My Flight Path

Current coordinates

When it comes to multimedia and technology I would say the biggest impact on my experience would be from my education here at UVic. I am a third-year microbiology student and learn best through watching videos on YouTube, recorded lectures and reading digital textbooks. These methods work best for me because I am a very visual person and it takes me a while to grasp difficult science concepts. For example, I can effectively learn and understand concepts when it comes to watching videos because I am able to pause, replay and watch it as many times as I need to, until I fully understand what I am trying to learn. Animations and diagrams are very helpful for understanding complicated biological processes because through written explanations alone, it can get very overwhelming. Even just watching a TikTok or a reel about a science topic can easily summarize a concept without overcomplicating it since these videos are very short in length. Although technology is a very big part of education I haven’t really thought much about the idea of personal learning. Different study methods work for everyone but I will always use methods that work best for me and fit within learning goals. Being able to control the pace of what I learn through visual learning tools is something that makes me feel most comfortable. Therefore, without realizing, I already have some experience with personalized learning.

Mapping the Route

I want to continue to learn about personal learning and how technology and social media can help others in ways that make sense to them. More specifically, I have an interest in understanding how personalized learning can relate to different learning theories and how they can be applied to education in a more broad sense. I believe that social media has a greater purpose than just pure entertainment. It is a way for people to find useful information, develop a personal learning network and connect with others. As a university student, learning never stops when a course ends. Social media can provide opportunities to expand more in overall learning and it will allow me to connect with people who share similar academic and professional interests as I do.

Anticipating Turbulance

I want this course to teach me more about the concepts and theories behind personal learning. Although I am comfortable using technology to support my studies and learning goals, I don’t have much experience about why theories behind certain learning methods work. Copyright in particular interests me the most because there are definitely considerations that I haven’t really thought about before. I want to be able to ask questions when I’m unsure and I really like how this course and my peers feel very supportive. Experimenting with different tools and learn new things is something I am looking forward to in this course.