Being/becoming professional online: Wayfinding through networked practices and digital experiences

Abstract

Social media platforms and digital networks have enabled professionals to communicate with colleagues, disseminate information, and co-create knowledge. As the Internet has grown up and social networks have scaled, there is an increased awareness of the occupational impact of being online. Prior research in postsecondary education has examined the structure of social networks, imagined audiences online, openness of practice, and informational/communication patterns of academics. We conducted 92 semi-structured interviews with higher educational professionals beyond the faculty/academic role to understand motivations and challenges online. Participants shared how they navigate digital identity and contribute to networked practices in professional online communities. Multiple factors influence and impact the use of social media over time, specifically as professionals reflect on their digital presence, network affiliations, and informal learning opportunities. We identify seven networked practices: kinship in community, self-directed learning, digital norms, navigating context collapse, career advancement, reputation management, and risk versus reward assessment.

The Impact of Media Culture on Future Professionals’ Training

“…As a result of the planned work on the formation of media culture, there is a significant increase in the level of Internet culture. In their research, Pasquini and Eaton (2021) also cite this resource.…”

Expertise, Knowledge, and Resilience in #AcademicTwitter: Enacting Resilience-Craft in a Community of Practice

“…Our study showcases how the communicative functions and processes embedded that organize online, hashtagged CoPs can shift quickly to respond, adapt, and transform professional communities online and offline. Pasquini and Eaton (2021) contend that online professional communities are normal for various members of the academic community, and the networked boundaries that are created through these spaces transcend both work and personal lives. During the initial months of Covid-19 impact across the world, #AcademicTwitter served as a space that both continued traditional forms of community of practice activities and expertise while making a marked shift in solidarity with the everyday lived realities of academic workers.…”

Professional Collaboration Networks as a Social Work Research Practice Innovation: Preparing DSW Students for Knowledge Dissemination Roles in a Digital Society

“…Pasquini and Eaton (2020) describe the skills needed to navigate social media effectively for professional reasons as “networked practice,” which includes the ability to develop a professional identity across different social media platforms (i.e., LinkedIn, ResearchGate, Google Scholar, etc.). It also includes growing one’s own social capital online by contributing to a digital community to advance career goals and professional objectives.…”

“…The same types of activities can occur across several different networks including ResearchGate, LinkedIn, and Facebook Groups. In both situations, our social work researcher is using similar skills but must also understand the norms of each online group while being able to determine the opportunities and challenges for participating and sharing in a public network (Pasquini & Eaton, 2020).…”

“…The social worker’s knowledge contribution must be regular and helpful in order to develop a positive reputation within a PCN network. In turn, a positive reputation makes it easier for the users to advance their professional agendas such as getting feedback about a proposal, finding collaborators for a project, developing collective action, or getting help with the dissemination of digital products such as white papers or infographics (Pasquini & Eaton, 2020). Moreover, one’s positive online reputation can enhance one’s off-line reputation; social capital transfers from online to in-person networks (Kuhl & Rapelyea, 2019; B.…”