Stories in networks and networks in stories: a tri-modal model for mixed-methods social network research on teachers

Social network research on teachers and schools has risen exponentially in recent years as an innovative method to reveal the role of social networks in education. However, scholars are still exploring ways to incorporate traditional quantitative methods of Social Network Analysis (SNA) with qualitative approaches to social network research. This article provides a mixed-methods model for researching teachers' social networks and an empirical example of the model in practice. The model incorporates a tri-modal coding approach that promotes data validity while uncovering network data that some SNA methods may overlook.     

Evaluating change in interagency collaboration of a state-level interagency education team: a social network approach within a utilization-focused framework

Improving collaboration among organizations is a goal of interagency educational teams, but collaboration is typically thought of as an ambiguous concept that cannot be quantified. To assess the collaborative strength of a state-level interagency team in a Midwestern state, team members completed the Levels of Collaboration Scale (Frey et al., American Journal of Evaluation 27(3):383, 2006) for three consecutive years. The team members then utilized the results of the social network analysis to support and sustain collaborative efforts. Findings revealed that the number of partnerships increased and the depth of collaboration expanded across the 3 years. Social network analysis results were utilized to develop collaboration strategies, thus influencing the expansion of the network across the 3-year period.     

Exploring classroom interaction with dynamic social network analysis

This article reports on an exploratory project in which technology and dynamic social network analysis (SNA) are used for modelling classroom interaction. SNA focuses on the links between social actors, draws on graphic imagery to reveal and display the patterning of those links, and develops mathematical and computational models to describe and explain those patterns. Dynamic SNA extends SNA and builds on previous research on network change. Utilizing data from six videos from the TIMSS video study and a convenience sample of five observations of one teacher in a secondary school in the south of England, a methodology for dynamic SNA was applied to classroom interaction data. The results are in two ways relevant for this journal. Firstly, they show that recent developments in SNA might be usefully applied to furthering knowledge about the dynamics of classroom interaction. Secondly, the results provide an example of the use of tablet technology for fieldwork data collection.     

微群虚拟社区的社会网络分析

从社会网络分析的视角看微群,使用社会网络分析方法,借助UCINET软件分析虚拟社区的网络关系,探索其结构以及交流模式,总结虚拟社区的结构特征,对分析结果进行探讨,并在此基础上对社区的建设提出相应的建议,以促进社区的持续性发展。     

Social network analysis: a simple but powerful tool for identifying teacher leaders

Instructional teacher leadership is central to a vision of distributed leadership. However, identifying instructional teacher leaders can be a daunting task, particularly for administrators who find themselves either newly appointed or faced with high staff turnover. This article describes the use of social network analysis (SNA), a simple but powerful tool that can help administrators better understand the connectedness of their network and pinpoint influential individuals within it. We offer practical guidance for conducting SNA, generating and modifying a sociogram, and interpreting the resultant data. Additionally, we suggest that information provided by SNA may be used to inform decisions about school/district programmes and policies.     

Impact of Virtual Work Environment on Traditional Team Domains

An extensive literature review and a phenomenological heuristic case study examined a virtual work team to determine what were salient domains of the team and determine the effect the virtual work environment had upon these domains. The study determined that post‐modern philosophy and postindustrial society are linked to changes in the marketplace and the development of virtual work environments. Seven team domains were identified. The virtual work environment affects the communication domain of teams most strongly. This effect impacts the remaining domains. Decision processes were determined to be narrower and featured conformity. Effectiveness was shown to be diminished by the reduction of social facilitation and increase in social loafing. Leadership was affected by the change in the communication network from an all‐channel network to a wheel network. Relationship and trust were affected by erosion of trust. Roles changed with the team's reduced ability to resolve differences and execute detailed action. Purpose became more task‐oriented. Technology emerged in the study as the new virtual team domain. Factors involved in team members' satisfaction were related to personality, isolation, and team membership.     

A Bourdieusian rebuttal to Bourdieu’s rebuttal: social network analysis,regression, and methodological breakthroughs

Abstract

Bourdieu carved out a distinctive analytical niche for his reflexive sociology. His epistemological tool of field analysis, sometimes coupled with statistical correspondence analysis, is particularly powerful when deciphering the matrix of objective structures and subjective structures within social spaces (field) where agents vie for positions (capital), strategise dispositions (habitus), and negotiate practices. When grappling with the inner workings of the social world and the logic of practice within the social world, Bourdieu favours his field theory over network theory and considers correspondence analysis to be superior to regression analysis. In this paper, I argue that Bourdieu’s canonical theory-laden analytical framework does not exclude other methodological approaches. Indeed, Bourdieu himself argues against ‘methodological monotheism’. I therefore make an attempt to develop a Bourdieusian approach to Social Network Analysis (SNA) and regression analysis, despite Bourdieu’s explicit rebuttal to these methodological schools. To this end, I first review Bourdieu’s rebuttal to network analysis and regression analysis. I then tentatively incorporate SNA and regression into Bourdieu’s analytical framework. This is followed by an example of using SNA and regression in Bourdieusian research conducted in a Chinese educational context. In this vein, I engage with a Bourdieusian rebuttal to Bourdieu’s rebuttal.     

The impacts of network centrality and self‐regulation on an e‐learning environment with the support of social network awareness

An e‐learning environment that supports social network awareness (SNA) is a highly effective means of increasing peer interaction and assisting student learning by raising awareness of social and learning contexts of peers. Network centrality profoundly impacts student learning in an SNA‐related e‐learning environment. Additionally, self‐regulation behavior significantly influences online learning of students. However, exactly how network centrality and self‐regulation influence learning behavior and effectiveness in an e‐learning environment remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigates how both variables (ie, network centrality and self‐regulation) impact student learning in an SNA‐related e‐learning environment. Analytical results indicate that the student group with high‐level centrality and low‐level self‐regulation more significantly progresses in learning achievement than the other groups. The second finding shows the group also has the highest number of students asking for help, revealing they have the highest system utilization rate.     

Culture,role and group work: A social network analysis perspective on an online collaborative course

This paper discusses the patterns of network dynamics within a multicultural online collaborative learning environment. It analyses the interaction of participants (both students and facilitators) within a discussion board that was established as part of a 3‐month online collaborative course. The study employs longitudinal probabilistic social network analysis (SNA) to identify the patterns and trends within the network. It conjectures and tests a set of hypotheses concerning the tendencies towards homophily/heterophily and preferential attachment. The paper presents identified interaction network patterns in relation to cultural differences. It also evaluates network dynamics by considering participant roles and group work in the course under study. Results of social network analyses are reported along with measures of statistical confidence in findings. The potential for extending exploratory SNA methods and visualisation techniques in educational research are discussed here.     

Unpacking (in)formal learning in an academic development programme: a mixed-method social network perspective

How and with whom academics develop and maintain formal and informal networks for reflecting on their teaching practice has received limited attention even though academic development (AD) programmes have become an almost ubiquitous feature of higher education. The primary goal of this mixed-method study is to unpack how 114 academics in an AD programme developed internal (within their programme) and external (outside their programme) learning and teaching relations. A secondary goal is to highlight the affordances of social network analysis (SNA) methods in conjunction with qualitative approaches for academic developers to understand the (in)formal learning processes in their AD programme. The quantitative results indicate that participants maintained 4.84 relations within their AD programme and 3.17 external ties. The qualitative results indicate that most academics developed a range of emotional, academic, and professional support links, which were mostly outside the AD context. Participants needed an outlet to share their feelings, challenges, and frustrations about their teaching and their experiences on the AD programme. These feelings were shared with people they trusted, primarily close friends and colleagues. This study provides a social perspective on the formal and informal relations of AD, and argues that SNA techniques can help academic developers to make these relationships visible.     

微博环境下虚拟学习社区研究

随着Web2.0时代的到来,社会性软件成为网络非正式学习的有效支持,虚拟学习社区成为人们非正式学习的重要场所之一。微博,作为Web2.0时代社会性软件的代表之一,其在网络教育中的应用现状值得我们探讨。文章运用社会网络分析法,对大学生为主要成员的高校微博群展开研究,通过量化微群成员间的交互关系,分析大学生在微博群这一虚拟学习社区中的人际网络的结构和特征,考察成员间的交互情况。得到如下研究结论:(1)虚拟学习社区整体结构松散,凝聚力差;(2)社区整体交互模式呈现网状结构;(3)虚拟学习社区中存在意见领袖。     

网上虚拟电路实验室的建设与教学实践

网上虚拟电路实验室是利用虚拟现实技术,为用户提供一个与传统电路实验环境相一致的虚拟真实界面环境。阐述了网上虚拟电路实验室平台的基本构成和网上虚拟电路实验室环境的建设,将其应用到电路实验教学的实践中,取得了较好的教学效果。     

社会网络分析及其应用案例

该文介绍了社会网络分析的基本知识,对该方法在教育技术研究领域的应用现状进行调查,并对该方法的典型应用和一般过程进行总结概括。最后从发现"新数据"的视角,指出期刊论文的题录信息是一类重要的分析对象,其中蕴含着丰富的社会网络信息,并结合具体案例介绍了社会网络分析用于分析期刊题录信息的一般过程,期望对读者有所启发。     

网络学习社区的社会网络研究

网络学习社区作为教育领域中一个重要的学习支持平台,承载着信息共享、培养参与者的解决问题的能力,并成知识重构和创新的责任。文章以社会网络为视角对网络学习社区进行研究,利用社会网络分析方法对一个具体的网络学习区——现代教育技术论坛进行实践研究,量化地分析了社区成员之间的相互关系和相互影响,从而得出该网络社区的结构特和存在的问题,并为网络学习社区的发展提出了建议。     

在线协作学习过程中社会临场感的社会网络分析

已有的研究和实践证明,社会临场感有助于降低学习者在线学习过程中的孤独感、提升学习满意度和促进虚拟学习社区的建立。社会临场感与交互的关系十分密切,以往研究者主要借助内容分析方法或调查问卷来分析两者之间的关系,注重测量个体的意见和主观的感知,但无法反映社会临场感随时间发展变化的动态特征。社会网络分析(SNA)的中心度、密度、中心势、派系等参数能够较为合理地表征在线协作学习中师生的交互过程特征,为研究这一问题提供了新的思路。通过对一门网络课程实施期初、期中和期末三个阶段师生在线论坛中的交互过程与行为进行定量和可视化的社会网络分析,结果显示:学习者在不同学习阶段的社会临场感存在显著差异,交互和社会临场感之间具有十分紧密的联系,个体的社会临场感会随时间的发展而变化。社会网络分析有助于理解在线学习环境中社会临场感的形成和发展变化,有助于教师改进教学,提升网络教学的质量。     

Coding Classroom Interactions for Collective and Individual Engagement

This article characterizes “engagement in science learning” from a sociocultural perspective and offers a mixed method approach to measuring engagement that combines critical discourse analysis (CDA) and social network analysis (SNA). Conceptualizing engagement from a sociocultural perspective, the article discusses the advantages of a mixed methodological approach, and specifically how mixed methods can expand and enrich our understanding of engagement in certain science learning situations. Through this sociocultural viewpoint, engagement is defined as meaningful changes in disciplinary discourse practice, which captures the dialectical relationship between the individual and collective. The combined use of CDA and SNA integrates an individual's relative position in a group with her situated language use.     

Communication skills to develop trusting relationships on global virtual engineering capstone teams

As universities seek to provide cost-effective, cross-cultural experiences using global virtual (GV) teams, the ‘soft’ communication skills typical of all teams, increases in importance for GV teams. Students need to be taught how to navigate through cultural issues and virtual tool issues to build strong trusting relationships with distant team members. Weekly team meetings provide an excellent opportunity to observe key team interactions that facilitate relationship and trust-building among team members. This study observed the weekly team meetings of engineering students attending two US universities and one Asian university as they collaborated as a single GV capstone GV team. In addition local team members were interviewed individually and collectively throughout the project to determine strategies that facilitated team relations and trust. Findings indicate the importance of student choice of virtual communication tools, the refining of communication practices, and specific actions to build trusting relationships. As student developed these attributes, collaboration and success was experienced on this GV team.     

Managing information sharing within an organizational setting: A social network perspective

Information sharing is critical to an organization's competitiveness and requires a free flow of information among members if the organization is to remain competitive. A review of the literature on organizational structure and information sharing was conducted to examine the research in this area. A case example illustrates how a social network approach was used to explore the process of measuring the social structure of an organization and the implementation of change interventions to increase connectivity and manage information sharing. The process of conducting social network analysis is described using the case example. Interventions for increasing information flow are discussed. The authors provide an information‐sharing model that demonstrates the various domains of connectivity within an organization at any given state. The benefits of using social network analysis for information sharing and the implications for further research and practice are discussed.