Networked practices in higher education: A netnography of the #AcAdv chat community

• Published in: The Internet and higher education 2020-04, Vol.45, p.100723, Article 100723
• Main Authors: Eaton, Paul William, Pasquini, Laura A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Community of practice; Higher education; Learning communities; Netnography; Networked practice; Professional development; Social media
• ISSN: 1096-7516; 1873-5525
• DOI: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2019.100723

This study of the #acadv chat community details a longitudinal study about a digital learning network comprised of academic advising professionals who work in higher education. We discuss how networked communities of practice (CoP) scaffold professional learning and development of post-secondary educators, while also contributing to their daily practice. Utilizing Twitter chat transcripts, digital documents, social media platforms, and interviews with 17 participants of this community, we report 22 topics discussed with the top five themes focused on student needs, orientation support, advising approaches and structures, workload, and individual career development. Using a netnographic approach, we explore and offer insights about the origins, management, and sustainability of this networked practice over a seven-year period. Important findings center the organic, participatory nature of the community, the shared leadership structure, and the bidirectional nature of online and offline relationships as impacted in an online, occupational CoP. We suggest further research into networked practice to understand more about self-directed learning, participant motivation, digital archiving, and digital knowledge sharing in these types of networked occupational CoPs. •Networked practices are openly shared by higher education professionals.•Non-academic staff use social media to form distributed, self-directed learning communities.•Online, occupational communities of practice support professional learning.•Online, occupational communities allow professionals to ask questions, offer/seek advice, and dialogue.