Define

The define stage of design thinking is about “crafting a meaningful and actionable problem statement” (Shanks, n.d.), also known as a point-of-view. Below, I reflect on the point-of-views that emerged while researching and writing the papers:

On social media and online behaviour

Social media, while not commonly referred to as a game, has become a platform for multiple ‘players’ to engage in virtual conversations and share user-generated content such as text, imagery and video. Social media networks like Twitter have the ability to reach millions, allowing users to duplicate and share a message instantly to their audiences. Until the retweet button became available, users had to manually copy-and-paste text before sharing. The manual duplication allowed the user to pause and review what they were about to share. Based on Bandura’s (2012) understanding of human behaviour and interaction, this moment of pause and review would be akin to a form of self-reactiveness. A study by Khanga, Han and Ki (2014) reaffirms the importance of self-regulation and results “indicate that failure of self-monitoring, one of the sub-functions of self-regulation, could result in an increase in users’ habit strength for Internet usage” (2014). The researchers found that this lack of self-regulation made it harder for social media users to adopt control over their behaviour online.

Point-of-view: Bandura’s (2012) social cognitive theory, specifically self-regulation (and/or lack of) has helped me better understand why this behaviour happens, even outside the traditional video game medium.

On artificial intelligence and consciousness

I don’t believe we should fear artificial intelligence as progress is inevitable. Looking back at social cognitive theory, humans are proactive and intent on meeting a goal and surpassing them. If anything, AI may even get the idea of singularity from us. Advancements have already shown AI as being superior in processing large volumes of data.

Using information processing, Orey (2010) defines short-term memory (STM) as our working memory, where consciousness exists and where thinking is done. Sensory registers such as sight, hearing, touch and taste allow us to perceive and attend to the stimuli around us. When these registers start to decay, we start to forget. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, patients describe feeling a sense of loss in their self and identity, as their memories degenerate. Would it be fair to define consciousness as a collection of memories and experiences that make up a person? There is emerging research suggesting that the loss of an individual’s moral judgement is more critical than the loss of one’s memories, intellect or ability to complete daily tasks (Kumar, 2017). In a study by Strohminger & Nichols (2015), patients with Alzheimer’s held on to their morals longer than they did their memories. Perhaps this counter argument suggests that consciousness is rooted in intention.

Point-of-view: What we should fear or be cautious of, is the human judgement behind developing AI and how transparent its decision-making powers should be. We should be asking: how conscious is the decision that’s being made by AI?

Assumptions and the digital divide

If we reflect on online learning spaces and the educator’s role through a social constructivist lens, the educator shifts from being an expert to a co-creator. In massive open online courses (MOOCs), the role shift stresses the important responsibility that instructors have, as co-creators, to ensure that different voices are heard and respected. As educators shift towards becoming co-creators, how can we ensure a balance in power and facilitate discussions with more than a single story?

While the intention and higher registration numbers demonstrate MOOC’s promise of delivering accessible education for all, we need to acknowledge that unresolved barriers that prevent MOOCs from becoming fully inclusive. While educators work to improve access, we need to be cautious with the assumptions we make.

Point-of-view: One-to-one laptop initiatives are another example of conflicting results created by unresolved inequities. Inconsistent funding creates a disparity in equipment and trained technical staff; these resources are needed to support teachers in making the crucial shift to becoming facilitators with the capacity to encourage deeper learning.