Caroline Haythornethwaite
Learning relations and networks in web-based communities (2008)
Int. J. Web Based Communities, Vol. 4, 2, 140-158.
- based on social network analysis
- looks in depth at relations and classifies relational interactions in terms of ties
- comments on the variety of network when considered in terms of relational structure
- fairly sophisticated use of a range of method
Learning
P140 ‘ Learning is a social network relation: it is a transaction , an exchange between people as one teaches and another learns; it is a shared experience as colleagues explore a new area, define terms, and create common ground; and it a joint experience as students attend classes and lectures together, gaining a similar view of the subject and profession. Learning involves the transfer of information (KRO ability to circulate resources including papers online) from one person to another, but also feedback, questioning and dialogue as meaning is clarified and negotiated.’
Learning with others P151 ‘ the need to articulate knowledge and clarify intent via text may be particularly useful. The forced articulation not only provides a record of knowledge development but more importantly, enacts a continuous process of making tacit knowledge explicit.’
in order to survive there must be sustaining behaviour with a network p154 “learning networks are living entities, nurtured and perpetuated by involvement ‘
Focus of the paper - Social network basis of learning communities
Vocabulary: actors, relations, ties (e.g. tie strength - weak, latent, strong).
- Tie strength in the formation of learning networks.
- comparison of online & real ties.
Refs
· Social networks :Wasserman & Faust, 1994, Wellman & Berkowitz, 1997
· Social networks and community ( Wellman, 1999)
· Learning in groups and communities: Argote et al., 2001, Brown & Duguid, 1991; Koschmann, 1996: Wenger, 19980
· Online community ( Gackenbach,2006; Jones, 1995; Kiesler, 1997;, Preece, 2000; Wellman , 1997)
Social networks, learning networks
In learning networks, learning may stand as the only connector between two people, or it may be combined with friendship, social support, and more general advice. i.e. all different types of ties.
Actors and relations in learning networks
Actors - Roles and positions are important. P142 ‘SNA lets us discover roles that we may not know exist’ and ‘ what roles are important in a learning community’ and ‘what kind of roles turn up over and over again’
Relations – p143 ‘are differentiated by content i.e. what kind of resource is exchanged or shared, direction, strength (frequency, quantity and/or intensity)’ Types of relation – transfer of information, social, emotional (eg support).
Practice is an important component of learning p142 ‘ practice, many scholars view as an equally important part of what is learned, including such things as what methods are used, how experiments are constructed etc’ p144 ‘ aspects of learning relations include pooling of knowledge, construction of common meanings and the generation of new ideas and practices’
P144 ‘technologies and social practices, including learning practices, emerge in a co-evolutionary developmental process, each phase providing the starting point for the next evolutionary phase ( Andrews and Haythornthwaite, 2007: Hickman, 1992).’
P144 ‘ all communities build transactive memory about the capabilities of community members ( Monge and Contractor, 2003)’ KRO is that the only type of memory they build about others. Actually the author says later that it can also include relations that are quite unrelated to learning e.g. who to go to for emotional support.
Discovering learning relationships (methods – questionnaire, qualitative interview, discourse analysis, whole network analysis)
Questionnaires:
See (Haythornthwaite & Wellman, 1998) for questionnaires ( 24 items about their interactions)
P145 ‘Factor analysis revealed 6 dimensions of work and social interaction that defined relations among members of the learning community. ‘ 2 for management, 2 about work products, 2 about socio-emotional interaction.
Discourse:
respondents asked what they learned from 5-8 closest co-workers.
9 learning relations
strong -exchange of factual knowledge, exchange of how to knowledge, learning about methodologies, joint work on research projects.
Less strong – learning about technology, professional socialisation, generation of new ideas,
weakest – working on project related administration.
Demonstrate ‘ the range and content of interactions’
Note about interdisciplinary groups the most necessary exchange is p146 ‘ joint articulation of difference ( Haythornthwiate, 2006a) ‘ collective knowledge about how to practice in diverse groups’
Relations based on social and /or emotional content:
For some groups social bonds are not necessary for work relationships.
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other findings p147 ‘ by contrast, a series of longditudinal interviews revealed how internal, community orientated, social and emotional communications helped students come to terms with their anxiety and confusion as new online learners ( Haythronthwaite et al., 2000)’ for these other groups socio/emotional support was supoorted across a different network of actors when compared to work based interactions.
Another finding is that with strengthening ties comes the use of more media.
Conclusion
in order to survive there must be sustaining behaviour with a network p154 “learning networks are living entities, nurtured and perpetuated by involvement ‘
Consider the following conclusions in the context of the dialogue about the changing face of education ie that students will seek out there own personal learning opportunities on the web. Haythornthwaite has identified some things that need to be designed in so that a community can exist and therefore so that a learning community might be successful.
P154 ‘examining relations provides a way of finding out what matters to a particular group, providing understanding of the learning and community processes, enabling technical and social support for such processes.’
P154 ‘ only from a community can individuals gain social capital that resides in the network of members, and only in stable community can social capital be created that can support individuals who are dipping in to support individual goals. This tension between individual use and community benefit is not new, but is clearly seen when communities are thought of as networks, with social capital to be built and sustained at the network level.
