Richard Dalton

Although I was aware of high paywall prices to some online content, this topic revealed to me the extent of these increases, preventing knowledge dissemination and blocking advancing research. Open access (OA) widens availability of online information, helping to contribute to medical research and online education; these are of particular benefit in third world countries. Continue reading →

Nature, The Lancet, The New England Journal of Medicine. These journals are big names in the field of medical research; in 2014 Nature had an impact factor of 42.3, the highest of any medical journal. However, the price of access to journals such as these is growing; prices have increased greater than inflation by 250% over the past 30 years. Access to medical research by different individuals is vital to prompt different hypotheses and further research. Continue reading →

There are many ethical issues raised by the educational use of social media. Unlike previous topics, this week saw a diverse range of different issues within this theme and I thought this made it particularly thought provoking. Shriya’s post highlighted the significant repercussions that occur as a result of students posting inappropriately on social media, against their right to freedom of speech. Continue reading →

A considerable digital divide exists globally Facebook is the worlds largest social media site and the 3rd most visited website globally (Alexa, 2016). Facebook originated from Harvard university and extended to other US colleges before becoming the site we know today. It and other social media outlets now play a key role in education; but the digital divide means that only a privileged minority benefit from this. The benefits of social media to education are clear. Continue reading →

Following this topic, I have now developed my own professional online identity through setting up a Linkedin page. Through my own reading and that of others, I have made this identity as effective as possible in order to make online connections and to stand out to potential recruiters. However, the main learning point for me from this topic was the concept that your online professional identity extends far beyond merely Linkedin. Continue reading →

‘On average we spend four hours per day on social media, that’s half a working day’ (Nyman, 2014) So what if instead of simply using these sites to socialise, we are also using them to make professional connections and further our careers? Such use of social media is an incredibly powerful resource, with 93% of recruiters utilising social media to support recruiting efforts (Jobvite, 2014). The most popular sites for recruiting are Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. Continue reading →

Multiple online identities have some clear advantages over having only one. As explained on Shriya’s blog they can be used as a marketing in order to reach niche audiences. Linkedin for example can be used to make professional connections within a specific professional community. However I didn’t agree that by using multiple identities you can remain anonymous, despite altering your persona on these different sites. Continue reading →

Jonty Hurwitz – Meta Ego The internet society (2011) defines your online identity as the sum of your online characteristics and interactions. You leave a partial identity on each website you interact with.  The degree of control individuals possess over such information varies considerably; some may even be completely invisible to a person. Continue reading →

Topic 1 has come to an end. Initially I agreed with the definition of digital natives and immigrants outlined by Prensky (2001), using my parents as examples of digital immigrants. However through further reading and debate, I have accepted White and Conru’s (2011) visitor and resident analogy. My colleague, Clayton has a lot of experience with the internet through his course, in comparison to my lack of experience, I would define him as a clear digital resident. Continue reading →

Prensky (2001) defined digital natives as those who grew up with technology and intuitively have an ability to efficiently utilise technology and the internet. This is in contrast with digital immigrants, people from an older generation that are just now learning how to use technology and as a result, cannot skilfully utilise it. After reading about the digital immigrant definition, I instantly thought about my IT illiterate parents. Continue reading →