The concept devised by Prensky of digital ‘natives’ and ‘immigrants’ was already very familiar to me, so much so it was drawn upon in order for me to secure a university place. However, what I had not previously done was question the validity and relevance of this idea today. This opened my eyes to the alternative notion of digital ‘Visitors’ and ‘Residents’ and the spectrum each and every one of us finds ourselves on.
Being an electronic engineering student, analysing the use and effectiveness of technology is something I deem to be quite interesting, thus an entire notion built upon the different uses of technology was bound to resonate with me. As touched upon in my initial blog post, I feel it is unfair to define one’s aptitude or ease of adapting to technology by their age, which is somewhat the basis of Prensky’s concept. An opinion I found was shared by many of my peers.
It was also intriguing to read the views of my peers on the newer ‘Visitor’ and ‘Resident’ notion and where they felt they lay on the continuum. Many approached the topic in incredibly creative ways, some conveying their thoughts via humour whilst others took a more animated and visual approach. All in all, I managed to learn a great deal about the topic from everyone, especially those who approached the topic in a more innovative way such as Allie, who brought to light the possibility of a digital ‘no-man’s-land’ due to her disconnect with both concepts.
I have also enjoyed the method of learning this module adopts. Initially allowing people to read some of my thoughts via a blog was quite daunting. However, from this first topic alone, I have found blogging to be quite enjoyable and in future blogs I hope to demonstrate a greater level of ingenuity.
Thoughts by Kevin Irikefe 