Learning in the digital age

A few years ago I co-authored a small study of social presence in online learning. One of the things we saw was that, online, even the quietest student (who you would see only in the back row of a face-to-face class) felt a freedom in that online presence that allowed for much easier interaction. This alone, one could argue, is why learning in the digital age is better. We all feel an ease to posting online and that makes great strides in social communication.
But as you can see by the recent surge of cyber-bullying cases, there is a downside to the "psychological freedoms" that online presence allows. More than the punk who harasses in the hallway, such behavior is now seen by everyone. And true or not, harassment online can seem even more evil. As a result there is a corresponding increase in the hurt it can produce. Sadly, this has played out too many times already to bad results.
I would propose that whether is a group of 5th graders or a cohort of adult learners, it is a good idea to display a policy of zero tolerance. If for no other reason, it makes people aware of the potential and how to handle situations.

Click here to view a good resource article on cyber-bullying (or visit the following URL)

http://teaching-media-literacy.suite101.com/article.cfm/classroom_resources_to_teach_about_cyberbullying