Nabila Ramadan

Reflection 1

To all those considering the CORE 2096 as a potential class for the future, here’s why you should invest in making that decision!

• What I learned in this course:

This course has taught me lots of things, yet it was so fun and engaging. 

• About Myself: I learned that I work best in engagement activities when the group/class around me isn’t so big, and is actually talking and discussing their different views, while also listening and trying to understand one another without judgment. I found that I learn and understand concepts better when it’s learned through engaging and productive activities and through class discussions where everyone is active and participating. Whether these discussions are about AI or silly topics, I found that I understand and remember the important things about these topics better than when I have to read about them or just listen to a lecture and take notes. 

• In My Academic Life: This course taught me a lot about how to do proper research and use tools like AI to my advantage without copy pasting whatever comes up automatically. I learned about a lot of new tools like Zotaro and notebookLM. I also learned to be more attentive and analytical, and listen better to those around me which helped me understand different perspectives better. 

• In My Social Life: I found that I became more interactive than I’m used to, especially in class and also with a lot of people I’m not used to. I’m normally more of a listener when it comes to a big group of people, but this class helped me be more active and share my thoughts during discussions and group activities. Also, the Soliya meetings really helped with my activeness so much as the facilitators were always encouraging us to talk and share our thoughts.  

• In My Career: This course helped with teaching me more about AI and digital footprints, and better my research and engagement skills which I think will definitely help in the future. 

2. If i were to show someone my learning in this course, I would show these three things:

• This very reflection since it shows my experience and my thoughts on the main important thing i learned in this course: 
• My Soliya and Pre-Soliya reflections since they show my growth throughout the experience
• My digital literacies pathway 

3. To better improve the course, I would suggest more interactive games or activities since they had lots of impact on our learning.

Also maybe more in-class workshops for different tools about AI for example, to better understand how to use them on our own for the future. 

4. In one sentence, I think the type of person who should take this course is someone who’s ready to show their vulnerable side and enhance their social skills, but is also curious and open-minded to new ways of learning and improving their digital skills. 

5. Unlock Your Potential with CORE 2096!

Looking for a class that’s fun, interactive, and helps you grow? CORE 2096 offers engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and practical tools to sharpen your digital and social skills.

• Master research and AI tools like Perplexity AI and Zotaro.
•  Build confidence through small-group discussions and global connections.
• Gain skills that boost your academic, social, and career success.

This course is perfect for open-minded learners ready to connect, grow, and explore new ways of learning. Sign up for CORE 2096 and make learning unforgettable!

Reflection 2

Throughout this semester, we learned about many tools that would change my approach on learning, reflecting, and interacting. 

• Hypothes.is: Hypothes.is is a tool that turned out to be great for group learning. By enabling me to observe other people’s opinions and responses to the same writing, it enhanced my reading experience. I found it to be really beneficial, however it might not be for people who would rather study a text on their own without the impact of other commentaries. Every time I was lost or puzzled someone’s explanation or insight gave me perspective and deepened my comprehension. This made me realise that, although I frequently get lost when reading, notes help me concentrate and better understand the point of the text. Since Hypothes.is simplifies and improves the reading experience, I would most certainly like to use it in upcoming classes.

• Slack: Before this course, I had never used Slack, but it quickly became an essential tool for communication and organization. One feature I appreciated was the ability to separate discussion topics into distinct channels, like “class time,” which kept conversations organized and easy to follow. Slack also made it incredibly convenient to contact the professor directly without going through the hassle of email. It was especially useful during class for sharing information and outside of class for quick questions or updates.

• Blog Post: I honestly found this blog website really helpful. My only concern about it is that it’s not as private so I feel more seen than usual. But other than that, It was really easy to use and maintain which I didn’t think would be that case at all. Uploading assignments or anything was fun considering that the blog offered various tools to make any uploads look more fun and creative, especially after knowing that others can easily view my work so it would force me to try and make my world more appealing. 

• Soliya: Soliya was a transformative experience that connected me with students from around the world for meaningful intercultural discussions. The platform was easy to use, and having our cameras on made it more personal and engaging, encouraging open and honest conversations. It helped me step out of my comfort zone, challenge biases, and develop valuable communication and listening skills, showcasing some of our vulnerable sides to each other. While it could sometimes feel a bit slow, Soliya fostered empathy, understanding, and a deeper appreciation for different perspectives, proving its potential to build cultural connections and break down any type of stereotypical judgement. 

• AI: AI played a huge role in this course, helping me brainstorm ideas, structure assignments, and expand my creativity through tools like ChatGPT and Pop.AI. It proved to be useful for tasks like summarizing, generating ideas, and exploring new perspectives, though it sometimes complicated tasks or required extra effort to achieve results. This taught me to use AI selectively, relying on it for support while maintaining critical thinking and creativity as the base of my work. I see AI as a powerful tool to enhance productivity and learning for the future, but only when used wisely and not blindly, with human insight leading the way.

• Google Docs: This semester, Google Docs became an even more valuable tool for organizing and editing my assignments. Its features, like comments and revision history, made revising more efficient and helped improve my editing skills. While it might not be the most ideal for creating final work, pairing it with tools showed how useful it could be. I appreciated how it’s simple and easy to use, making it perfect for drafting and collaborative work, and I plan to continue using it for future writing tasks and assignments. 

This course has overall taught me the importance of the various tools we use everyday and the new ones we learn about. It helped with enhancing my learning through these very tools. THis semester taught me how to adapt to various situations and people around more easily and how to use my analytical thinking skills when talking and learning new things from others. It taught me how to be more attentive and appreciative of everything I have, and to be more aware of my surroundings concerning many situations,for instance like biased situations.