tl;dr

  • Read, watch, and learn
  • Learning pod sign-up + first meeting
  • Complete Blog Post #2 – by Fri, Sep 25
  • Engage substantively with at least 2 peers – by Sun, Sep 27

This week we have a little less reading, and in its space we will we diving into synchronous work with a learning pod, as well as a more in-depth individual exercises. You will be taking some of what we learned so far and critically analyzing your own digital footprint. I hope you find this focus on your personal selves engaging and interesting. Note: If any content, personal or otherwise, is uncomfortable to explore or discuss openly, please consider reaching out to myself or support networks

What is Your Digital Identity?

Digital identity refers to the online representation of an individual, shaped by the information they share and the interactions they have on digital platforms. This includes social media profiles, email addresses, usernames, and the content they post or engage with. Your digital identity can significantly impact how others perceive you, and it’s essential to be mindful of what you share and how it reflects on both your personal and professional life. As more employers and institutions turn to the internet to learn about candidates, your digital identity has become an extension of your real-world reputation.

As a student, building a positive digital identity is important because it can affect your future career prospects. Engaging thoughtfully in online discussions, showcasing your skills, and contributing positively to communities can help you create a strong digital identity that aligns with your personal and academic goals.

Privilege of a Public Identity

The following is by Hilary Schmidt, 2026

The ability to work “in the open” is a form of privilege that typically goes unrecognized. One can only work in the open if doing so will not compromise one’s personal safety and security.

Some people can safely share only very limited information on the internet. For example, the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime (2022) advises victims of cyberstalking not to use their real name or nickname online; to limit the amount of personal information they share online; and to make social media accounts private.

Victims of intimate partner violence are also typically advised by police and advocates to limit their online presence. As Bailey et al. (2024) highlight, technology “widens the temporal and spatial reach of abuse.” Of note, cyberstalking and surveillance against a backdrop of intimate partner violence may indicate a heightened risk of homicide (Bailey et al., 2024). For more information on the risk of homicide, you may wish to explore the Canadian Femicide Observatory.

Women, Black, Indigenous, racialized, queer, trans, and other marginalized scholars may experience trolling, doxxing, and harassment when sharing their research online (Borkowski et al., 2023). As the authors note, graduate students are particularly vulnerable to this form of harassment.

Read, Watch, & Learn

A couple of quick notes: Save snippets from the content as you read, and keep track of where they came from. Do review the blog prompts before or as you read, but don’t read only to answer the prompt questions. You might miss something interesting that way.

Learning Pod

Learning pods are small groups of students that learn together. For the rest of the term, we will be using learning pods to discuss in smaller groups what we are learning. This is not only an opportunity to learn more deeply, but also one to get to know one another AND experience a micro and immediate personalized learning network.

Please sign up for your learning pods and track your meetings: here

I would also recommend creating a group chat with your learning pod in Microsoft Teams or another service if you prefer.

This week, I want you to self-organize a meeting and share/discuss:

  • Share what your public digital footprint is. Try searching your name on the internet and asking genAI for a summary of who you are.
  • What platforms/profiles are connected to you?
  • Are these personas part of your personal or professional identity?
  • Is this presence in your control or not?
  • Note: if any content is uncomfortable to explore or discuss openly, please reach out to myself or support networks

I want you to share to the community contribution channel (in addition to your individual community contribution) an artifact that demonstrates your learning pod discussion. This can include a photo of your meeting, resources shared, or insights co-created. Only one person from your learning pod needs to post but they must include everyone’s name on the post.

Community Contribution #2 – Analyzing Your Digital Identity

Post by Fri, Sep 25

Full assignment details, including a rubric can be found here.

For this week’s blog post:

  1. Create and share your Visitors and Residents Mapping Exercise. Full instructions are here. You can use Canva or similar applications, clipart, or hand-drawn
  2. Here are some prompts to contribute to your write-up (approx. 300 words). Your post should draw connections to our course themes and bring in your own perspectives or experiences.
    • What digital platforms are you currently using to develop their professional network?
    • How could you consider expanding their professional learning network?
    • Consider how an employer would respond if you applied for a job with them and they assessed your social media presence via your digital identity.
    • How does data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN? In your network how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?
Community Contributions Channel
Full Assignment Details

Community Contribution – Being an Active Member

Engage substantively with at least 2 peers by Sun, Sep 27

Being part of a learning community doesn’t stop at sharing a blog post. It also involves engaging with one another’s ideas. You can learn a lot from each other by taking the time to listen, respond, and exchange perspectives.

Be sure to visit the Community Contribution page to learn more about providing feedback.

Full Assignment Details

As always, you can reach me by email, Teams, or by booking a meeting.

Take care,
Adrian