aashi's blog

Blog Post 2: Identity Online

July 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

In this blog post, I am going to go over some of the topics I learned in Module 2 of EDCI 338.

Digital Identity: Personal v/s Professional

Digital identity is the version of yourself that you show on online platforms. In real life, we have different identities for different avenues of our life like work, social circles etc. It works the same way online as well. I think of my digital identity as multiple layers. Some layers are only shown on my close friends story, others on my Instagram posts and some on my Linkedin account. It is extremely important for me to keep my digital identities separate as I only want certain people to see certain sides of me. I think of my digital space online as divided into two parts: Personal and Professional or Academic.

Personal Spaces Professional Spaces
  • Instagram or Snapchat account
  • Whatsapp or iMessage
  • Tiktok account
  • Linkedin account
  • This blog
  • Email account  

Some steps that I take to separate my digital identities seamlessly are:

  1. Keeping my ‘Personal Spaces’ accounts private
  2. Using my nickname on Personal accounts and full name on Professional accounts
  3. Using a professional headshot on my Linkedin
  4. Never adding colleagues and co-workers to my personal accounts

Digital Visitor and Resident Map

Digital visitors treat the web like a set of tools: they pop in, complete a task, leave little trace, and rarely worry about self‑presentation. They do not have a very public identity on the sites they visit. Digital residents inhabit spaces online: they maintain profiles, build relationships, leave data trails, and care about how they are perceived.

Below I have attached my Visitor and Resident Map based on my social activity:

Copy of Digital Visitor and Resident Map

What I interpreted from my digital map:

  • I have a very private social identity. I am a Personal x Visitor on the sites that I spend my most time on.
  • Professionally, I am only visible on my Linkedin account and this blog. Other spaces where I work professionally have a private identity,
  • I am a Personal x Resident on some sites like Reddit and Facebook which I sometimes use for browsing and posting about my interests, and not my social life.

In the future, I see myself adding in a few more social spaces where I build my professional identity online. I see myself spending more time creating blogs and spending less time on photo-apps like Instagram and Snapchat.

Theories of Personalized Learning

Personalized learning is a style of learning that adapts to you- your pace, interests and study goals. I use a mix of constructivist (learn by actively building knowledge) and self‑directed (set goals, choose resources, evaluate progress) approaches that help me study smarter—not just longer.

Constructivist Moves I Use
  • Start with what I already know before lectures.
  • Work with classmates—hearing others views deepens understanding.
  • Use examples from my life to help me memorize concepts
  • Build artifacts: Quizlet decks, Notion tables, mini‑explainers I could teach someone else.
Self‑Directed Learning Cycle I’m Practicing
  • Readiness check: How much time do I actually have this week? 
  • Set mini‑goals: “Finish Blog 2 by the weekend” 
  • Evaluate: Did I meet the goal? If not, what blocked me?

Privacy, Surveillance, and Digital Footprint Awareness

From my line in Post 1- The internet remembers. That’s because every click, upload, or account creates data traces. Even when we delete things, cached copies, screenshots, or third‑party archives can persist. This is why it is important to be intentional and careful with your activity online as every single move adds to your digital footprint.

I keep all my personal accounts private and sometimes search up my name on Google to see what shows up. From there, I remove posts that I do not want on the internet or change my privacy settings likewise. I also make sure to review if any of my passwords have been included in a data breach and then modify them as soon as I can.  Another thing that I am cautious about is my location. I do not let any extra apps or websites access my location unless needed. I also don’t post my location on my private accounts in real-time.

Here is an interesting article I found from Harvard that talks about how to secure your digital footprint:
https://college.harvard.edu/guides/proactive-steps-secure-your-digital-footprint

Additional Resources

“The Future of AI in Education: Personalized Learning Explained ”

This 8 minute video that I have linked below talks more about how personalized‑learning theory and will let you see how it works in action.

 

References

Aratek. (2023, May 30). Real identity vs. digital identity  [Illustration]. Aratek. https://www.aratek.co/news/digital-identity-what-it-is-and-why-it-matters-in-todays-world aratek.co

Harvard College. (n.d.). Proactive steps to secure your digital footprint. Harvard University. Retrieved July 21, 2025. https://college.harvard.edu/guides/proactive-steps-secure-your-digital-footprint

Blog Post 1: Introduction and Social Media

July 16, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Aashi and I am currently a fourth year undergraduate student at UVic studying Economics.  Some of my hobbies include listening to music, reading, going on walks and baking. I love animals and spending time around them! I have a dog and also a cat. This summer, I decided to take EDCI 338 to further educate myself about social media and how it can be used as a learning tool.

Social Media and its Role in Education

Social media truly surrounds us everywhere and there is no way to escape it, unless somebody plans on going into hiding. Social media is somewhat of a double-edged sword. It has its pros and also its cons. Personally, being on social media truly makes me learn something new everyday. It also has helped me dive deeper into my interests and also find new ones. Recently, I was in a photography course and discovered an online photographic editing community on Instagram which allowed me to find more techniques and processes to further include in my course practice. If used appropriately, social media provides a broader perspective on traditional learning which can be used for one’s advancement and progress.

Benefits Challenges
• Rapid knowledge sharing (Twitter threads, LinkedIn posts)

• Peer-to-peer support via study groups (Discord, WhatsApp)

• Global networking for internships

 • Distraction & information overload

• Variable content quality / misinformation

• Privacy concerns & digital fatigue

 

Personalized Learning and Digital Literacies

Personalized learning is like having a class that changes to fit you. The lessons, how fast you learn, and the way the class is taught are all based on what you need, what you want to learn, and what you already know. It’s like a syllabus that changes as you learn. . Digital literacy, meanwhile, refers to the ability to locate, evaluate, create, and communicate information through digital technologies while understanding privacy, ethics, and technical troubleshooting. When combined, these concepts turn online courses and quizzes into powerful learning tools. You can go back to things you didn’t understand, skip things you already know, and work with others online. My favourite personalized learning tool is Quizlet. I make my own custom quizzes on the website and sometimes also use quizzes created by other people to help me test myself on content and learn. However, while I do that I am always careful about double-checking the content online and making sure that I am not consuming any misinformation. This is how digital literacy and personalized learning online go hand-in-hand. 

Digital Identity and Online Presence

The world might forget, but the internet will always remember. Living during the peak of social media and the internet, it is important to be aware about your digital identity and online presence. Any accounts or posts that you create online on any platform are tied to your digital identity. For me, it is important to have an appropriate and private online presence to uphold my reputation in case a colleague or recruiter tries to search my name online.

Here is a list of things I do to have a positive online presence:

  • Keep all my social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook etc.) private and locked
  • Maintain a single, public profile (e.g., LinkedIn)
  • Audit my name on Google time to time
  • Respond to all comments in a polite and respectful way

 Navigating and Using Online Platforms Ethically

With the plethora of new online tools, it can be overwhelming and time consuming to learn every new platform. The last online platform that I learnt how to use was Notion. At first, the empty space was confusing. So, I started simple: I watched a five-minute YouTube video, copied a free class planner template, and then clicked all the buttons just to see what they did. After an hour, I had a nice dashboard that kept track of deadlines, readings, and project notes all in one spot. While I was setting up the page, I also checked the sharing settings so only I could see my work, not the whole internet. This is important because once something is public, it can be copied, misquoted, or taken the wrong way. By citing sources, giving credit for images, and keeping private information off sites, I made sure my workspace stayed useful and private. These kinds of habits don’t just protect me; they help make an online community where everyone feels safe to share and learn.

Additional Resources

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