personal humiliation and false reporting. Trolling is another feature of online engagement and is defined as “the act of leaving an insulting message on the internet in order to annoy someone”.
Retrieved from https://irishtechnews.ie/digital-dimension-of-violence-against-women/
Digital addiction and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when we cannot spend time online have become more prevalent among digital citizens. Recognising such negative impacts and understanding how we can deal with them is becoming ever more important for people because they can impact on our mood, they can cause emotional distress and they can severly impact on our relationships with friends and family. As with most things in life, finding the correct balance is important but is also quite difficult.
Wrapping Up
Reflection
Resources
Quiz
The e in the term e-learning refers to
Electronic
Electric
Eclectic
Correct answer a
Virtual Learning Environments are sometimes referred to as VLEs
True
False
Correct answer b
When communicating online it is ok to
tag others in compromising pictures
respectfully disagree with others
share personal information about others
Correct answer b
Which of the following is NOT online harrassment
Flaming – an online altercation between two or more people
Outing – sharing private information about another person
Inclusion – ensuring that someone is included in online groups or conversations
Correct answer c
When participating in online communities it is ok to share information that is completely unrelated to the topic under discussion
True
False
Correct answer b
Good netiquette includes
Staying on topic in online conversations
Respecting other people’s privacy
Using inflammatory language
Correct answer b
Images shared online are not subject to copyright laws and as a result can be shared and amended without causing any copyright infringement.
True
False
Correct answer b:
Bibliography
Health and Safety Authority https://www.hsa.ie/eng/publications_and_forms/publications/manual_handling_and_musculoskeletal_disorders/ergonomics_in_the_workplace.html
1. Digital citizenship
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