Reflect on your experience in the course, your development of PLN, your use of social media platforms and networked publics, any changes in your perspective of social media in professional settings and personal use.

I knew something about PLN before taking this class, and my curiosity about this knowledge led me to take EDCI 338. However, this class taught me something new about the PLN field that was exactly what I was missing before. After I started this course, I wrote down every point that needed to be improved through the feedback from my classmates, and carefully researched the resource provided by the instructor so that I could digest the knowledge with the materials.

After repeated study, I gradually understood the intention of each teaching design and was able to give my feedback in the assignment. Although not every thinking outcomes was appropriate, at least I would enjoy the happiness of gaining knowledge from the process through the whole course.

Talking about the future trend of PLN and my thoughts on it

First, as mobile social media usage continues to rise, learning through PLNs will be a common behavior in people’s daily lives for quite some time to come. This establishes the user base for the continuous development of PLN. Second, PLN platforms will embody more business models and continue to change the operation and profitability models of a range of industries, in addition to playing more of a commercial role in advertising, PR and brand marketing. Third, when PLN expands to sectors other than business operations, such as in company management, education and training, the role and power of non-direct profit level will be gradually shown in the future. Fourth, big data computing will improve PLN services more deeply, making them more effective and relevant, while the database of users owned by social media will benefit more individuals and organizations. Fifth, beyond the language barrier, social networks will add wings, and human communication and collaboration will have a broader platform.