In the article, "The Web We Need to Give Students", author Audrey Watters writes that "having one's own domain means that students have much more say over what they present to the world, in terms of their public profiles, professional portfolios, and digital identities". While I've contemplated COVA quite a bit over the past couple of months in the DLL program, what Watters points out here is something that I hadn't really thought about, a student's digital identity.
One's digital identity should be authentic and unique to the individual. When students aren't given the freedom to choose, have ownership, and use their own voice, authenticity is lost and instead, the audience sees what has been planned and created by someone else. Students' names and their work is published; however, the digital identity that's revealed through the ePortfolio isn't a true reflection of the student's identity. Thus, robbing a student of the opportunity to create their own and authentic digital profile.
This is yet another reason why ownership, voice, and choice in creating a digital ePortfolio is crucial for students. In the DLL program, we're given a lot of freedom (COVA), which allows us to create an authentic digital identity that we can continue to use after we exit the DLL program. Since we own our ePortfolio, the ideas, reflections, and all the work within, it is truly ours and representative of ourselves. It is imperative that students are afforded the right to own their own portfolio and all of the reflections, connections, and artifacts that are held within.
Watters, A. (2015, July 15). The Web We Need to Give Students – BRIGHT Magazine. Retrieved February 4, 2019, from https://brightthemag.com/the-web-we-need-to-give-students-311d97713713
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