Final Assignment: Personal Learning Networks and Covid

Group members and Contributions:

Haixu Jiang (Introduction & 2)
Wei Liu (3 & 4, Conclusion)
Qining Liu (5 & 6)

Personal Learning Networks and Covid

1.Introduction

Personal learning network (PLN) is created when people interact with a network of preferred people, digital devices, information sources, and services, both online and offline (Future Learn, n.d.). Richardson and Mancabelli suggest that “In our PLNs, we learn what we want to learn using the vast resources and people online (or off) that can help us learn it” (Future Learn, n.d.). PLN is, therefore, a form of education created throughout people’s daily interactions. Learning through PLN is lifelong, and it has become even more vital due to the social and economic changes that COVID-19 brings. For instance, due to COVID, many swift and unprecedented changes occurred, including online learning for people to face the new reality of the world at that moment. As a result, people need to rely not only on the things they learn in school, which are ever-changing for knowledge and skills, but people should also consider focusing on using PLNs in the best way possible to equip themselves with what they need to overcome whatever challenges the future holds (Future Learn, n.d.). Thus, PLN is a lifelong form of education that helps people adjust to their current situations more easily.

2.Current Circumstance with COVID-19

COVID impacted different sectors of people’s lives due to the government’s measures to prevent its spread. Coronavirus disease is an infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and can be contracted from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. Studies estimated the rate of reproduction of the virus to be between 1.4-2.4, which was relatively high (Achaiah et al., 2020). All countries imposed measures that provided specific guidelines and standards to help curb COVID. For instance, people were to observe social distance and keep 6 feet apart, wear face masks in public places, wash and sanitize their hands regularly, and prohibit public gatherings. Some countries, where many people had been infected with the virus-like in the USA, affected a lockdown. Currently, WHO has provided guidelines on how people can prevent the spread of COVID to reduce the number of people’s death. In particular, people are advised to get vaccinated, to meet people outside in open spaces, or to make sure there is sufficient airflow in crowded places (World Health Organization, 2021). The Covid-19 pandemic has transformed all our lives in different sectors. Lockdown has forced us to change the previous ways of socializing, shopping, working, learning, and communicating.

2.1 Impact of COVID-19 on Learning

First, COVID-19 impacted the education sector in various ways. The lockdowns in response to COVID affected the PLNs of each person and interrupted conventional learning because most schools were closed down. The educational community faced the challenge of ensuring that all students continue learning through the internet, television, and radio. Teachers had to adapt to new methods and concepts of teaching, like holding online classes and using online platforms to give and receive assignments and interact with their students. COVID also severely impacted higher education institutions as the school premises were closed down and borders were shut. However, most higher education institutions were quick to switch to online learning and the mode of examination. Moreover, some institutions held graduation ceremonies online, and even proms were held online. COVID-19, therefore, pushed educators to find more creative ways to ensure that all their students were still learning while at home. Nonetheless, the Internet has been penetrating the learning environment for a number of years, and people got used to communication technologies, and audiovisual interactions with the most remote places became the norm of the day years ago (Guidice et al, 2014). Therefore, even though COVID forced schools to introduce distance learning through online platforms to adjust to their new reality with COVID, it was not a disturbing or too abrupt shift for many of the learners.

Source: Creative Common (https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/e7d4e1aa-2a46-4f6d-834e-294551d98ba2)

2.2 Impact of COVID-19 on Working

COVID also affected workplaces and modes of work. Due to the COVID measures, most offices and workplaces were closed down. Most employees were forced to work from home, and the concept of teleworking came in (Parker et al., 2021). Teleworking is the action or practice of working from home using the internet, email, and telephone (The Oxford Dictionary 1992). Employees, therefore, used the technology and equipment available to work from home. Studies show that 71% of the employees worked from home in the US, and one in every five had never worked from home before the pandemic (Parker et al., 2020). Most people claim that teleworking has made it easier to meet deadlines and complete projects on time (Parker et al., 2021). Offices also used online platforms like Zoom more to hold staff meetings or interact with their clients; they also used social media platforms to interact amongst themselves as employees. COVID, therefore, pushed people to telework as they were unable to access their workplaces. 

Source: Creative Common (https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/3a5cde59-c3e2-44c4-b9e8-bf76b5716fa7)

2.3 Impact of COVID-19 on Communication

Finally, COVID-19 greatly affected communication. With COVID-19 measures, people could not have face-to-face interactions, and when they did, they were wearing face masks. People were segregated from the outside world and only interacted with their family members. Therefore, people turned to platforms like Zoom, Skype, and other mediated platforms to keep up with the loved ones with who they did not live. Moreover, with the isolation and frustration of being locked up in the same place, people turned to social media for entertainment and as a way of keeping them grounded amid the chaos. People interacted with their friends through Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, and other social media platforms. COVID pushed people to use technology and social media to keep communication and keep up with the world in general.

Source: Creative Common (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zoom_Video_Communications_Company_Logo.png)

3. Evaluations of Existing Technologies in PLN

There are many PLN tools available in the market to allow educators and learners to connect. You may be surprised that many of the networking technological tools we use on a daily basis can also be easily converted to PLN. Many social media and online tools have broken down the barriers of learning and obtaining information, especially in our age of COVID-19 (Wabisabi Learning, n.d.). While there are many technologies existing in today’s world for PLN, we would like to focus more on the ones that are more accessible for the mass and have lower barriers to learning. Not all learners are tech-savvy, which is why it is important for the tools we select to be easy to use and have a wider user base for ready access to information.

3.1 Social Media Technology and Evaluation

Many social media tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook were not intentionally designed to allow us to create a PLN. However, because of their easy connectivity and algorithm for users to search for and follow people of their interests, they have become popular tools in today’s age (Trach, 2017). Most importantly, these tools are often more accessible because we often have them on our mobile devices which are carried around and utilized more frequently by Gen Z and millennials to gain and exchange information (Trach, 2017). These platforms also boast a large user base across professions, disciplines, and geographical locations. 

These tools are also often more accessible than other tools and have a lower barrier to use (Trach, 2017). We do not need to be a tech expert to learn how to use them at our disposal. We can follow thought leaders, ask questions, and take advantage of their build-in communication function to engage in private chats with experts about issues (Trach, 2017). We can even actively form groups or simply join one to interact with like-minded people and receive instant updates on knowledge (Trach, 2017). One possible shortcoming of these social media platforms is that most of the information on them can be fragmented, given the limitations of the number of words or characters one can input into the post box. However, this can easily be combated with the build-in sharing function, allowing people to post longer content without having to type too many words. 

3.2 Personal Blogs and Evaluation

Blogging may seem to be an outdated concept since people revert to microblogging on Twitter and Sina. But personal blogs are an effective PLN tool for the sharing and compilation of ideas (Power School, 2021). Personal blogs have also taken various different forms today, some of which have been more innovative in terms of user interface than traditional blogging tools like WordPress. Medium is one such example.

Medium is an easy-to-learn blogging tool for the sharing of ideas and developing a network of professionals (Medium, n.d.). With over 100 million users worldwide contributing to this platform with their insights, it is inherently a great online learning resource (Medium, n.d.). Most importantly, unlike other social media platforms where learners often need to filter information from noise, the nature of the site means that most of the information shared across this ecosystem can be utilized as learning materials (Medium, n.d.). It relies on the concept of social journalism from both amateurs and professionals to create a healthy ecosystem for publishing longer content than one can usually do with a social media platform.

3.3 Video Streaming Platforms and Evaluation

Video streaming platforms like YouTube can also be a great technological tool for creating a PLN. In fact, many people have already done so by creating channels for not only original videos but also videos posted by other users (Lister, 2010). These channels thus become a personal curation of learning materials and professional and personal development (Lister, 2010). 

Studies have shown that self-directed learning through YouTube has become popular in recent years, with 7 in 10 viewers using it for work, studies, or hobbies (O’Neil-Hart, 2017). 65% of these people said that they used YouTube videos to help them fix something in their homes, 56% said that they turned to YouTube to learn something new, and 54% said that they used it to help solve a problem with schoolwork or job-related issues (O’Neil-Hart, 2017). 86% of these users said that they regularly rely on YouTube to learn something new (O’Neil-Hart, 2017). Data has proven that YouTube, with its vast number of videos and diverse ecosystem, has turned into a perfect PLN tool for learners.

4. Building, Managing, and Engaging PLN in the Age of COVID-19

4.1 Implications of COVID-19 on PLN

The first and most significant implication of COVID-19 on PLN is that it makes PLN even more important. During the global pandemic, most universities have chosen to carry out learning in a digital way (Martin et al., 2021). This means that as opposed to face-to-face teaching, most students are in fact reading lecture notes in the form of blogs, receiving updates and announcements from their professors through social media platforms, and seeing lectures delivered in the form of videos (Martin et al., 2021). Some professors have even chosen to deliver their lectures using YouTube, which can also make their lecture content available to learners not within their classes. 

Without a more holistic way of compiling and keeping track of this information, students often need to constantly log on to Canvas, Moodle, or other e-learning platforms for knowledge. While students get used to the self-learning they need to do and the lack of real-time communication between them and the educators, most students are more inclined to turn to PLN as an alternative of obtaining clarification and additional information supplementary to those delivered in class (Martin et al., 2021). So on the one hand, we are more accustomed to online learning; on the other hand, we rely more heavily on online learning to obtain additional knowledge and gain a competitive edge. 

4.2 Building PLN in COVID-19

During COVID-19, we are plagued by a lack of connectivity and spontaneity (Mancinelli, 2020). Therefore, it is more important for the building of PLN in this era to be revolving around fostering connectivity and building communities, rather than simply compiling information (Mancinelli, 2020). One effective way is to use the spontaneity of social media to our advantage and utilize hashtags to ensure that the information posted or shared can find its community easily (Mancinelli, 2020). We can also create and follow hashtags to make it easier to find information and people we want to connect with.

Joining communities can also be an essential component of building a PLN in the global pandemic. However, this can be a little passive. A better way may be to start a community of practice to actively connect learners with information and exchange ideas to increase connectivity (Mancinelli, 2020). 

Lastly, building a PLN is not just about sourcing for learning information and compiling them into space. It satisfies the “personal” and “learning” components of a PLN, but not the “network” aspect. It is essential to also contribute to ensuring that the information you have compiled in your YouTube channel or on your social media platform can be part of a larger network of learning for others (Wagner, 2012). Such contributions can be original posts, shared posts, or even just a question on some of the Q&A platforms and forums or in the comments section of a learning resource. Comments help learners identify gaps in their learning, creating a sound ecosystem in the age of COVID-19.

5. Evaluation of PLN in the age of COVID

To evaluate a PLN we need to determine the standards of a good PLN. If a PLN realizes its purpose, then it should be viewed as desirable enough. PLN is normally viewed as a tool to interact with others and learn new ideas from others through digital platforms. Thus, the function of interaction and effective learning should be prioritized when evaluating a PLN. The two standards remain relevant in the age of COVID because although COVID-19 has remarkably transformed people’s work and lives, PLN still relies on social media, the online platforms, without actual physical contact. What’s more, the function of social media in the age of COVID-19 should also be taken into account. Once the pandemic broke out, most people volunteered to connect online, sharing and exchanging information. However, there are also some potential problems. Thus, whether a PLN can spread effective information instead of fake news in COVID-19 also matters. 

This part of the essay aims to analyze four main standards of a good PLN, including its role in promoting professional development, the size of a PLN, its interaction, and the authenticity of the information.

5.1 Professional Development

A good PLN should enable the owners to secure more professional opportunities and pursue better professional development because this is one of its critical functions. 

Nowadays, with the rapid development of technologies and social media, building a PLN is an important skill, especially for college students. For one thing, the knowledge from textbooks sometimes is outdated, lacking the practical skills necessary for one’s future career, such as how to sell oneself and connect with others through social media. To keep classroom currency, students need PLN to get updated and the latest information. For another, lifelong learning becomes more and more essential. For example, the development of artificial intelligence is threatening low-skilled jobs. Thus, if one wants to keep competitive in the job market, he/she has to keep up with the pace of the current society, learning new knowledge and updating the skills. (McCorkle & Alexander, 2019)

 A professional PLN has several benefits. Firstly, it can help a student to be informed of the latest news, social trends, and employment information. Secondly, students can learn effectively from other predecessors in the same industry. Thirdly, students can enhance their personal brand by sharing useful and professional information. Fourthly, PLN can help students to attract potential employers and increase more working opportunities. (McCorkle & Alexander, 2019)

5.2 The Size of a PLN

According to a survey on students’ learning outcomes on different social media, it is found that a bigger size of PLN can contribute to better learning efficiency. The reason is that if the students have a larger PLN with more people engaged in it, then they can be exposed to more ideas from others and can receive more criticism and assistance from others. The constant peer feedback can help the students to improve themselves. (Casquero et al., 2013)

5.3 The Interaction of a PLN

It is evidenced by the experts that the more interaction with other students, the more knowledge can students gain. When students are required to use multiple external platforms, they have to switch between different apps, and thus, they can only receive dispersed information, which weakens their willingness to interact with others and get poorer grades. By contrast, if the social media platform allows the students to access all the resources and the conversations with others, the students would be encouraged to communicate with others and also get more feedback, which can benefit their learning outcomes. From this perspective, some suggest the learning platforms should be just like the Facebook system where the conversation, resources, and services are integrated into one space. (Casquero et al., 2013)

5.4 The Authenticity of Information

Social media platforms do play a positive role in COVID 19, such as accelerating the spread of information, enabling the medical experts to communicate directly with the public, and allowing the hospitals to identify the trend of the disease and to be prepared beforehand. However, social media doesn’t come without disadvantages during COVID 19. Since there is a great deal of information shared online, it becomes harder for people to discern right from wrong. With a lower signal-to-noise ratio, people may easily access fake news rather than helpful instructions. Besides, some content creators can even pretend themselves as authoritative experts to influence people’s behaviors. As a result, in the period of COVID-19, a good PLN must be trustworthy, sharing and spreading authentic information. (Gottlieb & Dyer, 2020)

In conclusion, a good PLN needs a large size, more interaction with other members, improvement in professional development, and also authentic information sources. 

6. Examples of Successful PLN in the age of COVID

6.1 A Middle-Aged Policeman Named Lao Chen 

Laochen has been working as a policeman for over two decades and he has spent more than ten years working on countering fraud. However, despite years of efforts, there are still a large number of people being deceived. Lately, Chinese police have launched a new app named “the national anti-fraud center”, which can help users to monitor and select suspicious calls. However, among all the entertaining apps, how to make this official and helpful app stand out becomes a problem. To attract more people to download the app and publicize the knowledge about how to fight against fraud, the policeman Laochen adopted a novel way: live video streaming through the popular app TikTok. Unlike the other content creators in pursuit of attention and financial reward, LaoChen closed the function of being rewarded financially. I believe his PLN is successful in the age of COVID according to the standards I have mentioned above.

First of all, his PLN has a large size with his video viewed by 60 million times and receiving more than 10 million “likes”, which means that he has reached a large audience and enjoyed a tremendous influence among the public. Secondly, he has made full use of interaction with other live streamers to enlarge his influence. For example, he would choose to contact and PK with others. In this way, he can attract more audience and he can take advantage of the popularity of the other live streamers, inviting all the people watching the video to download the app. Thirdly, what Laochen did can definitely promote his professional development. Although he may not gain practical career promotion, he has left a good impression on all national citizens and more people have downloaded the app and gained useful information, which is exactly his mission. Fourthly, as a policeman, he is viewed as a representative of the government. In this case, he is legally not allowed to spread false information. Thus, people can trust him. Besides, as I have mentioned above, he has closed the function of reward on the platform, which means he makes live streaming only for professional passion instead of personal profits.

In conclusion, the policeman has built a successful PLN in the age of COVID-19 when the publicizing job becomes harder for the policemen with restrictions on physical contact. 

6.2 Broadcaster and Journalist Jody Vance

As the guest for week 7, Jody Vance was invited to share her views as a broadcaster and journalist. I believe in the age of COVID-19 she has built a successful PLN according to the set standards. 

To begin with, her PLN has a large audience. According to the data presented on Twitter, she has been followed by over 20 thousand people. 

Secondly, Jody’s posts also encourage people to discuss the latest news and exchange information with each other, promoting mutual interaction. As we can see in her post about the inaccuracy of the test, people provided comments on the problem of PCR tests and volunteered to provide a better solution such as vaccines. There are also some people suggesting that they haven’t thought about the question, which means that Jody’s post provokes them to think about society. 

Thirdly, Jody’s PLN can surely contribute to her career development because as a journalist Jody needs recognition and trust from the public and she also needs to learn new information from others all the time. Fourthly, the authenticity of Jody’s posts is not in question, which can be seen from her attitude towards disinformation. In her post on 27th, November, she emphasized the importance of not sharing fake information. 

The two key influencers online have built a successful PLN because they are influential with a large audience, they encourage positive discussions and actively interact with others, they make full use of PLN to spread their professional insights and knowledge, and they can be trusted with real information. 

Source: Jody Vance’s Twitter posts  https://twitter.com/jodyvance

7. Conclusion

In this final project, our group has explored PLN in the age of COVID-19. COVID-19 has changed the ways in which people learn, work and connect. This means that PLN should also adopt more versatile and diverse forms utilizing accessible and both new and existing technologies to ensure greater connectivity and more widespread sharing of information. The “network” element of the personal learning network become ever more crucial in today’s age. Building and maintaining community, relying on a wide range of sources, and ensuring ethical sharing of information, not disinformation, is the key to guiding learners through this difficult time.

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