Social Network Analysis: A Framework for Identifying Communities in Higher Education Online Learning

Autor/inn/en	Jan, Shazia K.; Vlachopoulos, Panos
Titel	Social Network Analysis: A Framework for Identifying Communities in Higher Education Online Learning
Quelle	In: Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 24 (2019) 4, S.621-639 (19 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Jan, Shazia K.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2211-1662
DOI	10.1007/s10758-018-9375-y
Schlagwörter	Social Networks; Network Analysis; Communities of Practice; Online Courses; Blended Learning; Guidelines; Case Studies; Electronic Publishing; Validity; Identification; Research Methodology; Higher Education; Teaching Methods + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Netzplantechnik; Community; Online course; Online-Kurs; Richtlinien; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Elektronisches Publizieren; Gültigkeit; Identifikation; Identifizierung; Research method; Forschungsmethode; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode
Abstract	This paper presents the Integrated Methodological Framework (IMF) which uses social network analysis (SNA) to structurally identify communities in higher education online learning (HEOL). Decades of research speaks for the value of community-based learning albeit in traditional, blended, or online environments. The communities of practice (CoP) and community of inquiry (CoI) are well-established, empirically tested frameworks that have been effectively used for exploration of community-based learning in professional and educational contexts. Typically, research using these frameworks has required extensive qualitative analysis making it tedious and time-consuming. Pivoting on structural similarities between networks and communities, the IMF embeds SNA constructs in structural components of the CoP and CoI frameworks. By structurally identifying a CoP and CoI, the IMF allows targeted, selective qualitative analysis thus reducing the extent of qualitative analysis required previously in research using the CoP and CoI frameworks. Application of the IMF is demonstrated in a case study on an online blogging network. The study substantiates the IMF as an effective framework for structural identification of a CoP and CoI. The validity and robustness of the IMF is being further tested in ongoing research. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01