# data[].attributes.body
I have just signed up to do an online course and I am excited to be there. But I have little experience of online courses and it feels really challenging to get started to connect and find my way with all these new sites and tools. I guess that other participants will be more experienced than me and I feel stupid asking about things. We are asked to create a Learning blog on the web; it feels a bit scary to do this. I do share things on Facebook with friends, but here, in the open? I want to keep my private life separate from my professional life. But on the other hand, my students seem to share and discuss all sorts of things in social media and use all kinds of tools and resources.

# data[].attributes.body
Alleviating anxiety in online students by encouraging a progressive approach towards developing digital literacies
White (2011) observes that "most incoming students have a very traditional view of education", one which primarily involves physical attendance of classes and hard copy books. However,  learning is a far greater sphere, and can even extend to developing an academic voice online. Likewise, educational institutions are geared towards "visitor modes of engagement" (See Part 2 of Visitors and Residents: Credibility, 2011).
The use of social media in encouraging digital literacies (residency) can be a powerful teaching tool to facilitate ongoing collaborative learning. In my perception, the issue at hand is a question of how one could alleviate the anxiety of online students (as depicted in the scenario) in order to encourage a deeper level of participation in the online education space?
In challenging Prensky’s ideology of ‘digital natives and immigrants’ (2001), White and Le Cornu (2011) pick up on the metaphor of learning a language to illustrate the alternative model of digital visitors versus digital residents, which emphasizes that the development of one’s digital literacy is not necessarily dependent on age or technical skill, but rather on our motivation to engage. As a result of this, he emphasizes the importance of understanding the development of digital literacy as a continuum (as opposed to two distinct categories that each person might squarely fit into).
Belshaw (see The essential elements of digital literacies, 2012) draws on the idea that literacy is a characteristic that is acquired by individuals in varying degrees over a period of time (UNESCO, 1957) and, as such, there are different contexts (both formal and more informal) in which a person can be literate or illiterate.
In order to alleviate anxiety, educators could engage with students over various social media platforms (and not simply restrict their online interactions to the designated online learning platform). In my opinion, this would encourage and model a natural progression towards the digital ‘resident’ end of the continuum, where students will begin to function in more of a resident mode, thinking of the web as a series of spaces or places and where they choose to go online to be present with others (see Part 1 of Visitors and Residents, 2011).
Even although the angst of the online student in the scenario is extremely common, most people in our digital age are already users of some form of social media – all be it at a rudimentary level, such as sharing things with friends on Facebook, as indicated in the scenario.  Educators could take an approach of engaging with students academically across various social media platforms, for example, sharing topic-relevant articles which would cement theory that they have covered in their learning content. In this way, the educator should aim to take a more resident approach to education in the online space, and, in so doing would be modelling as well as facilitating and encouraging students towards transferring their ‘resident’ practice from a personal to an institutional context (See Part 2 of Visitors and Residents: Credibility, 2011).
Furthermore, this practice aligns with Belshaw’s (2012) reasoning that: “the place to develop digital literacies is at the overlap between important issues and individual interest”.
An added benefit to this type of practice is that, by being selective in the things that you share with students, you as educator are modelling which are credible online academic sources as opposed to those that are not.
In this type of constant online interaction with students, the educator encourages the subconscious perception that “digital literacy is a condition, not a threshold” (Martin, 2006, cited by Belshaw, 2012), which will automatically encourage the development of digital literacies in a more progressive manner, rather than in a sequential manner (see The essential elements of digital literacies, 2012).
From a psychological perspective, it may be helpful for the educator to tackle the initial anxiety directly by having a candid discussion in the online space at the start of a course or learning programme - the aim of the discussion being to alter the perception of students and verbally cement the understanding that any form of literacy (including digital literacy) looks beyond functional IT skills and entails progressive development, acquiring proficiency over time, until the student reaches a level of fluency (JISC , 2014). This approach could aid in alleviating anxiety in online students if they no longer perceive digital literacy to be an action that they can fail at, but rather an ongoing journey of personal development.

References:

- JISC guide. 2014. Developing Digital Literacies. [Online]. Available at: http://web.archive.org/web/20141011143516/http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/digital-literacies/ [Accessed 13 March 2019].

- The essential elements of digital literacies: Doug Belshaw. 2012. YouTube video, added by TEDxWarwick. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78 [Accessed 13 March 2019].

- Visitors and residents (part 1): David White. 2011. YouTube video, added by jicsnetskills. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOG3iThmRI&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 13 March 2019}.

- Visitors and residents – Credibility (part 2): David White. 2011. YouTube video, added by jicsnetskills. [Online]. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO569eknM6U&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 13 March 2019].

# data[].attributes.body
The combined theoretical (Immigrant / native / resident / visitor) perspective
Anxiety and suspiciousness are feelings we mainly experience when we explore new environments. The digital environment resembles a new place, and users who are not familiar with this digital place or space can experience such feelings. Anxiety/fear can have a protective role in such unknown physical or digital environments; however, when fear is excessive, it is maladaptive. In line with the immigrant/native theory, immigrants may be more suspicious/fearful compared to native users as ‘immigrants’ don’t understand/speak the digital language as well as the natives. And in line with the visitor/resident theory, when an individual has used the web only in a visitor level, it may result in fear/suspiciousness when this individual starts acting as resident despite a long visitor-related experience. And vice versa. Further, the digital confidence may be U-shaped, with the ‘initial ignorance’ and the ‘final experience’ both generating a feeling of confidence. This digital confidence can be lower between these two periods when individuals build up their digital literacies. Finally, the complexity of the digital space can justify some suspiciousness and fear depending on users’ idiosyncratic characteristics.

# data[].attributes.body
#2 Teacher’s perspective
Social and cognitive presence: So, it is commonly argued that a key challenge for e-learning is to encourage learner participation. The “Community of inquiry model” eg. (to an online coaching) refer to a relationship of; cognitive, social, and teaching presence. It´s argued that these concepts must exists in online coaching. Professional academic emotions (part of social presence), is argued to fill a key role in the interaction-process.
Level: Moreover, a key challenge for teachers is to interpret the students' competence level, within the topic.
Dimensions of participation: It was found that research is dominated by low-level conceptions of online participation, which relies on "frequency" (statistics) as measures of participation. Thus, more complex dimensions of participation, is such as whether participants feel they are taking part and are engaged in dialogues (evaluated by eg interviews), according to literature eg. Hrastinski (2013, 2016) Interacting, dialoges, face-to face, therefore seen as a key in the learning-process. A moderator in the PBL groups is of importance. //Helenas notes Litterature: see e.g. Hrastinkis research, via eg website at KTH. Sweden.
http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/person.jsf?pid=authority-person%3A3151&dswid=6320

# data[].attributes.body
#1 Student´s perspective
Why individuals participate in online education?
According to research it is essential to examine individual “perceptions and relationships” in order to understand how (and why) students behave, in relation to others. If we want to enhance online learning, we need to enhance online "learner participation", according to eg Hrastinski (2013; 2016).
E.g. Theories of online learning, as "online participation" is suggested. Moreover, it is argued that online "learner participation": is a complex process of taking part and maintaining relations with others. That this is supported by “physical and psychological tools”, (is not synonymous with talking or writing). According to researchers.
It is maintained by all types of engaging activities, according to the literature e.g. (Hrastinski, 2016). Eg dialoges (face-to-face interactions)
//Helenas notes

# data[].attributes.body
Focus - What is the problem?

Based on the scenario the individual seems quite anxious about online learning and it is obvious that this is a first exposure. He/she is a digital immigrant. It is evident that this is viewed as a great challenge rather than as an opportunity. Is this a challenge or opportunity?

However he/she feels since online education in now popular with possibility of a global audience it is the way to go. Social platforms are considered as fun tools however it is evident that these platforms can be used to create a huge impact depending on what you want to communicate.

Digital skills are transferable can this be helpful when faced with such a scenario?

Is it possible to be digitally literate in one space and illiterate in another? These questions can provide a solid basis for investigation.

Investigate:
Publications, articles, personal communications will be helpful resources to answer the questions.
It is important to understand that digital literacy is a holistic approach hence the individual essential  elements are critical to build up literacy  i.e  (Confidence, Cognitive, Critical, Civic, Communicative, Constructive, Creative, Cultural)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Professor Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCB, BCN

Professor Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCB, BCN is President of the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), with offices in Sorrento Valley, La Jolla and Coronado, California; Qingdao, China; and Brussels, Belgium. Professor Wiederhold is registered as a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with the California Board of Psychology and the Belgian Commission des Psychologues. Her doctorate is in Clinical Health Psychology, and she is Board Certified in both Biofeedback and Neurofeedback. She is Chief Executive Officer of the Interactive Media Institute, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the application of advanced technologies for patient care; a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD; Medical Staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla; a Visiting Professor at the Catholic University in Milan and an Advisory Board Member for the International Child Art Foundation in Washington, DC.

Founder of the international CyberPsychology, CyberTherapy, & Social Networking Conference (CYPSY), now celebrating its 22nd year, she also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the MedLine-indexed CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking Journal (CYBER) published by Mary Ann Liebert Publishers in New York. She has over 300 scientific publications and is currently completing her 18th book. Recognized as an international leader in the treatment of stress-related disorders, burnout, pain and anxiety (panic, posttraumatic stress disorder and phobias) with Virtual Reality exposure, biofeedback and cognitive-behavioral therapy, in 1996 she conducted the first randomised controlled clinical trial using VR and biosensors to treat fear of flying. In 2006 she conducted the first randomised controlled clinical trial using VR to treat Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffering from PTSD. She has conducted over 10,000 VR therapy sessions and given invited lectures and training programs in 29 countries throughout Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.

Professor Wiederhold works to inform and educate policymakers, funding agencies, world leaders, the scientific community and general public about the transformative impact technology can have on healthcare. A U.S. citizen, Dr. Wiederhold has lived and worked in Asia, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium.

Major Rory Rodriquez, Chaplain, USA, Retired
Rory Alan Rodriquez is currently a retired Chaplain (MAJ) serving over 20 years in the United States Navy (1976-1980) and Army (1996-2013). He has traveled extensively throughout his military career with numerous overseas assignments which include: Guam, Hawaii, Korea, Honduras, Iraq, Estonia, Germany, and Belgium where he currently resides with his Belgium bride Valerie.
His passion for learning has earned him a B.A. in Theological Studies (Pacific Coast Baptist Bible College, M.Min. and D.Min. (Bethany Divinity College and Seminary), M.S.in Community Counseling (Columbus State University), M.Div. (Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary), PSY D. student (California Southern University) and an intern at the Virtual Reality Medical Institute located in Brussels, Belgium.
He also completed requirements for a Licensed Professional Counselor with the State of Illinois (License No. 178.010749) and as a National Certified Counselor. In addition, he has memberships and certifications including: NAVAC Professional Clinical Member, Association of Clinical Pastoral Education Clinical Member, College of Pastoral Supervision and Psychotherapy certification in Clinical Pastoral Education, AAPC Pastoral Care Specialist, and an Associate Membership with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Rory is highly integrative in his approach in the therapeutic session. He is clinically trained with a specialization in providing pastoral care and psychotherapy for a holistic healing approach with the patient. He also uses Virtual Reality and Biofeedback combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to treat persons with Posttraumatic Stress, anxiety disorders (phobias, panic attacks, agoraphobia), chronic pain, burnout and stress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Professor Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCB, BCN Professor Dr. Brenda K. Wiederhold, Ph.D., MBA, BCB, BCN is President of the Virtual Reality Medical Center (VRMC), with offices in Sorrento Valley, La Jolla and Coronado, California; Qingdao, China; and Brussels, Belgium.

# data[].attributes.body
Online course design to form a safe and welcoming community
Picciano offers an integrated framework of online course design
where social-emotional learning is mostly provided by face-to face contact (Picciano, 2017). However, social contact can be achieved in the online context, and students with high overall perceptions of social presence scored high in scores of perceived learning and satisfaction, as well as to students' perceived learning (Richardson & Swan, 2003).  Humanizing online learning has been championed by Pacansky-Brock, suggesting that it also particularly affects disadvantaged students (https://brocansky.com/humanizing).

# data[].attributes.body
Credibility and authority issues in the context of online learning
In the scenario we meet a teacher that in the end of the text points out that “my students seem to share and discuss all sorts of things in social media and use all kinds of tools and resources.” Apart from the insecurity and perhaps fear of new learning techniques, criticism towards the student’s mere acceptance to the information they obtain and share can be sensed. This brings us to the idea of credibility and authority in the context of online learning. The starting point in my reflection in David Whites hypothesis that convenience and relevance often outstrip traditional notions of credibility and authority. It is not by ignorance that students use the internet for their main information source but convenience. So, how can we reassure that the information we obtain is credible? This is probably one of the most important issues when dealing with the flow of information and disinformation available on the net. Howard Rheingold means that the responsibility for determining if the information we find on the net is correct is no longer that of the publisher but that of the consumer of information. Thereby, the authority is no longer invested in the writer or the publisher, but the consumer of information must be the critic. Thereby, a responsibility has been transferred from the traditional authorities to the user sitting by the computer. He explains his theory in the video Crap Detection 101 below. Further, this introduces us to the context of credibility literacy, in other words how do we question the information found on the internet properly? Rheingold puts forward three basic principles when reading a text:

1. WHO IS THE AUTHOR?

2. WHAT KIND OF AGENDA DO THEY HAVE?

3. GO TO THE SOURCES

This may come across as very simplified. A recent report from Stanford university however examined the student’s ability to reason about information retrieved from the net. The study indicates that students focus more on the direct content of a social media posts than on its actual sources (full report at https://purl.stanford.edu/fv751yt5934).

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching & Learning Perspective #3
However, as stated by Wheeler (2016), it should not be forgotten that all this process is composed various dimensions made up of layers in the form of a matrix.

# data[].attributes.body
A critical techno-pedagogical perspective
Within the academic field of the critical media and communication studies there always has been a clear distinction between the potential and the actual uses of certain technologies - based on the differences between a techno-optimist understanding of technological affordances vs. the social realities of any given society. The debate is not new, nor limited to social media in particular or Internet in general, and can be traced all the way back to the invention of 'old' forms of media, such as electricity, telegram or telephone (Marvin, 1988)
In the given scenario for Topic #1, a fictional teacher is experiencing certain self-doubts, based on a realization that students are using "all kinds of tools and resources". However this teacher also highlights that the same students "seem to share and discuss all sorts of things in social media". The second aspect already underlines a certain lack of understanding about problematic issues of online privacy and that not everything should be shared online. Nevertheless, the first aspect is more important within the scope of this course. A quantitative focus on the increased (or sometimes even expected or perceived) use of digital tools and resources - without qualitatively checking for what exactly these tools and resources are being used for - has led to many previous studies to erroneously claim that the young members of the new generation are a priori "digital natives." These early optimistic assumptions have already been shattered by a number of academic and popular publications which conclusively decided that "[m]any young students are far from being the epitomic global, connected, socially networked technologically–fluent digital native who has little patience for passive and linear forms of learning" (Margaryan & Littlejohn, 2008; as cited in White & Le Cornu, 2011). On the contrary, as some researchers quite pessimistically observe, due to constant fast skimming, browsing and scanning through text, quite common characteristics of digital reading skills, human brain is losing its capacity for concentration and reflection, in the end creating a paradoxical result that "we are evolving from being cultivators of personal knowledge to being hunters and gatherers in the electronic data forest" (Carr, 2010, p. 138).
In this sense, the necessity of cultivating a critical digital literacy becomes even more important than the digital literacy itself - a point Olof (as well) touches upon in his post.

References:
Carr, N. (2010). The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Marvin, C. (1988). When Old Technologies Were New: Thinking about Electric Communication in the Late Nineteenth Century. New York: Oxford University Press.
White, D. & Le Cornu, A. (2011) Visitors and residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9).

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching & Learning Perspective #2
On the other hand, since this online course would be a personal journey for her/him, it should be designed in a way that when the knowledge is presented it should be supported with the (real life) experience (of the participant and/or fellow learners) afterwards. In this way, it will, hopefully, lead to creativity.

# data[].attributes.body
Teaching & Learning Perspective #1
As a Visitor (White and Le Cornu, 2011) of the online learning environment, the main character in the scenario is overwhelmed with dimensions s/he has never experienced, thus, s/he needs to overcome the adversities coming her/his way (emotional, structural, environmental, infrasturtcural etc.). From an teaching&learning perspective, s/he needs to be trained in the required forms of literacies required for her online course. The mastery process looks like the pyramid below (Wheeler, 2013).