Why should you aim for varied views but the factual consensus in your PLN?
-The reason for this is, when we are learning through PLNs and conducting discussions, it is easy for us humans to filter information that disprove our pre-set believes, and we tend to share information according to our own believes, it is psychological human nature. In a commencement speech This is Water given by David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College on May 21, 2005, he tells a story in making an analogy of fish and water. The story goes, A fish ask another fish ““Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two fish was confused and says, “What the hell is water?”(Wallace, 2005). Any fish live their entire life in the water that they cannot acknowledge any choice other than being in the water. Therefore, they are unable to notice the existence of water and to agree with the existence of water. Similarly, when we humans have a pre-occupied believes, it is so hard for us to notice the potential flaw in our believes and opposite views. A good way to be aware of the “water” is to absorb from varied views. By pointing out the water to fish enables them to think about whether they live in water.
Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?
-Sometimes it is not like we are wrong with our pre-set believes, but an information can be processed differently influenced by one’s culture values. Referencing the fish and water example mentioned earlier, people indulge in their own pre-set values so long to recognize the probabilities for others people to be right. It is similar to the confirmation bias in logical fallacies which means the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories. People are often to accept views similar to their value psychologically. Vice versa, people are usually uncomfortable with opposite views, when there are different views about a certain topic, everyone holds on to their views and are sometimes angry with the opposite.
What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?
Just like critically views that are in different opinions can let us be more successful learner. Being exposed to varied views helps us to learn be a smart learn and learn more efficiently in PLN. A well-rounded and more just learning attitude is created. When we are contributing in our PLN, we can be more responsible to other people by applying media literacy skills. When we are valuing media literacy, a more harmonized environment to engage is created, and people are more willing to participate deep with a topic in the intended field, thus boosting our learning outcome.
References:
- Wallace, David Foster. This Is Water. Little, Brown, 2009.
- Bass, Jossey. “Digital Literacy Skills INFO-SAVVY, MEDIA-FLUENT, TECH-TUNED.” 2009.