As digital technology becomes more common, affordable, and portable, more and more people from all parts of society are starting to increase their online and digital participation. Many newcomers to the online world may not know the full range of activities available online, or be bewildered by new and confusing communication platforms and conventions.

Understanding the new affordances, rules and potential pitfalls of the digital world doesn’t necessarily come automatically with long-term use. Not everyone using digital technology knows how to use the range of available tools to their best extent, and even experienced digital technology users can fall prey to hackers, lose control of how they are represented online, or otherwise fail to maintain their digital identities in an optimal manner. As such, there is a need for digital education leaders who can help improve, enhance or professionalise the ways in which their students, peers or family members use digital technology.

The following seven modules each focus on different aspects of online engagement, from a range of different perspectives. This module focuses on developing your digital identity or digital identities – the picture(s) of yourself that you create for the online world. It aims to help build your awareness and competencies of all the factors you’ll need to consider in conceptualising and creating your digital identity, alongside some of the tools and techniques to do so and examples of how others navigate this process. This will include topics such as access and equity, legal factors pertaining to online interactions, and how to stay safe online.