Running head: COURSE REFLECTION 1

Course Reflection
OGL 340
Writing Assignment #4
Jason Klumb
February 21, 2020
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Course Reflection

Introduction

This semester of OGL 340, Digital Citizenship, is the exploration of digital spaces and

the relation to concepts of citizenship and nationalism. Understanding what it means to be a

digital citizen is useful in the business model of this century. Workers are required to use

technology and email for work purposes and protect their identity and reputation to be successful

in life. Although this course is about understanding the responsibility of digital citizenship, the

weekly modules and texts led the class to explore the issues of citizenship and nationalism

because being grounded in the understanding of these two issues helps the student to navigate

digital spaces.

Digital Citizenship

Each week we learned something new about citizenship and nationalism to help create

our own definition of digital citizenship. Having a solid grasp of the International Society for

Technology in Education, provides a better understanding of the “official” explanation which

includes the recognition that we all live in an interconnected digital world and we have a

responsibility to be and act responsibly in “safe, legal and ethical” ways (iste.org). This matter

because responsibility is the key word in this definition. Everyone holds the responsibility in

how they interact with each other and the power the Internet can bring forward. For example,

protecting passwords and updating them regularly can lead to greater security, while poor

password protection can lead to personal information being leaked on the Internet or the

unauthorized use of credit cards for purchases. To further develop my definition, I would

reference Ohler’s thoughts about literacy as a skill that allows someone to better understand the
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use of technology (2010.p. 205). I believe literacy and understanding are important pieces of

digital citizenship. Finally, Anderson writes about access to the written word and language

(2016. p. 74) which is important in defining citizenship. Ultimately, digital citizenship is the

access to digital resources and the skill developed and the importance of using it responsibly.

Citizenship vs. Nationalism

To further expand on the connection between citizenship and nationalism and its relation

to the digital sphere it’s important to fully understand these two issues. Citizenship can be

described as the physical space and the rights of someone within it. However, in this digital

context citizenship refers to the responsibility. The responsibility is key because each person who

engages in the digital world can be choose to be anonymous and hide their identity (Ohler, p. 49)

or be very public on social media. Nationalism, as described by Anderson is more about the

common bonds that bring people together (Anderson, p. 2). He describes this as the obligation

and behavior to make communities work (2010. p. 33). This makes sense in the digital sphere as

each person in the digital nation has the responsibility to make the community work and progress

forward.

Reflection on OGL 340

As an overall reflection on this course, I believe I have a better understanding of digital

citizenship and the importance of the responsibility. The most interesting aspect was learning

about the ISTE explanation of digital citizenship. I would have preferred the course explore these

areas more forcibly and develop a better understand of the technical aspects of each of these.

While developing a better understanding of citizenship and nationalism was helpful and provided

a nice backdrop to the topic, it was a bit underwhelming. Overall, the issue of imagined
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communities could have better been developed to create a stronger understanding of how to

engage in the digital landscape.

Conclusion

Overall this course taught each of us a better understanding of the importance of

citizenship and nationalism. Being grounded in these two issues helped to develop the insight

into digital citizenship. This knowledge of digital citizenship forces each of us to accept the

responsibility that comes with interacting with the digital world and at work and in our personal

lives. The impact social media can have and the importance of protecting our data. While this

course is helpful, I do believe more can be done as technology improves to help educate students

about this issue.

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References

Anderson, B. R. O. G. (2016). Imagined communities: reflections on the origin and spread of

nationalism. London: Verso.
Ohler, J. (2010). Digital community, digital citizen. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Digital citizenship in education. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2020, from
https://www.iste.org/learn/digital-citizenship.