Diversity and Inclusion in PLNs
Diversity and inclusion can make a personal learning network more valuable because they expose us to perspectives and experiences that we may not come across in our everyday lives. If everyone in a PLN has a similar background, education, or career path, the information being shared can become repetitive. Having people from different fields, cultures, locations, and levels of experience can lead to more meaningful learning and discussion.
This is something I have started thinking about more as I use LinkedIn to build my professional network. Most of my connections are currently people I have worked with, gone to school with, or met through similar professional experiences. While these connections are useful, they also mean that many people in my network have fairly similar interests and experiences. Expanding my PLN to include people working in different areas of healthcare, biotechnology, research, and other related fields could expose me to new ideas and different ways of approaching problems.
I also think inclusion involves more than simply giving people access to an online platform. Social media can make it easier for people from different locations to connect, but there can still be barriers such as access to technology, internet availability, accessibility, language, and whether people actually feel comfortable participating. Someone being present in an online space does not necessarily mean that they feel heard or included.
For me, developing a more diverse and inclusive PLN means being more intentional about who I learn from and interact with. Instead of only connecting with people who have similar experiences to me, I can follow people from different backgrounds and professions, engage with different perspectives, and be open to ideas that challenge my own assumptions. This would make my PLN more useful as a learning tool rather than simply a list of professional connections.