Social Media and Education

What benefits and problems are entailed in the increasing reliance on digital media in and outside the classroom? 

Written and Published: by Fernando Savero Suhendra, Jocelyn Kurniawan, dan Namira Alfita 

Date of Published       : Friday, 8 May 2020

Intimidation through Cyberbullying by #iPredator (https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/a65d299a-08be-4e37-b68e-ee194006c4af) (CC0 1.0)

Nowadays, as digital media is playing a prominent role in reshaping societies, particularly in the education’s sector, issues of identities have surfaced. Both students and teachers, willingly or not, have to transform to be adequate to conformations of incorporations technologies with its features. Digital media creates new approaches and methods of learning. Technologies in education, not only, equipped students for their future careers, but also to nurture a new generation of creative thinkers who are fluent digital media users. Nonetheless, the utilisation of technologies also induced problems with one of them being cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is defined as “an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group of individuals, using electronic form of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself” (Smith et al. 2008 p. 376). What differs from traditional bullying is that it occurs at any given time of the day, whereas traditional occurs between school hours. Therefore, the persistence of bullying behaviours may result in even stronger negative outcomes. In a study, victims of cyberbullying tend to be those who are engaged online more frequently (Smith et. al 2018 p. 383). Cyberbullies tend to be more tech savvy and better able to access victims online, hide their electronic trails, and take advantage of the expanded bullying “repertoire”, which now includes identity theft, account hacking, infecting a victim’s computers, impersonation, or posting embarrassing content (Ferrara et.al 2018).

         To tackle this issue, students, parents, and teachers need to cooperate side by side. In a study through focus group conducted by Smith and associates regarding cyberbullying, numerous ways students are able to handle this issue are “blocking messages/identities, telling someone (parent/teacher), changing email address/phone number, reporting to police/other authorities, contact service provider, asking them to stop, retaliate, or simply ignore it” (Smith et. al 2018 p. 382). Schools also deemed to deliver awareness of cyberbullying and implement policies and materials through curriculums distributed by teachers (Smith et. al 2018 p. 384).

Despite its positivity, digital media are also responsible for ‘crisis of engagement’, including lack of involvement and desire to participate (Chien 2012). As a tool to bridge the gap, gamification applied gaming mechanics, such as badges, points, levels, or leader boards to the way a learning course is taught. In return, this enhances learner’s motivation. Moreover, the game’s design accords earners the freedom to fail as well as to accomplish various challenges and goals respectively. Overall, it delivers learning in a more cherish, appealing, and learner-centred setting (Ebner & Holzinger, 2007; Prensky, 2001).

On the other hand, artificial intelligence will personalize learning experience. Many artificial intelligence applications, such as chatbots provide answers. People begin to delve at their applications in recommendations for learning and some for analysis. From a perspective, growth of this artificial intelligence will accommodate our preferences and styles.

Moreover, applications of gamification techniques in the classroom, especially for young learners, can be credited for several reasons including positive attitudes towards learning with various aspects such as students’ attentions and level of involvement, improve critical thinking skills, and polish students' communicative behaviours, while serious games can potentially improve citizen engagement in e-services by helping users expand their personal knowledge regarding services benefits, privacy and security.

Bibliographies:

1. Chien, J 2012, ‘How digital media and Internet transforming education’, Research Gate, retrieved by 8 May 2020, <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235901330_How_digital_media_and_Internet_transforming_education>.

2. Ferrara et.al 2018, ‘Cyberbullying a modern form of bullying: let’s talk about this health and social problem’, Italian Journal of Pediatrics, retrieved by 8 May 2020, <https://ijponline.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13052-018-0446-4>.

3. Smith, P Mahdavi, J Carvalho, M Fisher, S, Russell, S & Neil, T 2008, ‘Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils’, The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, p. 376-385 vo. 49, no. 4, pp. 376-385, doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x

4. Tulloch, R 2018, ‘A gamification design for the classroom’, Interactive Technology and Smart Education, retrieved by 8 May 2020, <https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ITSE-05-2017-0028/full/html>.

5. Youseff , Y 2015 , ‘Gamification in E-learning’, International Education Management, retrieved by 8 May 2020, <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301202645_GAMIFICATION_IN_E_LEARNING>. 

Social Media and Crowdfunding

1.       In what ways can crowdfunding be considered a ‘democratising’ force? Which parties benefit from its emergence? 
2.      What limitations and/or problems are entailed in crowdfunding practices that mean it might not ‘level the playing field’ in all cases?  
3.       Which stakeholders have a responsibility to ensure that crowdfunding is not exploited in some of the ways outlined in the Study Guide?

Analysis and Written: by Fernando Savero Suhendra
Published Date          : Friday, 1 May 2020

Kitabisa.com, an Indonesian Crowdfunding Platform
Screenshot by Fernando Savero Suhendra
taken from <https://kitabisa.com/> retrieved 1 May 2020

Projects on Kitabisa.com's platform
Screenshot by Fernando Savero Suhendra
taken from <https://kitabisa.com/pilihan-kitabisa>
retrieved 1 May 2020

Crowdfunding has emerged as an approach to assemble individuals’ financial online support, as an instrument to reinforce either cultural, economic, environmental, social, and even political causes. Schwienbacher and Larralde (2012) define crowdfunding as “an open call, essentially through the Internet, for the provision of financial resources either in form of donation or in exchange for some form of reward and/or voting rights in order to support initiatives for specific purposes” (cited in Borst, Moser, and Ferguson 2017 p. 1397).

More than administering monetary values, crowdfunding also cater publics’ social and cultural values. In social terms, it either construct an impromptu mass or expand a current scope of crowds to rally around particular issues. An example is the crowdfunding, through social medias and sites, such as Facebook, corporate’s website, and DeRev, for the restoration of Citta della Scienza, City of Science, in Naples, which was burnt in the fire incident on 4 March 2013. It summons high participation with donators reaching 2584 investors. Another example is the establishment of after school activities in Salluzo, with involvements derive from the communities, the schools, the Council, and several unions. Culturally, it is the visible solution to the pertaining concern, such as goods, services, and even experiences, such as the programs being applied in Salluzo and the breakthrough in the re-opening of the site, as in the Citta della Scienza’s case.

DeRev's Crowdfunding Projects
Screenshot by Fernando Savero
taken from <https://www.derev.com/>
retrieved 1 May 2020

Kickstarter's Terms of Use
Screenshot by Fernando Savero
taken from <https://www.kickstarter.com/terms-of-use/oct2012>
retrieved 1 May 2020

Stephen Heller, a cinematographer and producer acclaimed for its film Smoke, depict crowdfunding as “the most democratic way art has even been made.” (Dobbyn 2019 p. 2) Indeed, crowdfunding incorporates democratic principle, which correlates with ‘freedom’ and ‘equality’. Through crowdfunding, selections of projects are not bounded by expert’s judgement, howbeit it is open for each individuals’ selections, regardless of their backgrounds, knowledge, income, and social class. A case illustrating this is when an Italian fundraising website successfully, through crowdfunding, managed to buy a tea set, possessed by the Turn’s family Taparelli d’Azeglio in 1730. When analysed reasons evoking it, there were four features underlying it, which are: its uniqueness, its value in promotion, the museum’s mission, and its target. Pertaining to parties benefit from crowdfunding, there are initiators, ones launching projects, since they gain recognition, if not publicity; those involved in the issues since their concerns are being settled, and the backers, those who supports the cause, since they acquire whether money, incentives, or even just moral satisfaction.

Despite its positiveness, crowdfunding also retains criticisms and drawbacks. One of them invokes mistrust of projects from the backers. A reason behind this is that donors perceive those projects as commercial, sources to reap income. One example is the board game product, ‘Dark, Darker, Darkest’, which capitalize on Kickstarter for profits, as seen in its YouTube video. Another problem is investment loss, on behalf of donors, as initiators, on one party’s decision, decided to cease projects, whether intentionally or unintentionally, such as organisation’s mismanagement. Apart from that, to the opposite, distress also arise from the initiators, those who oversee projects, in relation to false pledges, “where backers pledge money to help ensure a product is enhanced through various stretch goal upgrades before dropping their support in the project’s final stages” (Dobbyn 2019 p. 3). This may lead to “capital loss” (Olivia 2014 p. 124). Thus, crowdfunding’s sites, such as Kickstarter, normally, issue ‘Term of Use’, including a disclaimer, to protect their corporations from accusations.

 In conclusion, to ensure safety, all parties are necessitated to cooperate together, aligning themselves with regulations, while practicing ethical disciplines, whether crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter, initiators, and also backers. Suggestibly, initiators, those who manage projects distribute transparency to the collected fund.

Kickstarter's Crowdfunding Platform
Screenshot by Fernando Savero
taken from <https://www.kickstarter.com/>
retrieved 1 May 2020

Bibliographies:

1. Borst, I, Moser, C & Ferguson, J 2017, ‘From Friendfunding to Crowdfunding: Relevance of Relationships, Social Media, and Platform Activities to Crowdfunding Performance’, New Media and Society, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 1396-1414
2. Olivia, N 2018, ‘Crowdfunding and Civic Crowdfunding: Theoritical Features and Future Propsects’, IntechOpen, pp. 115-126
3. Dobbyn, T 2019,  ‘Study Guide 9’, in ALM101 Making Social Media 2020, study guide, Deakin College, Australia