Who do you know? A study of connectedness in online education and employment

This study explored the relationship of online course intensity to development of social networks and the impact of social networks on obtaining employment or employment information to develop a better understanding of the factors that lead to improved employment outcomes and information-gathering. Graduates from three ALA-accredited programs in the Southeastern US who took some of all of their classes online to earn the MLIS degree were surveyed. Findings suggest that there are differences in types of contacts (networks) used in job-finding related to online course intensity; and there are differences in the types of network contacts used to secure employment or employment information. The results point to the importance of fitting network development to program modality (online intensity); the necessity for encouraging and promoting career-related work experiences during the master’s program; and the importance of providing face-to-face contact however infrequently to students enrolled in online programs.