Originally published in the Learning and Teaching weekly newsletter (internal publication) at Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
An environmental scan is a type of research methodology that originates in market research that finds and uses “information about events, trends, and relationships in an organization's external environment” (Choo, n.d., p. 1) which is then used to make decisions. For example, the academic integrity committee recently reached out to polytechnics across Canada to see how they were handling integrity at their institutions. They utilized a simple interview to answer their research questions. This information will be used to inform decisions and the future work of the committee.
One of the most challenging aspects of conducting an environmental scan is finding the right people to reach out to, yet several strategies can be helpful if you do not know where to start your search. Start by searching for information through Google or the institution's website. You can use the 'Ask Us' or similar chat options or try Twitter. Twitter is an excellent tool for connecting, networking, learning, and sharing your work.
- Looking for someone who works in engineering at another polytechnic? Send a Tweet, tagging the institution(s)
- Ask your followers for help connecting you to the right people.
- Use Twitter to conduct informal surveys. For example, do you need to know how others are handling authentic assessment? Ask!
- Want to try out a new active learning technique, but don't know which one to try first? Run a Twitter poll.
As you engage
on Twitter, you are likely to gain followers and expand your network. You can use
Twitter to establish a professional network, especially if you are attending a
conference. Like-minded people will Tweet using the conference hashtag, so you
will quickly find many individuals who share the same interests as you. Rust
(2019) suggests that if you cannot attend a conference in person, try
connecting over Twitter, especially “if you have questions or want to learn
more” (para. 6). Rust also remarks that Twitter is less formal than LinkedIn,
so do not be afraid to use images, video and emojis. Patel (2011) notes that
Twitter is a great way to meet other researchers, share experiences, ask questions,
and recruit participants. If you have never used Twitter before, Mollett, Moran,
and Dunleavy (2011) provide a guide to getting started, complete with advice
about Tweeting styles! Start small. Begin with your Saskatchewan Polytechnic
colleagues and grow your network from there.
Suggested
Further Reading:
Choo, C. (n.d.).
Environmental scanning as information seeking and organizational learning.
Revised and updated version of "Environmental scanning as information
seeking and organizational learning." Information Research, 7(1). http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/fis/respub/chooimreader.pdf
Mollett, A., Moran, D., & Dunleavy,
P. (2011). Using Twitter in university research, teaching and impact
activities: A guide for academics and researchers. LSE Impact Blog. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/files/2011/11/Published-Twitter_Guide_Sept_2011.pdf
Patel, S. (2011, July 30). Prezi: 10
ways researchers can use Twitter. http://salmapatel.co.uk/academia/prezi-10-ways-researchers-could-use-twitter/
Rust, N. (2019, June 18). A nifty
guide for academics on using Twitter. PLOS SciComm. https://scicomm.plos.org/2019/06/18/a-nifty-guide-for-academics-on-using-twitter/
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