Digital Literacies and 21st Century Skills

EdTech @ AdelphiU

Podcast for the Digital Literacies and 21st Century Skills course at Adelphi University's Educational Technology program.

  1. Apr 30

    Crowdsourcing Wikipedia (Elizabeth)

    Elizabeth explains Wikipedia’s “Women in Red” edit-a-thons, where editors work to turn red links (missing pages) into blue links, focusing on gaps in women’s, especially Black women’s, representation and the notability bias that can lead to women’s pages being challenged or rejected. She highlights the effort required to build articles and contrasts Wikipedia’s open, long-form editing and evolving norms with faster crowdsourced fact-checking, where groups average quick judgments. The episode reviews arguments for Wikipedia’s growing credibility through conflict, editor attrition, and institutional change, and discusses why academics still undervalue Wikipedia due to vandalism concerns and student plagiarism. She then covers a study suggesting crowds can rate flagged news as effectively as professional fact-checkers, while noting risks like bias and manipulation, and connects crowdsourcing to citizen science examples such as monarch butterfly tracking and iNaturalist urban biodiversity logging. References Monarch Watch. (2026). Monarch Watch tagging program. https://monarchwatch.org/tagging/ NPR. (2026, April 23). In cities, wild things are hiding everywhere if you put on your “nature eyes”. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5787828/in-cities-wild-things-are-hiding-everywhere-if-you-put-on-your-nature-eyes

    22 min

  2. Apr 22

    K-Pop Twitter Fandoms and Online Communities (Alina and Ricardo)

    Ricardo and Alina introduce their first “Think of a Bobble” podcast episode and discuss how social media shapes K-pop fandom communities and identity across linguistic barriers. They describe how Twitter’s reduced language barriers enable Korean, American, and other fans to interact, and how intense “stan” culture can become defensive or even dangerous, including doxxing, stalking, and parasocial behavior toward idols. Alina summarizes an article on K-pop stan Twitter as a community of practice where fans interact, learn, share ideas, and form connections. They also review a second article on Twitter as a professional learning community in medical education, using survey findings to illustrate how online communities form around shared purposes and can replace physical learning spaces, especially after COVID. Click here to view the episode transcript. References Malik, Z., & Haidar, S. (2023). Online community development through social interaction: K-pop stan Twitter as a community of practice. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 733–751. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1805773 Zheng, B., & Dallaghan, G. B. (2022). A Twitter-facilitated professional learning community: Online participation, connectedness, and satisfaction. BMC Medical Education, 22, Article 577. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03639-6

    21 min

  3. Apr 15

    Social Media & Learning (Catherine and Nicole)

    In this episode, we talk about how social media impacts learning, and whether it is helping or hurting us. We expand and connect ideas from our readings, video, and real life experiences, such as learning from TikTok or YouTube. We also dive into how fast information spreads online, and how hard it can be to tell what is true. It is a mix of class concepts, informational prompts, and an interesting take on our own perspectives on learning in a digital world. Click here to view the episode transcript. ReferencesGreenhow, C., Sonnevend, J., & Agur, C. (Eds.). (2016). Education and social media: Toward a digital future. MIT Press. Lorenz, T. (2024, April 12). Is social media destroying kids’ mental health? [Video]. YouTube. Ünlüsoy, A., Leander, K. M., & de Haan, M. (2022). Rethinking sociocultural notions of learning in the digital era: Understanding the affordances of networked platforms. Learning, Media and Technology, 47(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211032302 Weaver, J. (2020, September 27). What Netflix’s The Social Dilemma gets wrong about Big Tech. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/netflix-social-dilemma-tech-1.5740351

    22 min

  4. Apr 8

    Navigating Misinformation and Disinformation (Ayanna and Brady)

    Ayana and Brady discuss disinformation, using the Trump administration’s claims about an Iranian nuclear threat as an example, and distinguish disinformation (deliberate falsehoods meant to confuse or influence) from misinformation (unintentional falsehoods). They debate accountability, noting free speech protections and proposing that government officials and media should face legal consequences for lying to the public, while also acknowledging limited public power and concerns about paid, undisclosed promotion. They also address growing difficulty identifying AI-generated images and videos, and worry that early internet access and school technology make children especially vulnerable. Click here to view the episode transcript. ReferencesBulger, M., & Davison, P. (2018). The promises, challenges, and futures of media literacy. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(1), 1-21.Robertson, L., & Farley, R. (2026, March 3). Assessing Trump’s claims on Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. FactCheck.org. https://www.factcheck.org/2026/03/assessing-trumps-claims-on-irans-nuclear-and-missile-capabilities/ Spies, S. (2019, October 22). Defining disinformation. MediaWell. https://mediawell.ssrc.org/research-reviews/defining-disinformation/

    29 min

  5. 12/01/2025 ·  Bonus

    Anti-Social Media (Crystal and Michelle)

    In this bonus episode, Crystal teams up with her best friend Michelle to tackle a topic of what social media is really doing to us, and especially to kids. They discuss the alarming amount of time we're glued to our screens, how it's messing with kids' ability to self-regulate and connect face-to-face, and how parents' scrolling habits are part of the problem too.  References Ambrosi, D. (2023, March 6). The battle for your time: Exposing the costs of social media | Dino Ambrosi | TEDxLagunaBlancaSchool [Video]. TEDx Talks. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TMPXK9tw5U Atske, S. (2025, October 8). Appendix: Detailed tables. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/10/08/parents-kids-screens-appendix-detailed-tables/

    35 min

  6. 11/12/2025

    Our Virtual Connections (Crystal and Raania)

    In this week's podcast, Crystal and Rasnia explore the concept of virtual communities, sharing their personal experiences and discussing the profound impact of these communities on mental health, personal growth, and societal changes. They delve into how virtual communities facilitate connections between people with shared interests, offering support and new perspectives. The episode also touches on the influence of virtual communities on real-world practices, particularly in alternative education and parenting. They conclude by appreciating the positive aspects of virtual communities and their role in fostering progress and inspiration. References Malik, Z., & Haidar, S. (2020). Online community development through social interaction — K-Pop stan twitter as a community of practice. Interactive Learning Environments, 31(2), 733–751. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2020.1805773 Lorenz, T. (2024, April 12). Is social media destroying kids mental health? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS1wax3KjnA

    17 min

  7. 11/05/2025

    The Impact of Social Media (Alexa and MacKenzie)

    In this week’s podcast, we focused on the impact social media has on upcoming generations and its larger effect on society as a whole. In our discussion, we dive into 3 main topics: different social media platforms, how social media affects mental health, and the different affordances and constraints that come with living in the age of social media. Social Media encompasses a lot of different aspects, both positive and negative, which we are excited to talk about with you today! References Faverio, M. (2025, April 22). Teens, social media and mental health. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/04/22/teens-social-media-and-mental-health/ Lorenz, T. (2024, April 12). Is social media destroying kids’ mental health? // Power User podcast [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXXXXXXXX Orlowski, J. (Director). (2020). The Social Dilemma [Film]. Netflix. https://www.netflix.com/watch/81904443 Ünlüsoy, A., Leander, K. M., & de Haan, M. (2022). Rethinking sociocultural notions of learning in the digital era: Understanding the affordances of networked platforms. Learning, Media and Technology, 47(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/20427530211032302 Weaver, J. (2020, September 27). What Netflix’s The Social Dilemma gets wrong about Big Tech. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/netflix-social-dilemma-tech-1.5740351

    29 min

  8. 10/29/2025

    Decoding the Digital Mess (Kayla and Kelly)

    In this episode, hosts Kayla and Kelly dive into the digital mess that is Disinformation. While discussing disinformation, we explore our experiences with disinformation, why it happens, who spreads it, and how we can combat it. We reference Bulger and Davison’s article, “The Promises, Challenges, and Futures of Media Literacy” as well as, Samuel Spies’, "Producers of Disinformation”. Our discussion emphasizes the importance of media literacy and how it can be integrated into core subjects in schools. We address the harmful impacts of spreading disinformation and some advice for students growing up in the digital age. References Bulger, M., & Davison, P. (2018). The promises, challenges, and futures of media literacy. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.23860/jmle-2018-10-1-1 Hobbs, R., Moen, M., Tang, R., & Steager, P. (2022). Measuring the implementation of media literacy statewide: A validation study. Educational Media International, 59(3), 189–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2022.2136083 Spies, S. (2020, October 27). Defining “disinformation.” Social Science Research Council, MediaWell. https://mediawell.ssrc.org/literature-reviews/defining-disinformation

    24 min
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Podcast for the Digital Literacies and 21st Century Skills course at Adelphi University's Educational Technology program.

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