Duane Shimmel is an Instructional Designer with the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. In addition, he teaches the Art of Recording Audio for UMaine’s departments of Intermedia, New Media, and Music. Duane is completing his IMFA in studio based experimental music composition and production and is an accomplished trumpeter. His Bachelor’s degree in New Media helps him envision teaching and learning solutions in the digital domain. He is keenly interested and engaged with classroom technology in the higher education arena. Prior to joining the CITL team, Duane conducted a regular series of workshops focused on leveraging technology as a teaching and learning tool as part of the Faculty Development Center. He also served UMaine as the Apple Campus Rep.
Digital Citizenship in classroom/work environment
I teach in higher ed and it has been my experience that these students are treated more as an adult and much less as a child. Even though it is often abundantly clear that their age in years is not reflected in actual maturity. I studied New Media in college and surprisingly, there were ver few if any guidelines or direction on how to be a responsible digital citizen. I find this rather ironic given the nature of the major.
I have not addressed any digital citizenship practices in my course up to now. Primarily because we do not engage in that arena within the context of my learning outcomes. Now I an rethinking that maybe a small portion of time should be reserved to discuss how to be a responsible digital citizen and what resources are readily available to assist with that.
I believe that the universities have a responsibility to orient their students in an effort to help them become good students. This would include how to be a good digital citizen along with exposure to all of the resources available to students to aid in their success.
I would like to see this area covered to some degree in every class. If all teachers/professors/instructors are informed then there would be common ground to share with the students.