The term “Networked Learning Spaces (NLS)” is an entirely new one to me. However, upon researching what a NLS truly is, I realized that I’ve run across many NLS in my online web surfing. If there is a community of learners sharing resources on a specific topic, a NLS exists. This could be in the form of a Pinterest board, a Twitter account, YouTube Channel, website, Instagram hashtag or LinkedIn group, to name several.
For this week’s experimental activity in my INTE 5665: Social Media and Digital Cultures course, I decided to choose the topic of “photography” to test the NLS culture.
To begin, I created criteria for including my list of NLS:
· There must be a following of at least 150 subscribers/followers/community members.
· The NLS must currently be active.
· The NLS members have posted a plethora of posts on varying photography topics.
· The NLS offers insight into photography that I would want to actually return to the NLS.
Here is a list of some of the NLS on photography that I found, setting the groundwork for our upcoming NLS class project creating our own NLS:
1) Denver Photography Group (Facebook)
a. Members=1,480
b. 17 posts today; 530 posts in the past month
c. This group was private and I had to join, but they had strict rule for no spam, no selling equipment and no marketing yourself/photos.
2) #theworldshotz (Instagram)
a. 2,676,536 posts
b. 400-1,500 likes per post
c. 15-30 comments on average
d. Active today
3) Joe Allam Travel Photography (Youtube Channel)
a. 172,238 subscribers
b. Most recent video posted 3 days ago
c. 25,000 average views per video
d. 45 average likes per video; 30 comments on average per video
4) Best Travel Photos (Pinterest Group)
a. 80,060 followers
b. 3,960 pins
c. Shares photos from around the world with an average of 1,000 pins per photo
5) Photography (Reddit Community)
a. 1,400,000 members
b. 1 day since most recent post
c. 300 likes on average per post
d. 45 comments on average per post
From searching photography NLS, I found myself leaning towards travel photographers, which is as per usual with my interests. I liked groups that had explanatory “About” sections and direct community posts amongst members. The more front-and-center community dialogue was on each NLS group site, the more engaged I was in the group as I felt that members were more engaged. Something I also noticed, specifically about Facebook NLS that I viewed, is that clear do-and-don’ts of the community were helpful in getting a feel for what type of community it was, if I wanted to join and how controlled the environment was for sharing.
I’m a strong believer in networked learning and that you learn best within a community of various backgrounds and ideas. Other community members can challenge the status quo of your own thinking. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of NLS that required you to answer questions in order to join and view content. While I understand this is a good way to safeguard against internet trolls and robots, it seemed frustrating and preventative. For some groups that required follow-up to join, I simply didn’t feel strongly enough about those NLS to join.
However, this was an interesting experiment surfing the internet for NLS. I realized almost immediately that I’ve been utilizing NLS on various topics over the years and just hadn’t put a label on it. NLS have helped me learn cultural nuances for expats in South Korea, search for jobs, learn photography skills and more over the years. I’ll continue to build on NLS for my own personal and professional growth.
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