Applying Presence in a digital world, “experiences that create the person:” Presentation by Stephen Downes
At a time when “virtual” is landing as a major direction of human care and action, Stephen Downes https://www.downes.ca/ lays out some theory and constuctivist philosophy which I found helpful to wake up, pause and reflect on as clinicians and organizations embrace virtual technology. The talk is framed for educators, but it got me thinking we are all advancing a form of: “experiences that create the person.”
Being There: What Presence Means in a Digital World
To the extent that learning is a social activity it depends on presence, that is, it depends on the interaction and sense of commonality we have with other people. But presence doesn't need to be direct and personal; it can be mediated through objects and technologies. An author can speak to us through a book, a friend can speak to us through a telephone, an actor can convey meaning through cinema. But with each medium, the character of presence changes, as some affordances are amplified and others diminished. Which leads us to the question: what is the character of presence in digital media? Unedited Text Transcript (produced by Pixel 4 AI).
Thank you Bill Dare for posting this valuable resource!