In an age where nearly everyone is “plugged in” nearly all the time, the importance of teaching digital citizenship (DC) is paramount. In my work environment, I teach adult learners ages 20-50. The understanding of DC in this population of students varies greatly. Some students are quite competent digital citizens, and others are very unfamiliar with (or choose to be ignorant of) the elements of DC. With our constantly increasing use of media and digital platforms in education, it’s critical that we lay down a solid foundation for students and faculty to understand appropriate use of these tools. Many of my adult learners didn’t grow up with all of these digital platforms, and have learned to use them as adults. While they may be proficient in operating the technology, there is sometimes a lack of understanding of the elements of DC.
In our student handbook, we have set time parameters for appropriate times to contact faculty. Since email communication is such an easy and convenient way of contact, students often don’t think about whether or not the timing of the email is appropriate. Educators don’t want their email notifications blowing up at midnight on the weekend!
In our program, we use a Facebook page to provide a platform for informal communication between faculty and students. Faculty often share links to articles or job listings and students are able to post questions to faculty and each other. It’s a great place for informal questions, because everyone is able to see the responses. We quickly had to establish guidelines for how this platform would be used, as students felt like they needed concrete rules for what would be shared here. Faculty and students agreed that all formal announcements would be shared via the college’s LMS. I’ve found that some students don’t keep the elements of DC in mind when using informal communication such as Facebook. Sometimes students will be a little less respectful in their comments when they are writing them behind a screen.
Faculty have also had to remind students of appropriate ways to use technology when communicating with their peers. Students often participate in group work, or work in partners in the lab and clinical setting. We have had complaints about students messaging their peers at inappropriate hours asking about schoolwork. Again, because digital communication is so easy and convenient, sometimes the regular etiquette of communication is easily forgotten. Keep in mind, these are all issues that have arisen with adult learners. These are folks that have been taught the etiquette of communication their whole lives, but continue to lack in their etiquette regarding DC.
The concept of DC is not something that is taught formally to students in our curriculum, or to faculty at our facility. In our individual nursing program, faculty often review expectations of DC with students, but there is no formal education. Faculty themselves are not entirely competent with these elements either (myself included). I think it would be beneficial for rules and etiquette regarding DC to be incorporated into college wide policy for both students and educators. Formal education and training should be incorporated into orientation for students, and into professional development for faculty. Ideally this would come from an expert in the field or someone with specific training regarding DC. I think as faculty members of the college, it’s a shared responsibility to cultivate an environment of responsible digital citizens.
Bedside to Classroom 