In considering informal learning processes there are inherent challenges to overcome: these processes are, by their nature, indistinct, transitory and tacit, and the learner themselves may not be aware or able to articulate them. These issues are magnified by the unstable nature of online spaces. Factors such as identity, self-presentation (Goffman 1959, Taylor 2002, Hogan 2010, etc.) and self-commodification; professional or peer reputation and personal branding (e.g. Evetts 2012); and social comparison (Festinger 1954) all play a role. The significance of each factor fluctuating depending on the particular moment, other actors present, and those viewers perceived to be present (Marwick and boyd 2011).
The social network itself may be considered an actor or agent in the learning process, whether through filtering, tailoring or obscuring information (e.g. Pariser 2011), through shaping the possible varieties and scope of interactions within these spaces (e.g. Jenkins 2012), or through setting official policy and informal or implicit etiquette of the space (e.g. Hine 2000, Ibrahim 2008).
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What does it mean to learn with or through a social network?
What are the potential problems with learning with or through social media?
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