Hello everyone:

 My Name is Cheuk Ming Lai, but you guys can call me Marco. I am currently studying Health Information Science at the University of Victoria. I am in year 4, and I will start my year co-op after this term. I am looking forward to working with you guys this summer.

My Educational Journey:

My path to this program is based on several essential life experiences. While growing up, several of my cousins were working in the Health Industry, which made me interested in it. Although I am more interested in criminology, a health information program can help me find a job. On the other hand, the reason that interested me in this course was a moment that changed everything for me. I decided to volunteer at a local community center, and there, I arranged and administered their digital learning resources. From this experience, I got the feeling of placing technology into the hands of people who need it for learning and accessibility.

Interest in social media and personalized learning:

Social media attracts me because it can bring people from different backgrounds together, Cultivating Learning and Supporting Community. On the other hand, when I think of personalized education, I feel enthusiastic. It helps increase the effectiveness and engagement of education by designing educational experiences to suit individual needs. There is great potential for educational innovation at the junction of these two domains, enabling learners to connect, share, and grow like never before. 

Current Use of Digital Tools

Academics and career life are integrated with digital tools. When it comes to doing my research, I turn to various platforms such as Google Scholar and academic databases; for instance, Notion or Trello assist in keeping my projects organized. Regarding working together, I use communication tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack, which let me communicate with colleagues without any problems.

Understanding Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is about being able to use digital tools whether they are computers or mobile phones, effectively and responsibly to search for information, evaluate the credibility of what one finds online and create new information. It is important in an educational setting because it enables learners to navigate through the internet; hence, discerning which sources are believable and which others are not credible. It also requires knowledge on the morality behind online activities and maintaining a respectable persona while online.

Personal Learning Network (PLN) Experience

To me, I have had some experiences with PLNs mainly through professional social media like LinkedIn and Twitter. Hence, I can connect with experts in my industry, engage in conversations, and remain current with happenings in the field of research. In addition to that, I will continue developing my PLN through this program by sharing ideas with other students, tutors as well as professionals within my area of specialization.. My intention is to take part in virtual conferences where we could discuss various topics such as creating emails that no one else reads but looks at real writings.

All in all I am happy to be part of this course and looking forward to learning from each one of you. We should share our experiences, insights and support each other’s journey through this course.