Final Reflection

Part1:

This course was beneficial to me as an MMCJ (Mass Media and Communication Journalism) student, especially in enhancing my digital literacy. In the following sections, I will reflect on my experience with this class and I will attempt to provide some examples of the things I have learned as part of this wonderful learning experience.

The first thing I learned from this class was discovering new things about myself. I came to realize that I  have really good analytical skills. Since the course focuses on digital literacy and the accuracy of information,  I started to be more critical and not to take things for granted. For example, I started questioning the information I am reading and how this process can contribute to shaping my ideas. These processes need someone who can make sense of data and analyze them critically. I was not aware that I had these skills, but then realized that they have always been there and all I needed is to put them into practice.

From a social perspective, one of the most enjoyable moments for me was working with my colleagues since I learned a lot from them. To start with, this was one of the very few courses where I had substantial interaction with my colleagues. Examples of these interactions included working on class projects, participating in group discussions, and sharing our ideas via the creative warm-up questions and games Dr. Maha introduced at the beginning of each class. I learned so many things from my colleagues and my interactions with them. For instance, I benefited from how they show empathy, how they resolve disagreements, how to support each other, and how to show respect to each other. The Soliya Program should be mentioned here as well since it has helped me develop my social skills. I had the chance to engage with people from various countries, cultures, traditions, and backgrounds, especially during the breakout rooms, where we shared more personal stories and ideas. This experience has helped me develop deep connections and even make new friends—I’m still in touch with some of them on social media. This has been more inspiring than I have ever imagined.

As for the academic side, I discovered during the semester what digital literacy truly means, how to write and publish a blog, how to develop educational games, how to detect AI-generated materials, and how to use online tools like quizzes and self-assessments. To be more specific, as a digitally literate individual, I learned how to critically detect  AI-generated content and  to also get more proficient in writing clearly. I also learned how to navigate effective academic teamwork, something I hadn’t experienced much in other courses, where group projects were often stressful. In this course, teamwork was healthy, balanced, and enjoyable, and that showed me how it should always be. In addition, I learned about copyright symbols, their meaning, and the difference between patents and copyrights. The final presentations were another highlight; each student linked their topic to their major, habits, or interests, and they included interactive elements including surveys, games, and videos.

As for career-related skills, it is a combination of the different things I learned on a personal, social, and academic level. For example, one of the skills needed in the workplace is working with colleagues and resolving conflict. This is a very important skill needed for any job that requires interaction with people. In addition, in any career, we need academic knowledge related to how to verify the accuracy of information and how to find credible sources. In conclusion, you need to be a critical thinker to ensure success in any career.

Part 2:

I would like to highlight three elements that best capture my intellectual and emotional development in this course. First, I would highlight my blog posts since they include all the major ideas we discussed in class—critical thinking, digital literacy, and my reflections following each exercise. They illustrate my learning process and how I integrated theory with practice. The blog has given me the chance to reflect on my own learning and to apply the skills and knowledge we obtained from the class discussion. For example, the ALCTV assignment, I wrote my first blog entry about myself and shared  a number of interesting personal stories as shown in the below section. Here is the link to my blog:

https://reflect.creativitycourse.org/published/soliya-final-reflection-3/

Second, I would like to draw attention to the interactive empathy-based games we played—particularly those in which we stepped into the shoes of refugees, people experiencing poverty or pandemic survivors. These games were emotionally strong and showed me how complicated social issues are as well as how crucial empathy and ethical judgment are in real life. I recorded these thoughts in my blogs thoroughly:

https://reflect.creativitycourse.org/published/unseen-battles/

Third, I would highlight my last presentation since it creatively and professionally synthesized everything I had learned. In this presentation, I talked about my digital profile and reflected on the areas of strength and also weaknesses. I also touched on issues related to AI manipulation and it could be used to shape public opinion about different issues. In addition, I tried to link these to my major through reflecting on how mass communication is used in this context. Below is the link for my presentation:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGoGR5GfHM/7v7Hp70ptGV8H-hxWeIVjA/edit?utm_content=DAGoGR5GfHM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

Part 3:

While the course has been a great learning experience, I would like to suggest some ideas that could contribute to future revisions. It does not mean that the course has weaknesses, but  as we all know there is always room for improvement.

My first suggestion is to perhaps invite guest speakers who could share their personal and professional experiences about digital literacy. This could be a professional working in a specific field where digital literacy is an important component of what they do on a daily basis. This could be a journalist, a PR specialist or a government officer. These professionals could talk about the importance of digital literacy in their context.

Another suggestion is perhaps to add an assignment where we select texts and then try to analyze them for content accuracy and information credibility. I think this assignment could give students the chance to apply some of the ideas discussed in class. Students might work with materials from their own academic disciplines and this would give the assignment a much stronger connection with different content areas. Another idea is to perhaps have an assignment that requires students  to collect research data and analyze such data to get people’s views about digital literacy issues. This would enable us to use digital literacy  skills in practical situations, in addition to making the projects more engaging.

As the course relies heavily on participation, I believe that engaging students more in class activities throughout the semester would be beneficial. Although we did have some great opportunities to participate, increasing the frequency and range of in-class assignments, especially those that encourage critical thinking, innovation, or group work, would help keep students more engaged

Hopefully, these suggestions would help  make the course experience and materials more interesting and appealing.

Part 4:

People who would like to be able to make sense of , assess, and produce content in this digital world should take this course.

Part 5:

Perplexity, Keenious, ChatGPT, Elicit, and gaming creation tools are among the many helpful ones I discovered in this course. I especially appreciated  Perplexity since it offers quick, clear answers with straight references, hence increasing the reliability and efficiency of the sources. Time spent on paper writing was saved when Keenious assisted me in rapidly identifying pertinent scholarly resources. Making games was also fun and interesting since it let me use ideas creatively and deepen my knowledge using interactive learning. My academic work benefited from ChatGPT’s in  brainstorming and idea organization.

Since these tools simplify information gathering and boost critical thinking, I plan to utilize them academically to enhance my research and writing abilities in my major. These technologies will help me keep current and effective in daily activities using personal ongoing learning and digital literacy growth support. They can help me professionally to clearly communicate ideas and make wise decisions.

Elicit was less useful for me, though, because its interface was not very user friendly and at times the search results were too vague or irrelevant. Making Elicit a more useful tool would involve enhancing its usability and refining its search algorithms.

The AI Tools have  significantly enhanced my academic study by simplifying jobs and promoting active participation. For instance, artificial intelligence solutions save  time on daily chores and sharpened my capacity to evaluate information critically. However, occasional technical glitches and a lack of clarity on how AI-generated information is produced sometimes disrupt the flow of learning and make us lose trust in the results.

All in all, these resources have sharpened my digital literacy abilities; I’m eager to apply them in my personal, professional, and academic life. Their advantages might be even more significant if some tools are improved and classroom tech experiences are simpler.

Part 6:  A letter to my digital literacy course family

Dear Colleagues,

  I am writing this letter with a sense of  gratitude to this community that I was lucky to be part of. This course was not another class; it was an adventure shaped by the amazing people I had the honor to work with.

To my dear colleagues Hana, Malak, Rafik, Omar Awad, Marwan, Abdelrahman, Faris, Ritage, Alaa, Omar Helal, Omar Hussein, and Ali — you have each left a mark on me. You were more than classmates; you were a community, a support system, and in many ways, a family. Your kindness, ambition, and knowledge enriched every discussion, activity, and the moments we shared.

Each one of you brought something unique to the table. Different mindsets, perspectives, and interests came together to create a learning environment that was genuinely informative, dynamic, and inspiring. I learned so much from you — not only academically but personally. You challenged me to grow, encouraged me when I doubted myself and made every session meaningful.

I would not be who I am today at the end of this course without you all. Thanks to you, the result of this journey has really amazed me both in terms of what I learnt and in my own personal growth. I’m especially grateful for the smooth, respectful, and open conversations we had. You made learning sound natural, collaborative, and enjoyable.

Your patience, generosity, and consistent presence with open hearts and minds are gratefully appreciated. Our conversations will be missed; your warmth shared with me and your enthusiasm brought to the classroom will be missed as well. This is very much appreciated.

Wishing you all continued success, happiness, and growth in every path you take. Keep being amazing.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           With all my gratitude,

Razan