Part I

The session with Professor Neil Selwyn talks about the relationship between digital education and climate change. He first started with the question on whether we really need digital education. He brings the up the question that prompts thoughts on the role digital education plays in our current situation. He points out that Ed-Tech is excess both in education and environment. Digital education does not make education fair or just. He brings up with three possible attitudes to address the problems brought by Ed-tech: doing business as usual, developing and using green Ed-Tech, and “burning Ed-Tech to the ground.” However, he also tries to negotiate within these attitudes to find feasible solutions to address the environmental impacts caused by Ed-Tech. Without a set solution, he suggests that we ask what we want out of digital technology and education, and think from the perspective of fostering sustainability and social equity globally. He also calls for attention on the climate change caused by Ed-Tech and digital technology in the future conversations in the field for more ideas on addressing these issues.

Part II

It is also astonishing to know that the energy it takes to run digital technology is massive and people tend to not notice, not to mention the water consumption, land use, etc. that are used in such activities that are not eco friendly or benefiting the majority. Professor Selwyn used bitcoin as an example, and stressed that the energy consumption with such technologies is excessive, but also mentions that it is not to say that Ed-Tech is energy-wasteful like bitcoin, or that it should not be used. He points out that the technologies that we do use on a daily basis, such as the Cloud technology, have environmental impacts that we do not tend to associate with. However, digital education does have the responsibility in impacting the climate as well as other environmental changes. While individuals do have the responsibility to limit, alter, and change the use of technology, both for education and other purposes, I think organizations, institutions, and possibly governmental departments should be responsible for assessing the environmental footprint of the digital activities enabled by technology. It is because organized activities, as Professor Selwyn suggests, have more impactful and massive environmental influence than any individuals do. The scale of impacts should be assessed, monitored, and regulated to foster sustainability and social equity.

Apart from the regulations and more attention that are asserted to institutions regarding their environmental footprint, I think that individuals should also be educated with the awareness of such issue, as well as the responsibility that we all have to make a difference. As Professor Selwyn mentions at the end of the session, he would encourage people to turn off the video during an online meeting when it does not affect the meeting, and that the little differences that everyone make could become a great impact collectively.

Reflection

I chose this activity because the session given by Professor Sian Bayne and Professor Neil Selwyn is so inspirational and novel that I have never thought of anything related to this topic before. I had trouble associating digtial education with climate change upon seeing the topic, but it made a lot of sense as Professor Selwyn ellaborate the idea. I have always been asked to think about the benefits and convenience digital education, as well as digital technology brought to life, but associating the technology with environmental impact, as well as knowing the seriousness of the situation is shocking and makes me reflect on things that I was only told to be good in general.

By watching the session and thinking critically about the impact of digital education allowed me to take a different approach to seeing the digital education that we are using and find convenient. It also makes me think about sustainability by applying it to the daily activities where digital technology is involved.