ERIC Number: EJ1285583
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0309-877X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Professional Networking for Undergraduate Students: A Scaffolded Approach
Badoer, Emilio; Hollings, Yvette; Chester, Andrea
Journal of Further and Higher Education, v45 n2 p197-210 2021
Online social networking has changed how individuals communicate and associate. It facilitates building new relationships and maintenance of existing relationships. As the nature of work and career is changing, developing and maintaining relationships is essential for securing employment. Making social connections from the early stages of tertiary education is important to building and maintaining social capital. Graduate employability is an increasingly important outcome for universities and they have a key role in educating students regarding professional networking skills. The present study was designed to evaluate the development of such skills through in-class activities across a four-year programme. A pre-test-post-test design was used to compare data from 102 students on their awareness, confidence and use of LinkedIn (the largest professional networking platform). Prior to scaffolded in-class activities, students in years one and three reported little confidence and fourth-year students were the most confident using LinkedIn, although most students appreciated the importance of LinkedIn to their professional development and employment prospects. Following the in-class activities, all measures increased, up to five-fold in some year levels. Student responses to the open-ended survey questions complemented the quantitative analysis. The data suggests that embedding tasks that enhance professional networking into the curriculum can improve understanding of these platforms amongst students.
Descriptors: Social Networks, Undergraduate Students, Scaffolding (Teaching Technique), Social Capital, Employment Potential, Student Attitudes, Self Esteem, Social Media, School Role, Class Activities, Pretests Posttests
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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Author Affiliations: N/A