Being part of several personal learning networks (PLN) is a great idea in any career. In instructional design, it is crucial to belong to these groups. I have gathered many tips and ideas from belonging to a variety of PLN. Personal learning networks are significant because it is easy to access information anywhere around the world. PLNs allow you to connect with other people with the same interests as you and learn together.
My PLN chart
So far, I am part of a few personal learning networks. Some more serious than others. As you can see in the chart below, social media is a big part of my PLN.
Youtube allows me to create playlists and follow my favorite content creators that talk about instructional design. I specifically watch creator Devlin Peck. From learning authoring tools to how to create a portfolio. Youtube is my number one PLN. Instragram is great for quick information, microleraning at its finest. This app usually leads to other websites linked by the creators. I have a playslist of my favorite instructional designers. With podcasts, I can listen to my favorite content on the go. I feel that podcasts are less distracting because I focus more on what I’m listening too. With other social media, I tend to get distracted more. I joined an Instructional Design facebook group not too long ago. The group focuses more on corporate instructional design. I’m still exploring Tiktok as a resource and learning platform. I follow instructional designers and the information they provide is quick and to the point.
It is helpful for an instructional designer to be part of personal learning networks. In my opinion, my current PLN are a great start but adding a few more will benefit me in the long run. Learning from others that follow the same path as you benefit the entire PLN community.