CS220AU-DP

How to Lin Digital Identities to Existential Risks?

Krisztián Hofstädter

Last updated on 17 Dec 2023

Note: This article is not yet finished. Similarly to the module's main website, it's also in progress. I am sharing the writing process step-by-step as a teaching method. My primary goal with this is not to complete a piece of writing but to demonstrate the evolution of thoughts, edits, and improvements along the way.

An AI-generated image with a room full of students learning about digital life and existential risks.

Keywords: digital identities, existential risks, research methods, content production, optimized learning, sense-making, professionalism, personal websites

Acronyms and abbreviations:

Introduction

Before I started teaching the Autumn part of the Navigating the Digital World module in 2021 (the CS220AU) at the University of Essex, the module primarily looked at the field of digital identities (DIs) and the digital world (e.g., password management, CV enhancements, the use of certain software and hardware for content production, the visitor and resident map).

To make the module more in line with my own expertise and interests and more engaging for students, since 2021, my students have been developing their professional identities via setting up their own websites for resident modes of engagement with the Web for their assignments (instead of simply submitting an essay in a Word or PDF file). This decision was based on my previous success using this method at another university 1 and inspired by Dave White discussing the benefits of students developing their resident modes of engagement with the Web not after graduation but while being students.2

My first cohorts in 2021 were allowed to develop their websites with any website builder (e.g., WordPress, GitHub Pages, Wix) and populate them with whatever content they thought could help showcase their professional identities (e.g., CVs, portfolios, artistic work, blog posts).

In 2022, I refined the assignment and asked students to only develop websites with GitHub Pages, which helped produce more consistent portfolios across the cohorts, allowed me to better monitor the development of these websites via students’ GitHub repositories and develop students understanding of the very basics of how websites are built; with code. Furthermore, to make the module more timely, I asked them to produce content for their websites that links DIs and existential risks (ERs). Their content could either reflect on all the links they found or on one more specifically. Inspired by the decolonizing of the curriculum movement 3, I thought existential risks were also important, if not more important matters, of which students should be aware.

Feedback from students was positive, so the 2023 assignment brief was to look at the connections between DIs and ERs again, but this year, everyone had to focus on one specific connection to reflect on using their websites.

After outlining how the module ‘evolved in my hands’, I will

  1. briefly discuss how using ideas from Agile Project Management (APM) aims to help students progress with their assignments and then
  2. outline how we have been DIs to ERs

Progress = happiness

APM, log and task lists, commit history, weekly student updates, workshops

Keeping track of each other’s work via log and task lists in our GitHub repositories, and weekly updates at the start of each class is important for several reasons. This practice keeps us accountable. We have got to do our work and if we don’t people will see, it’s just like in a real-world environment. Also, this practice encourages transparency and collaborative skills (e.g. they are encouraged to help each other), which is a key aspect of teamwork. For the teachers, me, this practice allows seeing which student needs help and where. For instance, does a student need more technical support with content production or support with theory and overall research methodology? Seeing the progress of each other’s work should boost students’ motivation and engagement with the assignment.

When I was a students, some of my best modules had syllabuses starting with weekly lectures and seminars and ending with three weeks of workshops. These workshops focused on understanding how we students progressed and how the teachers could best help untangle issues together with the cohort or individually with students. This time was very special and hence I adopted this method in my own teaching everywhere I thought since.

Linking the Fields

I certainly have an interest in both fields. However, since I am trained as a creative technologist (I recently earned a PhD in developing brain-computer music interfaces for meditation and have been producing audio-visual content and websites for decades), and not as an expert in ERs, my background lies more in the digital world than in ERs. One might ask, “Why then are you teaching existential risks?” The truth is, I don’t. My syllabus focuses on ensuring students understand what DIs are, primarily through White and Le Cornu’s Visitors and Residence method4. It then provides academic research frameworks for students to immerse themselves in both domains (DI and ER) and their intersections. Additionally, it equips them with professional content production skills to engage with these intersections. Although my syllabus does not directly teach ER, it does include an extensive list of recommended literature. The idea behind this approach is to encourage students to learn independently and become more effective at self-directed work.

Definitions and Classifications

The best way to progress is, obviously, to first understand what DIs and ERs are, so let’s define them and classify their types. One method that can help us understand DIs is the Visitors and Residents Map, developed by White and Le Cornu. It is based on people’s motivation to engage with the Web and has two modes: visitor and resident modes, and is further refined by whether we engage in an activity in a personal or an institutional (professional) manner. In a nutshell, in visitor mode activities we don’t leave a social trace behind (e.g., searching/reading information on the Web, watching videos, shopping, paying our bills). (Remember that search engines could store your search history and website cookies can crawl data from you even in your visiting modes!) In resident mode activities we are present with other people and leave a social trace behind. A footprint of our activities stays online after we leave the internet (e.g., by creating content or commenting on other people’s content on online platforms [websites, social media]). As these activities are public, they can be linked to our identities, and therefore we should exercise caution while using the Web in this mode. (We should be careful when we use our visitor modes as well, of course!) An example of personal engagement is using social media or emails to communicate with friends and family about personal matters. An example of professional activities is disseminating or discussing ideas as a worker or a student in higher education (HE) online (or print).

The VR map:

Students are first asked to discuss where they feel most of their activity is on the VR map at the moment, and then how they envision their activities on this map in a couple of years. The discussions resulting from these questions should help students become motivated to start developing their professional, resident mode of engagement with the Net. Understanding the benefits of consistently developing their unique voices on their websites, which they have full control over, is important. This not only aids in their professional growth but also empowers them to make meaningful contributions to the world.

Existential Risks (ER)

Risks Origin Predictability
Asteroid impact Natural Unpredictable
Supervolcanic eruption Natural Unpredictable
Pandemic diseases (natural) Natural Unpredictable
Cosmic threats Natural Unpredictable
Global nuclear war Anthropogenic Unpredictable
Climate change Anthropogenic Predictable
Pandemic diseases (engineered) Anthropogenic Unpredictable
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Anthropogenic Unpredictable
Biotechnology risks Anthropogenic Predictable?

  1. Set up an evolving list of keywords and research the literature. This step is crucial in any research process. By setting up a list of keywords, you are defining the scope of your research. This can help guide your search for relevant literature and ensure that you are exploring all possible areas related to your topic.

  2. Choose a connection that you are interested in (this might be based on a feeling), something you personally would like to better understand, something that would enrich your own life. Adding this personal connection to your research will help you maintain the drive needed to carry on your research. Choosing a connection that interests you can make the research process more enjoyable and motivating. It’s always easier to stay dedicated to something that you find personally enriching. But, be careful, personal interest can lead to bias, which could affect the objectivity of the research.

Ideas for research questions and objectives

Understanding and Improving DI

  1. How is my DI (or are my DIs) linked to an ER in both visiting and resident modes?
  2. How can I enhance my professional DI to better understand an ER?
  3. How can I use my DI to effectively communicate my research findings on an ER to others?
  4. How can I assist others in improving their DIs for effective communication of their findings or our collective findings?
  5. What techniques can be used to measure the effectiveness of my DI in understanding an ER?
  6. Are there any common obstacles to enhancing DIs, and how can they be overcome?

Demographics and DI Usage

  1. Is there a difference in how various demographic groups (e.g., generations, cultures, geopolitical locations) use their DIs in consuming and sharing ideas about ERs? How does this relate to sensemaking, critical thinking?
  2. Are there observable trends in DI usage over time within these demographic groups?

DI in Popular Culture and Geopolitics

  1. How have the links between DIs and ERs been represented in popular culture, such as science fiction literature or films?
  2. How is warfare linked to ERs and DIs, especially in the context of current geopolitical situations (e.g., Palestine, Ukraine, etc.)?
  3. How have perceptions of DIs and their links to ERs changed over time, particularly in response to global events?
  4. Can popular culture influence the development and use of DIs to communicate ERs more effectively, and if so, how?

The Impact of DI Energy Consumption and Perception

  1. What is the relationship between DIs, energy consumption, and ERs?
  2. How does engaging in war games using our DIs influence our perception of information on current wars presented in the media?
  3. Are there ways to minimize the energy consumption of DIs without compromising their effectiveness?
  4. How does the energy consumption of DIs impact their accessibility and usability?

Misinformation and DI

  1. What are the links between DIs and misinformation, and how can this connection escalate ERs?
  2. What strategies can be employed to combat misinformation spread through DIs?
  3. How can users of DIs be educated about the risks and realities of misinformation?

More examples can be found in the 22/23 submissions.

Conclusion

Recommendations

Based on what I have learned while doing the research for this paper these are my recommendations for teachers and students:

  1. example one
  2. example two
  3. …

Next Steps

My next steps to further develop this module are

Image Credits

The header image was generated with Image Creator (DALL3) on 30 November 2023 “A room full of students learning about digital life and existential risks”.

References

  1. Hofstädter, Krisztián. 2019 Self- and peer assessment tool and rationale. This document was submitted as part of my Learning and Teaching (Higher Education) PG Certificate course at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Available at krishofstadter.com. ↩

  2. White, Dave. 2014 Visitors and Residents: Credibility. Oxford University. Published on Youtube. ↩

  3. Arshad, Rowena 2021 Decolonising the curriculum – how do I get started? Published in Times Higher Education. ↩

  4. White, Dave and Alison Le Cornu 2017 Using ‘Visitors and Residents’ to visualise digital practices. Available online at First Monday. ↩