1.
Digital Connectedness: Taking Ownership of Your
Professional Online Presence
Sue Beckingham
Thinking Out Loud 2012, Undergraduate Research Conference
York St John University

2.
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of
actors (such as individuals or organizations) and
the dyadic ties (interaction) between these actors.

3.
Why networks matter
“Power does not reside in
institutions, not even the state or
large corporations.
It is located in the networks that structure society . . .”
Manuel Castells

4.
Busy Connected Network
Structures

5.
What Happens In An Internet
Minute?

6.
Network benefits
Access to information,
knowledge and experience.
The goal in a network is to make all the
experience, skills and knowledge – tacit or
explicit – available to anyone at the point
of need
Anklam 2007

7.
Sir Ken Robinson (2010) RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

8.
Think for a moment about
• your connections
• what you share with others
• and why....
Hold those thoughts

9.
Communication Spectrum
• Collaborating • Replying
• Moderating • Posting and Blogging
• Negotiating • Networking
• Debating • Contributing
• Commenting • Chatting
• Net meeting, Skyping, • E-mailing
Video Conferencing • Twittering/microblogging
• Reviewing • Instant Messaging
• Questioning • Texting
Churches, A. (2009) Blooms Revised Digital Taxonomy
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy

10.
Solis and Thomas (2009)
http://www.theconversationprism.com
Your personal choice of tools

11.
Your personal level of involvement
• Creators
• Conversationalists
• Critics
• Collectors
• Joiners
• Spectators
• Inactives

12.
Online connectedness
• Enables and provides support for learning
• Can increase the effectiveness of learning
• Can increase access to learning.
• Allows people to connect with each other in
spite of geographical distances
• Provides a forum and permission to participate
• Complements face to face communication
Adapted from George Siemens
http://www.elearnspace.org

13.
Consider
how you
might
use your
network

14.
We live in a world of mobile, social
and always-on media

15.
More than ever before, humans need to teach
and learn from each other about human-centric
ways to use new tools.
One important step that people can take is to
become more adept at five essential literacies:
1. Attention
2. Crap detection
3. Participation
4. Collaboration
5. Network know-how.
Howard Rheingold, 2012
Net Smart: How to Thrive Online

16.
Clay Shirky argues that
“It is not information overload,
it is filter failure”

17.
<< Smarter collaborative filtering
 Information need
 Critical evaluation
 Selection
 Useful information

18.
New Skills

19.
Future Work Skills 2020
Virtual collaboration - Ability to
work productively, drive
engagement and demonstrate
presence as a member of a virtual
team.
New-media literacy - Ability to
critically assess and develop
content that uses new media
forms, and to leverage these
media for persuasive
communications.

20.
The potential to develop global connections

21.
Learner 2.0
• Operate within decentralised
and deliberately formed
networks of tools, resources
and people
• Established through
contributions to blogs,
tweets/tweeting via Twitter;
sharing slides (Slideshare) etc
• Crowdsource ideas,
active/passive social search e.g.
for research or assessment
• Importantly it is both personal
Source: David Hopkins, 2009, University of Bournemouth and collaborative
http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk @hopkinsdavid

22.
http://socialmedia4us.wordpress.com/

23.
Graduate Attributes
‘Our country will need
different kinds of student
experiences to enable its
graduates to contribute to the
world of the future’.
Prof. Paul Ramsden,
JISC Student Experiences of Technology:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/campaigns/studentexperiences.aspx

24.
However....
Unlike
footprints in
the sand your
digital
footprints are
permanent

25.
How will your digital shadows from your past
impact on your future?

26.
The will to win, the
desire to succeed,
the urge to reach
your full potential...
these are the keys
that will unlock the
door to personal
excellence.
Confucius

27.
Digital Connectedness: Taking Ownership of
Your Professional Online Presence
Developing pathways to connectedness essentially commences
with family and friends, but over time new connections outside
of these circles begin to form ever increasing and interlinking
circles. These informal and formal networks have the potential
to help you unlock new doors to new opportunities. Social
media can without doubt provide excellent communication
channels and a space to develop your network of
connections. Nonetheless as your online presence expands it
leaves behind both digital footprints and digital shadows; and
this needs to be given due consideration. This keynote will
look at the value of developing a professional online presence
and why as future graduates you need to take ownership of
this.
http://www.yorksj.ac.uk/ltd/ltd/student-engagement/undergraduate-research-confere.aspx

28.
Sue Beckingham
@suebecks
Sheffield Hallam University