Research on Social Media and Learning Communities: What topic did you research from the task above? What social media platform did you use, and what learning communities did you find? Be specific.
Our group decided to begin researching the astronomy community on TikTok. We were initially debating between the astronomy community on YouTube vs TikTok, but after a few searches, it became clear that there was an immense amount of easily accessible content on TikTok. We noted a user called Astrokobi, who appeared to be a significant contributor to this community, often replying to questions posted by users. Something that really drew me to this community was that many learners spark meaningful conversations in the comments, and when the poster of the specific video didn’t reply directly to a question, other members would join in to share their knowledge.
Building Your Personal Learning Network (PLN): What social media platforms do you use or plan to use to build your personal learning network (PLN)? How do platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, or Youtube help you connect with others and stay updated?
The social media platforms I use to build my PLN the most are Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin. Being intentional with digital PLNs is key, and it’s important to remain mindful of our goals for creating them (Gray, 2019). Consequently, I aim to continue to remind myself of my motivations for engaging in online PLNs.
Linkedin is undoubtedly useful for gaining employment, however Instagram and Facebook may be underrated platforms for gaining employment as well. As stated in this article, Facebook is a valuable vocational tool, as it allows you to showcase your social media skills, professional accomplishments, and connect with potential employers or companies simply by “liking” a page or sending a quick message. I’ve personally successfully made content with companies by doing the same. Further, a friend of mine beat out many competitive applicants for a position at a professional marketing agency with nearly no experience due to her Instagram presence. She took a risk to set herself apart from other candidates by sharing her highly popular “meme” account, which had nearly 100,000 followers. This gave her employer sufficient evidence that she had the skills to successfully market to large demographics.
Here are some examples of how I have already built or plan to build my PLN through social media:
Facebook: Given that Facebook appears to be a more accessible platform across generations, I’ve found this to be a great place to stay connected with older relatives and coworkers. I’ve recently reached out to an old coworker who is involved in my field of choice and who used to work for the program I’m hoping to attend. Through Facebook messenger, I was able to give her a call and ask for advice about how to improve my credentials and get into the field. She provided invaluable insight that I likely would have not been able to receive without Facebook, as I didn’t have her contact information and she didn’t have any other social media accounts.
Linkedin: In addition to maintaining a positive digital presence on this platform, it also helps me keep tabs on the professional lives of those within my PLN. For example, I was looking at an old coworker of mine’s account and I noticed she began volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Kids Help Phone. I messaged her and we were able to connect about her experience, and she was able to get me into contact with one of her supervisors. Ultimately, I ended up volunteering with both of these agencies and I believe they’ve played a big role in helping me gain similar paid positions in the field.
Instagram: This site has helped me stay in touch or reconnect with people I wouldn’t otherwise be able to, due to proximity or simply convenience. For example, an old friend of mine from high school posted a picture on her Instagram story of herself studying at UVic and I could see in the corner of her laptop screen that she was taking the same class as me. I responded to her story and we confirmed we were in the same class. Due to the nature of the 200-person lecture hall, we would’ve otherwise been unlikely to notice one another in the class. We were able to connect, help each other with homework, and even plan future courses and program applications together. This exemplifies the idea that by spending more time interacting on a social media site, the easier it is to strengthen your digital relationships (Gray, 2019).
Protecting Your Information and Ensuring Ethical Behaviour: How do you protect your information and ensure ethical behaviour in your PLN? Discuss any security measures you take to keep a safe and trustworthy digital environment.
| Site | How I protect info: | How I ensure ethical behaviour: |
|---|---|---|
| Indeed | I keep my profile as “unsearchable”, meaning it cannot be viewed unless I have submitted an application. I ensure the workplace I’m applying to is valid by looking up the company to see if their Indeed profile matches their website. | I ensure my engagement on Indeed is ethical by not curating false content. This means all of my workplaces, achievements, and credentials are accurate and verifiable. |
| My profile is private, meaning although my account is searchable, posts cannot be viewed by non”friends”. I’m mindful about limiting my friends to only those I know personally and I’m quick to block accounts I believe have been hacked. | While not overly personal, all of the information I post on Facebook is accurate to the best of my knowledge. My workplace, educational institution, and hometown are not falsified. Further, I do not spread unverifiable news or information, usually limiting my non-personal posts to Go Fund Me’s from individuals I know personally. |
Privacy Concerns and Online Participation: Do/How do privacy concerns affect your willingness to join online communities or share information?
Noting the nuances of online privacy is paramount to feeling at ease when posting on social media. I personally try to remain mindful of the privacy risks I face when posting online, however there are many considerations which I don’t often think about. Regan and Jesse (2019), note several key concerns regarding online security of which I will choose a few and explain my own experiences:
Collection of information: This information is meant to be obtained minimally and with full user consent. When I join online platforms, I’m almost always required to affirm that I’m aware that my information is stored. This is usually in the form of checking a box at the end of paragraphs of fine print or by clicking a “accept all cookies” pop up box. I find myself annoyed with having to mindlessly consent to these, however I always promptly accept them and move on. Ultimately, this doesn’t deter my willingness to join an online community.
Anonymity: Users are meant to have the option to remain autonomous in choosing whether or not they wish to remain anonymous. Social relationships and algorithmic searches become used as data points, making efforts to remain anonymous increasingly challenging. This is something that greatly influences my willingness to join online communities. I often err on the side of caution when creating a username with my first and last name, as I want to ensure I’d be comfortable being found by anyone in my life. I’ve used sites such as Grad Cafe and Reddit to gauge program acceptances, as well as others’ experiences at schools. I keep my interactions minimal and respectful, however I use pseudonyms to maintain anonymity, as I’d likely feel embarrassed if admissions communities were able to view my anxiety-fuelled questions to fellow members.
Ownership of data: This pertains to the question of whether one is entitled to their own data/contributions or if it actually belongs to the site. For example, when I or others in this course use pictures in our blogs, we cite the author of the image in addition to the site name (often Unsplash) in order to credit the owner of the image. Although signing away one’s rights to the ownership of their data via a quick click is commonplace on most sites, ethically, I believe that the creator of the content is the actual owner of the information. Similarly to the collection of information, this is something that annoys me, however it doesn’t deter me from joining a platform or online community, as it’s necessary to engage in the site I need to build my PLN.
References
Gray, K. (2019, May 15). Leveraging social media to build a digital PLN. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/leveraging-social-media-build-digital-pln
Regan, P. M., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2
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