My Visitor & Resident Map:

• What digital platforms are students currently using to develop their professional network?

There are many digital platforms that students often use for professional networking, the most popular of which are twitter, linkedin, whatsapp and Instagram. Each of these platforms is different in the way they are used and the messages they convey. Twitter, for example, is a convenient platform for following information about the political arena. Students who are interested in public figures and national politics can sign up and choose to follow them.

• What could the student consider in expanding their professional learning network?

I think the most important thing about developing a professional learning network is its audience, whether it is for teenagers or middle-aged or older people, or whether it is for the whole age group, which is very important. Because this determines whether our development focus is on the interaction design of the web or on basic functions such as social communication.

For students, I would suggest focusing on the fastest way for users to add their friends in the network, or to have real-time communication conversations by viewing users around them, group chats, group interaction, etc.

• How do data privacy and security limit and/or promote a PLN?

The risk of account being stolen has increased. User account security is the basic requirement of people for PLN. After people have multiple PLN accounts, they usually use the same email address or cell phone number to register between multiple network platforms in order to remember them easily; in order to facilitate users’ operations, network operators also strengthen cooperation among themselves, and users can use one social networking site account to log in to multiple sites to enjoy related membership services. Data is highly correlated in the age of mega data, and if one social account is stolen, the security of other sites is also at risk. As an important asset for developer, account information is also an object coveted by criminals.

• In your network how can you create a digital identity/ reputation?

I think a good digital identity is determined by the way you talk and your personal experience. For example, whether you can create a pleasant chatting atmosphere by the way you speak, whether you can respond to each other’s messages politely, and whether you can use emojis appropriately. Personal experience refers to whether your lifestyle has something in common with others, and what kind of person you are from your life experience, which should be the kind of reputation people can get through in network.

• How did pivots to work-from-home during the COVID-19 pandemic change how we should consider our social media connectivity and professional balance?

Professional learning websites have become the cornerstone of digital news distribution. “Keeping up to date” is a key motivator for PLN users of all ages and in all regions.

Because online users have more teenage users, staying in touch with friends is their primary reason for using PLN. However, the coronavirus has accelerated the global trend of reading news on PLN.