The networks presented in my Visual Network Map are indicative of the various areas of interest and intersections of both my work and personal endeavours. As Dron & Anderson (2014) point out in Teaching Crowds, “[e]very individual’s network is different from those of others because it is defined by social connections and therefore it matters whose perspective and connections are being observed” (p.76). It is through this relationship of perspective and observation of connections, that I have constructed the networks presented here. My professional network is simply labeled Education Network. The modes of interactions in this network are primarily one-to-one, although some are one-to-many. Included in this map are my peers within the MALAT program, a network connected to my higher education pursuits. The Volleyball Network is a blend of professional (coaching) and participation in sport (athlete), where both have allowed for many meaningful connections. The Personal Social Network is made up of friends and family, where primary interactions are one-to-one, or one-to-many, and are done through social media tools such as Instagram and Facebook.
I have used Kumu to complete this mapping task. Kumu offers ease-of-use and accessibility for even the most inexperienced user. If you have a LinkedIn account, you will delight in its features of importing csv. files and modifying where needed. It offers tutorials and how-to’s if you ever run into trouble. There is one drawback from my experience, in that it does require some time to edit if you are not importing a large network of connections from LinkedIn.
References:
Dron, J., & Anderson, T. (2014). Teaching Crowds. Athabasca University Press. https://www.aupress.ca/books/120235-teaching-crowds/
May 8, 2021 at 1:51 pm
Angela, I love your network map. I like how you added all the people individually to your core networks. This is a very clear imagery of how wide your network can reach, it is a really good example of the far reaching impact we can all have, and the large connections we share with each other. Very cool!
May 12, 2021 at 4:49 am
Hi Emma,
Thank you for the comment, it was a challenge narrowing down the networks to individuals especially where there were overlapping connections. I had to decide who belonged where according to my interactions. I appreciate you took the time to check it out!
Angela
June 20, 2021 at 1:02 pm
Hi Angela,
Your network map is beautiful. It illustrates your network clearly while showing how unwieldy these networks actually are. A couple of questions emerged in my mind after reading your post. How have these connections impacted you as an individual, online and offline? How do you think you have impacted your connections? Anything you would like to do differently now that you have seen your network and given it thought?
Thank you for this brilliant map Angela. I will give Kumo another try.