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Topic 2, Page 2

Reflection – Topic 2

I think many people don’t understand the terrors of fake news. I wasn’t just shocked at how much incorrect information is out there but at what speed it can spread. On Karishma’s blog she had a link to an interesting video by Noah Travlin which talks about circular reporting, a phenomenon where a piece of false information is ‘verified’ by multiple sources and makes it seem like the information is correct (Travlin, 2015). Continue reading →

Reflecting on Topic 2

  On how to find reliable and authentic information online… I found this topic an interesting yet challenging one. In addressing the topic it’s so broad it’s hard to focus on just one of the topics involved and in the word count. This led me to do a broad overview on the three literacies introduced in the MOOC ‘Learning in the Network Age’. These literacies are a lot more complex and connected then I first thought. Continue reading →

To Read or Not to Read

The process of understanding and analysing online information has been to some extent always in the public eye in various forms – right back to the development of trust in online communities during the formation of the web as we know it (Hoffman, Novak and Peralta, 1999). Given the attention on Fake News as provided by the media, looking at how we can analyse online content for its authenticity is a vital topic for the users of the web today. Continue reading →

Reflections on Media Reliability and Authenticity

Our exploration of ‘Digital Differences’ in the last topic alluded to cracks in the fabric of the internet (Futurelearn, 2018). This topic has shown exactly how those cracks can be exploited, opinions rigidified and even worsened over time. The reliability and authenticity of sources of information is paramount in fast-paced, ever-changing online discourse. The dangers of inauthentic sources have become clearer through this topic: agendas can be pushed; falsehoods can become truths. Continue reading →

The World Wide Web of Confusion- A Reflection

World Wide Web of Confusion- Created on Piktochart by Heighway, 2018 I put a lot of energy into improving my blog this week. I tried to step out of my comfort zone by using a variety of infographics and created a Youtube video- something I have never done before! Whilst researching this topic and reading my peer’s blogs, I believe that I have enhanced my knowledge of the reliability and authenticity of the information which is available on the internet. Continue reading →

Reflection on Topic 2

Introduction I think that this topic was very interesting, especially considering how fake news is such a relevant and recent issue in our society. I enjoyed researching it and giving my own take on the spread and prevalence of fake news. This topic has equipped me with the knowledge to detect and assess fake news even better. Reflection Reflecting on this topic, I feel as thought I am one of many who easily falls into the trap of fake news. Continue reading →

Topic 2: Reflection

Reflecting on Data Literacy Although prior to this topic, I was aware of the importance in assessing the reliability of data and statistics, conducting my own research and learning from others has really reinforced it. Joanna’s comment provided me with some food for thought on my own post on data literacy – there is no point trying to interpret data from an unreliable author (Li, 2013) – to which I agreed with. Continue reading →

Topic 2: Reflection

Reflecting on Data Literacy Although prior to this topic, I was aware of the importance in assessing the reliability of data and statistics, conducting my own research and learning from others has really reinforced it. Joanna’s comment provided me with some food for thought on my own post on data literacy – there is no point trying to interpret data from an unreliable author (Li, 2013) – to which I agreed with. Continue reading →

The Bubble’s Already Burst! – Topic 2 – Reflection

This topic has really opened my eyes to the amount of ‘fake news’ we are exposed to on a day-to-day basis! Thanks to my discussion with Dom following my comment on his blog, we came to the conclusion that Social Media has acted as the main catalyst for this. So, How Can We Protect The Next Generation? Stefan’s comment on my blog has made me further consider how we can protect future generations from the confusion of fake news. Continue reading →

Keeping It Real- Topic 2 Reflection

Created by Chloe Cheung Using Canva Introduction I found this week’s topic very engaging, as fake news is an ongoing issue that many online users face. As a result, I commented on three blog posts this week. This furthered my learning, providing a solid understanding on detection, prevention and awareness of fake news. Media Literacy + Fake News Evaluation The discussion with Tewsdae made me aware of how information is distributed online. Continue reading →

Keeping It Real- Topic 2 Reflection

Created by Chloe Cheung Using Canva Introduction I found this week’s topic very engaging, as fake news is an ongoing issue that many online users face. As a result, I commented on three blog posts this week. This furthered my learning, providing a solid understanding on detection, prevention and awareness of fake news. Media Literacy + Fake News Evaluation The discussion with Tewsdae made me aware of how information is distributed online. Continue reading →

Outside my filter bubble

This week topic once again emphasised the importance of obtaining evaluating skills that allow us to stay safe on the Internet. Having read others’ blogs about fake news, we all have very similar measures to assess the reliability of information. Furthermore, I have learnt that reliability of a source should not be determined solely on presented information but also on the data being used. By taking part of Futurelearn course, I came across how different visualisation of a dataset (Yua, n.d. Continue reading →

Make News Great Again

This week I feel like the content I produced, compared to other weeks, was not up to scratch. I couldn’t get my head around how to approach the topic of ‘Fake News’ and I think that that is evident from this week’s blog post and the poor structuring of it. I tried to take on board comments from last week’s feedback about having headings, and while I agree that headings are a good idea I think the implementation of them made the flow of my blog suffer. Continue reading →

Reflection post- Topic 2

Reflecting on the topic:  From reading a range of different blogs, I can conclude that finding reliable and authentic information is challenging. Reflecting upon Luke’s (2018) blog only highlighted the importance of our information, data and media literacy in differentiating fact from fake.  I found it important to ask myself a few questions about my engagement with the web (see Figure 1)!  Questions to ask myself about my engagement with the web (Created on Piktochart by Boyle, 2018). Continue reading →

A reflection on Filter Bubbles and Fake News

In this weeks blog post I attempted to create my own video using PowToon again. I still find this process very hard, however also embedded other useful information into the blog to aid the points I was making. The general consensus from people’s blogs was that people often see such news spread across social media, however make sure to double check stories they see as suspicious. Continue reading →

We’ll believe nearly anything

This topic has definitely given me some insight into how people interpret content they see online. Majority of people live in echo chambers and filter bubble without realising, so they don’t see any need to change the way they interact with the web. After reading Hong’s post, I realised that the use of Personal Learning Networks can help with avoiding filter bubbles, but it is more effective with escaping echo chambers. Continue reading →

Topic 2: “We are not the arbiters of truth”

In the world of tweets and hashtags, is it surprising that falsified information travels faster and further across the rails of the social network than real news? (Vosoughi, 2018) The truth is the power of novelty and the emotion churning nature of a fictitious title and fabricated content drives engagements through impressions in the digital sphere (Kantar Millward Brown, 2017). We call it ClickBait.  Take a look at the engagements on the U.S. Continue reading →

Topic 2: Assessing Online Information

  Social media is currently the fastest carrier of information, providing instant news much quicker to a wider audience, as opposed to more traditional news outlets and sources (John Hopkins Sheridan Library, 2017). Though, when we evaluate the differences between print sources and online information we are able to identify distinctions between the quality of sources and how to be wary when using online sources. Created by Yusra Huque-Dowlet using Piktochart. Reference: Elmer E. Continue reading →