Course Reflection
I learned many aspects of social network learning that I am going to apply to my professional practice as a corporate trainer and instructional designer. The main idea that I learned in EDTECH 543 is that people can learn and retain so much more from each other, than they would if they only learned alone. Social media learning allows people to share knowledge with their peers in an efficient manner, even when they might face time or geographic barriers.
In this course, we learned about Personal Learning Networks. PLN's allow individuals to connect to sources of learning that suit their own personal learning goals. We formed our own personal learning networks within the course in order to research and collaborate on projects. It was a great experience to learn and work with other professionals. My team was outstanding and we worked very well together. That experience encouraged me to form a small network of my own in my professional life. I am now connected to a handful of open sources, such as the Association for Talent Development's discussion forum, for learning more about professional training and development.
We also learned about communities of practice. According to Etienne and Wenger, "Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly" (2015). I immediately related this to my job. I am responsible for the product training and knowledge of our sales reps in the field. I am developing a plan to facilitate a community of practice where the reps can share knowledge and learn from each other via a private LinkedIn group. Since the reps are spread across the country, this will allow them to "meet" wherever they are, ask questions and share ideas. I also learned that moderating a community of practice like this is not as simple as creating a private group and saying "have at it". It takes a lot of planning. Social network learning requires the instructor to set up guidelines for the community and also think about how to motivate learners to engage, since informal training is not always mandatory.
Overall, I enjoyed how we actually used the platforms that we were learning about throughout the semester. I now use my scoop.it page to curate content for my job. Attending four webinars, and reflecting on what I learned from them, has helped me in my own practice as well. I had not given much about attending webinars for professional development much thought prior to completing that particular module.
Blog Self-Evaluation
I believe I've earned 70 out of 75 points for my blog. I did a lot of reflection about what we learned in each module and that is evident in my posts. I also wrote about the application of the ideas we learned as well as how each assignment impacted my own learning. I could have referenced resources more often in my reflections, thus the deduction of 5 points.
References
E., & B. W. (2015). Introduction to communities of practice. Retrieved December 03, 2016, from http://wenger-trayner.com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice/
