EDCI338

My group members are Emma Amar and Steven Luo.

Here is our final project!

Contributions:

Emma Amar: Introduction, Features for Learning (LinkedIn), Strengths and Weaknesses (LinkedIn), E.G. of Successful PLN (Twitter), and Strengths and Weaknesses (Twitter).

Steven Luo: Critical Characteristics/Features (Twitter), Steps to Build a Successful PLN (Twitter), and E.G. of Successful PLN (Twitter).

Nikolai Treskin: Overview of LinkedIn, Critical Features (LinkedIn), Steps to Build a Successful PLN (LinkedIn), E.G. of Successful PLN (LinkedIn), Conclusion, zoom meetings, and editing.

Peer Review: Emailed Separately

Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course? 

Definitely. Your Personal Learning Network (PLN), when utilized correctly, can be a driving factor in furthering your professional development post-course. I think that it’s been fairly agreed upon that one of the main benefits of using a PLN is networking, that is, forming connections and relationships with others in a similar field of interest as yourself. With that being said, I think what’s often overlooked and under-utilized is a PLN’s ability to offer mentorships and feedback. To be more specific, in a post-course context, the reality for some individuals is that they have yet to even enter the field in which they want to pursue a career in, and because of that, might not know where to begin. In this context, PLN’s can provide the individual with the opportunity to connect to experienced individuals with the intention of acquiring a mentor – someone who is able to walk them through the ins and outs of the industry and pass on the knowledge they’ve learned throughout their own professional development. By having a mentor or mentors, you are able to receive constructive feedback regarding your skills and abilities which would ideally allow you to grow as an individual and further your professional development. 

Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

Although your PLN can definitely be used to open professional opportunities, in my opinion, it shouldn’t be relied on to do so. To further explain, PLN’s themselves don’t exactly know your intentions and therefore, by simply just having a PLN, you won’t magically have doors opened for you in terms of professional opportunities. What’s more important, to me, is the individual using the PLN, their intentions, and their skills/abilities; it all depends on how they utilize their PLN. For example, say you have two individuals who are both relying on their PLN’s to open up professional opportunities. If individual A is actively growing their PLN’s to network, find mentors, and acquire feedback, and individual B, although they have a PLN, isn’t putting as much energy into utilizing the resources that come with a PLN, it wouldn’t be a surprise if individual A had been presented with significantly more professional opportunities. To reiterate, simply possessing a PLN isn’t enough to open up professional opportunities; you must be willing to be actively putting in the time and energy into researching, networking, and growing your PLN in order to utilize it fully – and the ability to do so varies from one individual to the next.

How would you create a PLN prior to engaging in a social media campaign on a topic of your choice? Consider how you would introduce yourself to others, consider how you would engage in initial conversation to generate interest in your campaign professionally.

If I were to create a social media campaign on a topic of my choice, I’d choose a product marketing campaign. In order to create my PLN prior to engaging in said campaign, I’d first establish a presence among various social media platforms – such as LinkedIn and Instagram. From there I would release various information about my profession in order for it to be readily observable by others and to create a general foundation of knowledge for potential clients (i.e. prior experience, future projects, etc.). Next, I would focus on connecting with groups, or other companies, with the same goals that are aligned with my product and my intentions. For example, making my presence aware in a gardening facebook group prior to engaging in a social media campaign for a garden product. Best case scenario, this would allow for potential collaborations with other companies/groups – maximizing product exposure. Worst case scenario, this wouldn’t lead to any collaborations but at the very least, would further expand the digital presence and general awareness of the product as well as my personal affiliation with it. After targeting groups, I would then focus on connecting with individuals. The individuals I’d want to connect with would be those who are in the same company I work for, followed by those working in the same industry, and finally, potential clients. Thanks to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, these individuals wouldn’t be hard to find. During all of these steps, especially when interacting with potential clients, it is imperative that I maintain a professional demeanor in all of my interactions in order to maintain the professional reputation of the company I work for. This would consist of using appropriate salutations, remaining timely in my interactions, and using proper language and tone (formal as acquaintances, and then more informal as the relationship progresses if I deem it to be beneficial).

What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

Currently, some of the most popular digital platforms that students use to develop their professional networks are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. LinkedIn is a social media platform that strictly focuses on business and employment, with the primary use of allowing its users to network and further develop their professional careers. On the other hand, Facebook and Instagram are other social media platforms that don’t strictly focus on business/employment but can, however, allow users to make connections to individuals and/or businesses that may potentially lead to growth in their professional networks.

What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

Combining the use of multiple digital platforms, such as the ones mentioned above, would be incredibly beneficial for individuals wanting to expand their professional learning network. For example, if an individual wanted to meet more people in the same profession as them, Facebook and Instagram can be used to find groups and accounts regarding said area of work. From there, that individual can filter through hundreds of accounts, both personal and businesses, and find those that they want to connect with. Once they have done so, they can then choose whether or not to connect with those individuals/businesses through a more formal platform than Facebook or Instagram, such as LinkedIn and/or Indeed.

How do data privacy and security limit and promote a PLN? In your network, how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?

The use of a professional learning network is often dependant on the privacy and security of data. That is, the more secure and private a digital platform is, the higher the likelihood is of inputing more personal information. This, of course, would mean that a weak form a privacy and security would limit the use of PLN’s due to the concern that said information could be exposed. When looking at your own network, the privacy and security of your data should always be considered prior to releasing any information on a digital platform. Personally, in order to create a digital identity/reputation in my networks, I try my best to be very particular about the information I release. Although I use some platforms for more personal or professional reasons, I do my best to only share information/content that I would feel comfortable telling strangers – after all, that’s essentially what we do when we post on any digital platform.

What is a digital identity?

A digital identity is an agglomeration of information/data that is gathered online and, once analyzed, is supposed to provide an accurate representation of an individuals’ online presence. An individuals’ digital identity is composed of two separate components: authenticators and credentials (Seymour-Provencher, 2022). Credentials are defined as a set of attributes (i.e. name or birthdate) that are bound to an identifier (i.e. account number), whereas authenticators are something that can be used to provide proof you are who you say you are (i.e. usernames and passwords) (2022).

How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?

It’s no surprise that an individuals’ social media usage is heavily dependant on the way in which they approach their digital identity. With a personal approach to digital identity, an individual might be more inclined to share the same information they would with their friends. In this approach, social media usage generally consists of communicating with friends, sharing texts or images they find to have value, and other leisurely activities. On the other hand, an individual with a professional approach to digital identity will be more inclined to maintain a competent and composed appearance throughout their social media usage. Due to this, they’d generally be more aware of the content that they like, share, and post, as well as the accounts that they create, because of potential consequences that can negatively affect their brands or businesses.

How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and benefits?

Every individual who participates in networked publics will have some form of digital identity – whether it’s through a personal or professional approach. One significant impact of this convergence is the concerns it raises towards principals and ethics. As the use of social media continues to increase, or any form of technology for that matter, so will the precision in analyzing the data that an individual releases in the network; the more data that an individual shares will lead to a fuller picture of who that individual, or even business, is. This becomes a concern as it then becomes possible for the exploitations of user data. With that being said, there are also numerous benefits that come with the convergence of digital identities in networked publics – the obvious one being instant identity verification. This would allow for timely access to health records, bank accounts, and just about any other situation where you’d need to prove you are who you say you are.

Can a digital wallet provide trust in networked publics?

I do think that digital wallets have the capability of providing trust within networked publics as it can serve as a tool of accountability. With that being said, it’s important to note that both policymakers and the general public should be constantly improving laws surrounding digital identity in order to protect privacy and prevent exploitations of user data.

Seymour-Provencher, H. (2022, August 15). Learning series – what is a digital identity? Digital Identity Laboratory of Canada. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.idlab.org/en/learning-series-what-is-a-digital-identity-2/

What does it mean to network using social media?

Networking using social media occurs when an individual exchanges ideas, or simply just information, to another individual through a virtual network. Assuming that both individuals in an exchange of information or ideas would have similar interests, social media allows them to network due to its ability to connect millions of other people together in the most efficient manner possible. Take LinkedIn for example, a platform where an individual can filter through and connect (in real time) with an immense database of employers or employees – all while sitting at home on their computer.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

I believe that people are motivated to participate in networked publics due to both social and occupational reasons. From a social context, they are able to connect with countless friends at times when they couldn’t do so in-person. This provides the opportunity for relationships to form – regardless of whether or not both individuals are friends, acquaintances, or strangers. For occupational reasons, individuals are motivated to participate in networked publics simply because they have to. Whether they like it or not, as time goes on, more and more technology (such as networked publics) will be incorporated into workplace environments, and for good reasons too. Networked publics allow for real-time exchanges of information between two parties which has led to more efficiency within the workplace.

What are the risks and rewards of public communications?

Public communications can be considered a double-edged sword in it’s ability to provide both risks and rewards to participating individuals. For example, public communications’ ability to connect millions of people can be positive in that can help solve a time-sensitive problem in the matter of seconds, but can also be negative in that anything an individual posts can be seen by those very same people; leading to potentially negative comments/criticisms. Another example would be public communications’ ability to simplify tasks; anything from getting groceries to finding a job. This can have positive impacts, the obvious one being that it creates a more efficient manner of doing things, but can also have negative impacts, such as promoting poor behaviour (e.g. no longer leaving your house to go interact with individuals in-person because you’d rather connect with others in a virtual fashion).