Developing a professional online presence and effective network

This chapter considers the significance and value of using social media to develop an online presence to showcase professional and academic achievements as a student or educator, and how this can demonstrate student learning gain and teaching excellence. There are a variety of different ways to present academic work; contributing to the success of this, is understanding how social media can be used in a professional context to maximise reach and engagement. It explores how an online presence can be utilised to network with others and how this can open ‘virtual doors’ to CPD and informal learning, potential scholarly collaborations, plus new job opportunities or work experience. Furthermore a framework is introduced to illustrate the important areas to focus on to develop an online presence.