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Privacy Literacy and Adult Immigrant Population

Kumar and Byrne (2022) suggest that privacy literacy should focus on children and preteens. They argue that instead of using oversimplified rules, it is better to implement what they termed a 5Ds privacy literacy framework. By implementing the "five D steps" of Define, Describe, Discern, Determine, and Decide the educators can help preteens arrive at the safe choice concerning their privacy on the social media platforms. However, restricting this framework overlooks a large number of immigrant students who are  equally vulnerable. Many adult students begin their online classes completely unable to navigate the online space. While younger students are capable of adjusting quickly, more mature students struggle to log into their laptops and click on the correct Webex meeting link. 

Nogueron-Liu (2016) points out that apart from helping adult students navigate their employability skills, adult education professionals should address their students' lack of understanding of privacy issues in online spaces. 

For example, while reading Nogueron-Liu's article, I realized that my students' resistance to using a camera during our online classes might stem from the fact that they feel vulnerable and possibly concerned about their privacy. This is a problem that should be addressed explicitly. As a teacher, I prefer when my students have their cameras on because watching their classmates helps them become accountable for their learning. My class is difficult for a lot of students because of the cognitive demand that is expected of them for the first time. They must endure reading, discussing, and writing about health care-focused chapters that are twenty-five pages long in comparison with 300-word English textbook articles. Thus, it must be nearly impossible for learners to pay attention to class when they feel uneasy about their online privacy.

  

 

                                       Image credit: Studio32 from Pixabay
 

What if the 5Ds framework was applied in online classes? For example, a teacher could explain it during the first class. The truth is, students need to be comfortable during the class, but they also need to have their cameras on for accountability purposes.

Here is what the 5Ds framework might look like in an adult online class:

Define and Describe (Demystifying the technology): For the immigrant students, a laptop camera might feel like a spying device. They need to be given explicit information about Webex, its functions, and the fact that the session is not recorded. They must also know that a recorded submission in Canvas remains locked inside Canvas.

Discern and Determine (Evaluating space): Students can be taught that they can blur their background or use a virtual background. This small operation can help protect their privacy.

Decide (Empowering the learner): The students can choose the degree of comfort when it comes to their privacy. While it is important that they see each other to be able to interact, they can choose the camera setting that they feel the most comfortable with.

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