Social networks and social learning analytics

Prepared for Open University module H817 by Louise Worsley¹The Linked in effect’, Forbes, 2014

Social learning

“One of the strongest determinants of students’ success in higher education—more important than the details of their instructors’ teaching styles—was their ability to form or participate in small study groups” 1

“We participate, therefore we are.” 1

“social learning is based on the premise that our understanding of content is socially constructed through conversations about that content…”1

Why social networks?

“Social networking sites (SNSs) have the potential to facilitate interaction, communication, and collaboration”4

Historically, distance education (DE) has been plagued by feelings of learner isolation and alienation (Galusha, 1997), lack of participant interaction (both student-student and student-instructor), and high dropout rates (Peters, 1992). 4

“It seems likely that a great deal of informal learning is taking place both on and off campus via the online social networks.”learning is taking place both on and off campus

Learning analytics: What’s this about?

In learning analytics we are interested in collecting and using data to support the learner and optimise their educational experience and the environment in which they learn

Why social learning analytics?

1. Social networks growing: • LinkedIn now has 500 million members• Social communities become the go-to place

to get information and professional advice

“social learning analytics should provide tools to provoke learning-centric reflection on how interpersonal relationships and interactions reflect learning, or can be more effectively used to advance learning.”2

Why social learning analytics?

2. Information overload“I store my knowledge in my friends”

social learning analytics should augment learners’ capacities to build the effective social learning networks that support the filtering and navigation of the large amounts of information 2

Why social learning analytics?

3. “Knowledge-age skills” are required to live and work in todays society“The emphasis is on building a community of students and scholars as much as on providing access to educational content.”

“social learning analytics should augment learners’ capacities to assess themselves on 21 st Century skills.” 2

Why social learning analytics?

4. Innovation depends on social connectionNetworking matters

social learning can “augment personal and collective capacities by investigating how we can make visible representations of “quality of interpersonal relationships, tacit knowing, discourse and personal passion.” 2

Primary references

1. Seely Brown, J., & Adler, R. P. (2008). Open education, the long tail, and learning 2.0. Educause review, 43(1), 16-20.

2. Ferguson, Rebecca and Buckingham Shum, Simon (2012). Social learning analytics: five approaches. In: 2nd International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge, 29 Apr - 02 May 2012, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, pp. 23–33.

3. Siemens, G. (2014). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Available online at http://er.dut.ac.za/handle/123456789/69

4. Veletsianos, G., & Navarrete, C. (2012). Online social networks as formal learning environments: Learner experiences and activities. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 13(1), 144-166.

Next steps...

• What social learning indicators can really make a difference to social network learning?