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Once I decided on a template, I added all the information about the tools I am most interested in and how I plan on using them in the future.

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After, I decorated my Infographic so that it was visually interesting and engaging. I chose relevant graphics that completed the ideas I was discussing, and overall I was really happy with how it came out.

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My Pinterest board has grown to over 70 pins, and I am enjoying saving and organising the images on this platform. It is incredibly easy to use and visually satisfying.

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47 Work abroad life ideas in 2024 | work abroad, abroad, spain aesthetic

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Feb 9, 2024 - Explore Annabelle Morris’s board “Work abroad life” on Pinterest. See more ideas about work abroad, abroad, spain aesthetic.

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I created my Pocket account but it took me a minute to navigate this new platform, so my saves looked a little empty for the first while.

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After exploring this site for some time I realised I thoroughly enjoy it, and can see myself using it in the future. Pocket is an easy way to sort and find insightful articles, and it feels both personalised and informative. After selecting my theme for the list, that being "self-help" type articles, I enjoyed searching for material to include and making the list useful but a reflection of my personality. I did this mostly through the notes under each article.

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I started my brand new Pinterest account today and chose the theme of working abroad. I have made Pinterest boards before and I like to theme them around my aspirations. This summer I hope to work abroad, in any job that will take me.

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In comparison, both Pinterest and Pocket do a great job of personalising the information they present, where their algorithms quickly learn what you like and funnel you similar content. This is a great feature in both of these platforms, as it is largely accurate and saves you time searching for the right photo or article. From my experience, after finding and saving a couple of self-improvement articles, my search for this style of writing became far easier, as the algorithm understood what I wanted. On Pinterest, the hardest part about making a board is the start, as once you have a couple of pins saved the recommended images become incredibly well-tailored and the board practically makes itself. Both of these platforms are also easy to use, store information and personalise. I get a strong sense of self and enjoy the fact that I can reflect my personality through platforms that are primarily used to access and organise information.

However, although Pinterest and Pocket share many similarities, they are not necessarily competitors in the app store. While I love Pinterest, it is not a tool for accessing information beyond what a photograph can provide you. Sure, there are some step-by-step tutorials, but if you want to know how to fix your sleep schedule, it is not the place to look. Its primary purpose, as stated by the brand themselves, is to “bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love”, and for this reason, I can't see it being used in the academic field. Where Pinterest provides inspiration, Pocket provides information. They have curated a platform full of wonderful articles that make accessing the writing you want to read incredibly easy. True to its mission statement, Pocket aims to “create a platform that enables people to save, share, and consume the content worthy of their time and attention”.

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In comparison, both Pinterest and Pocket do a great job of personalising the information they present, where their algorithms quickly learn what you like and funnel you similar content. This is a great feature in both of these platforms, as it is largely accurate and saves you time searching for the right photo or article. From my experience, after finding and saving a couple of self-improvement articles, my search for this style of writing became far easier, as the algorithm understood what I wanted. On Pinterest, the hardest part about making a board is the start, as once you have a couple of pins saved the recommended images become incredibly well-tailored and the board practically makes itself. Both of these platforms are also easy to use, store information and personalise. I get a strong sense of self and enjoy the fact that I can reflect my personality through platforms that are primarily used to access and organise information.

However, although Pinterest and Pocket share many similarities, they are not necessarily competitors in the app store. While I love Pinterest, it is not a tool for accessing information beyond what a photograph can provide you. Sure, there are some step-by-step tutorials, but if you want to know how to fix your sleep schedule, it is not the place to look. Its primary purpose, as stated by the brand themselves, is to “bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love”, and for this reason, I can't see it being used in the academic field. Where Pinterest provides inspiration, Pocket provides information. They have curated a platform full of wonderful articles that make accessing the writing you want to read incredibly easy. True to its mission statement, Pocket aims to “create a platform that enables people to save, share, and consume the content worthy of their time and attention”.

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After looking through the instructions that were provided to us, I was pretty confident that I would be able to make a Map on Datawrapper. I decided to base mine on the oak trees of Ireland and started by looking for the basic map, as seen above.

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The next thing I did was add in all the data given to us. This took a while because although it has an "upload data" function, it didn't work very well for me. Consequently, I uploaded the location of each tree individually and double-checked that it had placed the location at the right point.

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When deciding on the final look of my map, I had a play around with all the different functions. Although there were lots of shapes, I decided I liked the look of the circles the most. I discovered that you could separate the colour based on height, and I thought this was useful as it provided even more information about the trees. I also discovered that you could add location tags, and I thought this would be useful for viewers too, so I added those in as well. I enjoyed making this map, as it was visually appealing and displayed information in a clear and digestible way.

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For my video, I decided to do a video whereby I would screen record my computer and show people how to set up an online diary that I use. However, Screencast-o-Matic was very difficult to use and I was forced to rethink my video. As a platform, it was constantly crashing and caused me to restart my laptop 3 times. This could be an issue with storage on my end, but I haven't had issues with any of the other platforms.

After brainstorming once more, I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to do a hairstyle video, as it is the type of content I enjoy watching. I began by recording each section separately on Screencast-o-Matic, which worked better and didn't cause my laptop to crash. I later regretted this decision, however, as I had huge issues trying to combine the footage and speed it up too. This unfortunately meant that I had to offload this footage to a third platform to edit, which I understand was outside of the assessment description but a necessary step in creating this video.

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As its not part of the assessment, Ill talk briefly about my work on this platform. Here, I was able to combine all the footage I had recorded and add on transitions, a title and subtitles. I have edited some videos on here before so this was relatively easy for me to do. I enjoyed the 30 second time limit, as it meant I had to be strategic and critical with my editing, leaving only incredibly relevant footage.

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My last step of the process was uploading the video to YouTube Studios. Here I was able to create a thumbnail for my video, give a brief description and upload it to YouTube. I've never uploaded my own video before, and I was impressed at how easy it was.

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In today’s digital age, being a proficient digital citizen involves navigating and engaging with various social tools, which I have explored throughout this module. First, I want to discuss Pinterest and Pocket, two incredibly accessible and facilitative platforms. When I first used Pinterest, I thought it was exclusively for inspiration and irrelevant for academic purposes, an idea I touched on when comparing these platforms on Padlet. This viewpoint has changed since then, as one reading highlighted how course lecturers have begun to incorporate this platform into their work as a method of “contributing to a sense of collaborative learning and sense of community” (Huntington, 2022). This idea opened my eyes to using Pinterest as a tool in my creative process rather than a platform solely for aesthetic inspiration. I often find myself storyboarding for group assessments in college and given its ability to aid in the curation and management of information, Pinterest would be the perfect tool for creative collaboration with my group members.

Regarding the finding and sharing of information, Pocket was a completely new platform for me, but took away many of the barriers to accessing information that I usually face as a digital citizen. It provides articles that are well organised, and allows its users to access information on topics that they might not have thought to look at otherwise. One article from Zapier comparing Pocket to one of its competitors highlighted my favourite feature about Pocket: its ability to make it your own personal database of resources. This distinctive feature of Pocket allows its users to both curate and organise content according to their preferences, sculpting it into a database tailored to individual needs and interests. Going forward, I plan on continuing to use both these platforms, integrating Pintrest into academic work, and continuing to discover Pocket and explore the available articles at relative ease.

Furthermore, Padlet and Datawrapper are new platforms that I was introduced to in this module that allow their users to share and publish information in a visually exciting and concise manner. Padlet is a virtual scrapbook for information, where its ability to link websites and upload screenshots makes it unlike many of its rival platforms. Padlet can turn work into play, and I enjoyed toying around with the platform to make it visually appealing while clearly presenting my work. However, Padlet is a tool for online social engagement, and unlike Instagram or other collaborative platforms, I found the process of writing and publishing my thoughts incredibly nerve-racking. While I was keen to hear what other students had to say, I was too nervous to process the information posted. This being said, the benefit of this platform is undeniable, where Deni and Zainal’s study found that undergraduates reported learning from fellow students’ mistakes on Padlet, as well as their correct answers. With this in mind, I will continue to use Padlet to curate and manage information in academic and non-academic situations. I plan to further my engagement in this module and overcome my challenges with the platform, as they are holding me back from progressing as a digital citizen.

To continue, Datawrapper is a brilliant platform for publishing and sharing digestible information for all audiences. While I agree with users who praise Datawrapper online for its quick and simple techniques for the creation of graphics, I think that compared with other platforms, it will probably be less valuable in navigating the digital world. While I can’t fault its abilities, I can say that there haven’t been many times when I have needed to map lists of data visually. If, in the future, it is something I can use to relay information effectively, I will take advantage of this service. However, compared to the other platforms I have discussed, I believe Datawrapper is less relevant to my day-to-day online engagement.

Finally, Screencast-o-Matic and YouTube allow you to create and share curated content and publish it to large audiences. Unfortunately, my experience with Screencast-o-Matic was incredibly frustrating. The platform constantly froze when I tried to record my laptop screen, forcing me to shut the platform down several times. Consequently, I filmed a sit-down-styled video and offloaded the footage elsewhere. Upon further research, there have been similar complaints from users; on Trustpilot, of the 18 reviews, 56% of users gave it a one-star and reported identical issues with freezing and bugging. For this reason, I would not use this platform in the future as it seems incompatible with my laptop and created barriers that prevented me from curating digital content.

On the contrary, although my preconceived notion of YouTube Studio led me to believe it was a time-consuming process, in reality, it is a polished platform that makes publishing and sharing content enjoyable. A study done by Zher and Hussain shared some similar insight to my own, whereby they had students create a YouTube video for an assignment, and the conclusion was that it allowed “for the development of appropriate values for responsible digital citizenship”. As a digital citizen, developing a concept I deemed worthy of sharing and publishing to an audience was rewarding, and something I would like to continue doing, but with more researched and informed topics. Overall, I found the exploration of various social media tools in this module has not only enhanced my digital literacy, but also created a sense of responsibility within myself to contribute positively to the online community.

References

Deni, A. R., & Zainal, Z. I. (2018). Padlet as an educational tool. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Education Technology and Computers. https://doi.org/10.1145/3290511.3290512

G2. (n.d.). Datawrapper reviews 2024: Details, pricing, & features. Datawrapper Reviews & Product Details. https://www.g2.com/products/datawrapper/reviews

Huntington, H. E. (2022). Find, pin, discuss: Incorporating Pinterest to foster community and collaboration in online advertising classes. Journal of Advertising Education, 26(1), 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/10980482221091239

Pot, J. (2024, January 2). Instapaper vs. pocket: Which read-it-later app is best? [2024]. Zapier. https://zapier.com/blog/instapaper-vs-pocket/

Trustpilot. (2023, November 15). Screenpal is rated “average” with 3.1 / 5 on Trustpilot. https://ie.trustpilot.com/review/screenpal.com?stars=1

Zher Ng, H., & Maznah Raja Hussain, R. (2009). Empowering learners as the owners of feedback while YouTube‐ing. Interactive Technology and Smart Education, 6(4), 274–285. https://doi.org/10.1108/17415650911009254

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Foundational Social Media Analytics for Research 

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Foundational Social Media Analytics for Research 

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Data Visualisation for Novice Researchers

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Data Visualisation for Novice Researchers

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Before this module I had made a LinkedIn, but as seen in the screenshot above, I had barely touched it. I uploaded a profile picture that wasn't particularly professional and my profile was still at the beginner stage of development. So, as part of my plan to become a better digital citizen, I was keen to promote myself professionally.

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For my digital CV, I uploaded my relevant experience in the industries I would like to work in. I added skills to go along with the different roles and tried to give a short line about what work was included with each job.

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To further develop my profile I added my awards and languages. I felt this would be helpful for when I began connecting with employers and colleagues, as they would be able to see my achievements and skillset.

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After uploading my relevant experience, skills and an "about" section, I began connecting with people. I started by following people I knew from college and different paths of life, and then moved on to people in UCD or people in careers that I am interested in. LinkedIn is a great way of connecting with people in the professional world so I tried to branch out and grow my network.

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Here is a functional like to my profile. Here you can see how I have grown my network to over 100 people and marketed myself to those whom I chose to connect with.

www.linkedin.com/in/belle-morris

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As a user of TikTok, I want the company to understand the importance of my privacy and the need to protect my personal information. Here is my suggested Privacy Policy, centring around the five rights outlined by Anderson (2017).

1. As a digital citizen, I have the right to remove any content I have posted on TikTok. This includes my videos, comments, and any other content I have shared at any point in time. TikTok respects my autonomy over the content I create and publicise, allowing me to control my online presence as I see fit. By allowing me to manage my digital footprint, TikTok promotes a sense of ownership and responsibility over my online interactions, ensuring that I can curate a presence that aligns with my values and how I want to promote myself online.

2. When using this platform, I want to know who can access my data and for what purpose. By understanding who can see my data and why, I can make informed decisions about my privacy and online activity. Furthermore, TikTok must clearly explain data access and usage to build trust amongst its online community. This will help empower its users to navigate the platform with a sense of security and confidence in how their data is being shared.

3. As a TikTok user, I want to feel safe and supported using the platform. I should know where to turn if things go wrong, whether I encounter harmful content or face online bullying and harassment. Access to resources and support services within TikTok is crucial for my user's peace of mind and overall well-being. Knowing that TikTok takes my safety seriously gives me confidence in using the platform responsibly as a digital citizen.

4. Through my participation on TikTok, I assert my right to engage with the platform thoughtfully and consciously. I understand that the internet is designed to captivate my attention, including within the TikTok environment, where platform features like scrolling are created to encourage prolonged engagement. Therefore, as a responsible user of the platform, I seek transparency and guidance to navigate this platform with accountability, ensuring I can retain control over my online interactions and usage habits.

5. As a responsible digital citizen, I believe in the importance of digital literacy. Understanding the purpose and implications of what I'm using and creating on the platform is essential for making informed decisions about my online presence. To build upon this, TikTok should provide resources and support to help users develop digital literacy skills, empowering them to navigate the platform responsibly and effectively.

6. Lastly, as a TikTok user, I expect the platform to provide transparency and accountability in its advertising practices. This includes clearly distinguishing between general content and paid promotions, ensuring that sponsored content remains free of deception. Furthermore, TikTok needs to allow users to quickly identify and control the ads they see, including options for opting out of targeted advertising. By promoting transparency and ethical advertising practices, TikTok can create a safe environment for its users, free of trickery.

In conclusion, as a digital citizen my privacy and safety should be at the forefront of TikTok's company policies. My suggested Privacy Policy, based on Anderson's five rights framework, emphasises the need for transparency and user

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How can I apply my learning in this module to create a Personal Digital Strategy which supports my control of my digital presence? 

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How can I apply my learning in this module to create a Personal Digital Strategy which supports my control of my digital presence? 

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Throughout this module, I have taken the opportunity to better represent myself online, engaging with various platforms and tools to help me do so. My main objective has been to grow as a digital citizen with a dynamic set of competencies and skills I need to participate in today’s digital world. With my newfound knowledge, it is imperative that I create a Personal Digital Strategy that looks towards the future and is modelled around supporting my online engagement. Through theoretical and practical insights, I plan to maintain control over my digital presence by storing information accessibly, continuing to grow my digital literacy and marketing myself socially and professionally.

In this module, I have been introduced to innovative platforms like Padlet and Pocket, which offered me practical ways to manage and present information online. Alongside Pinterest, which is “a top destination for collecting and sharing online content,” these platforms enhanced my control over storing and displaying data (Hands, 2013). While analysing these platforms, I realised they not only provided practical tools, but also reshaped my approach to digital content consumption and management. By engaging with Pinterest and Pocket, I discovered the power of curated collections and how to best organise information systematically, which I wasn’t doing before this. Padlet was brilliant for storing and sharing information in a visually appealing way, allowing me to link various multimedia content seamlessly, such as YouTube videos and images. As tools to support my control over my online presence, I found these three incredibly effective in streamlining content management and improving how I access information, which I struggled to do in the past. Going forward, I plan to integrate them further into my digital strategy to continue to grow as a digital citizen,  enabling me to present information in an easily digestible way that communicates my interests and values.

When I look towards incorporating my learning in this module into my Personal Digital Strategy, one of my main goals is to stay current and continue improving my digital literacy. Although it’s hard to define, “there is often an emphasis on mastery of skills and tools” when discussing digital literacy (Fulton and McGuinness, 2016). Introducing tools like infographics on Canva and Map Mashups broadened my knowledge of digital presentation methods, as before this module, I was unaware of the available technology that could assist me in my learning. I found these tools to be incredibly useful in displaying complex information, making it more accessible to a broader audience. This theory was confirmed by an interesting article that highly suggests using visual aids and diagrams to “simplify complex concepts” (www.linkedin.com, n.d.). In the future, I am keen to continue exploring new ways of presenting information digitally. I plan to develop my skills further using tools like Infographics and Map Mashups, while also experimenting with new, innovative digital presentation methods. By staying updated with emerging technologies, I hope to continue improving my digital literacy and keeping my online presence engaging.

One element I have improved through my E-portfolio, which I will continue to improve in my digital strategy to help me control my online presence, is marketing myself in the corporate world using LinkedIn. For my portfolio, I had to grow my account, adding details like my interests, experience and skills. Now that I have this platform, I can see how beneficial it is and that I should have been using it sooner. I have connected with many fellow UCD students, and seeing what everyone is doing to promote themselves to employers has inspired me greatly. Another tool that I have engaged with through this module that I wish I had sooner is YouTube. As discussed in my infographic, part of my digital strategy is to continue posting well-researched and informed videos. This will allow me to build a community of people with similar interests and collect feedback to help me improve my work quality. As suggested by one article, I can also “track important metrics”, so I’ll know “how many people are viewing, engaging with, and sharing” my work (Anon, 2019). This is an essential part of controlling my digital presence for LinkedIn and YouTube, ensuring my professional aspirations and personal branding objectives are being fulfilled

In conclusion, my plan for my digital strategy is to take ownership of my online presence by leveraging what I have learnt in the last 12 weeks. Through Padlet, Pinterest and Pocket, I plan to store and organise information clearly, ensuring I update and review it regularly. As a responsible digital citizen, I know that digital literacy is incredibly relevant, and staying up to date with new emerging technologies like Map Mashup will help support the control of my digital presence and ensure that my work remains engaging. Finally, promoting myself socially and professionally on YouTube and LinkedIn is vital to cultivating an authentic digital presence that I can use to engage with other like-minded people on these platforms, collecting feedback and constantly improving as I go. By implementing these strategies, I can apply what I learned from this module to create a personal digital strategy that supports and enhances my control of my digital presence, aligning with my overarching goal of being a responsible digital citizen.

References

Anon. (2019). 11 Tips For Creating Amazing Social Media Videos - Eclincher. [online] Available at: https://eclincher.com/11-tips-for-creating-amazing-social-media-videos/.

Becker, D. (2019). 'The Digital Citizen 2.0: Reconsidering Issues of Digital Citizenship Education', AAA: Arbeiten Aus Anglistik Und Amerikanistik, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 167–194.

Crockett, L. & Churches, A. 2017, Growing global digital citizens: better practices that build better learners, 1st edn, Solution Tree Press, Bloomington, [Indiana].

Fulton, C. and McGuinness, C. (2016). Digital Detectives: Solving Information Dilemmas in an Online World. Oxford: Elsevier Science & Technology.

Hands, A. (2013). 'Tech Services on the Web: Pinterest; http://www.pinterest.com', Technical Services Quarterly, 30(3), pp. 346–347. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2013.788392.

www.fultonbank.com. (n.d.). From cyber safety to online behaviour: 6 essential skills a digital citizen should have. [online] Available at: https://www.fultonbank.com/Education-Center/Privacy-and-Security/6-Skills-that-Every-Digital-Citizen-Should-Have [Accessed 25 Apr. 2024].

www.linkedin.com. (n.d.). How can you organise information more effectively? [online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/how-can-you-organize-information-more-effectively.

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