Enhancing the Social Capital of Learning Communities by Using an Ad Hoc Transient

Communities Service

Sibren Fetter, Adriana Berlanga & Peter SloepCELSTEC, Open University of the Netherlands

19th of August, 2009International Conference on Web-based Learning 2009

Overview

• Definitions

• Example• Ad Hoc Transient Communities• Expected effects

• Proposed peer-support service

• Current work

• Future work

• Conclusions

• Questions

Definitions

• Learning Network

• Online social network• Consists of multiple communities• Participants are people, organizations, schools, etc.

• Social Capital

• Representation of the relationships between participants in a social network

Example – slide 1

Online learning network about building

Has many participants (100+)

The network has a forum as main communication method

Participants’ knowledge / experiences range from:

Example – slide 2

Problems:

1.The network structure is highly dependant on central participants2.Many participants will have a low sense of belonging to the community3.Each request is accessible to every participant

• Not very efficient• Barrier for newcomers

Ad Hoc Transient Communities (AHTCs)

Ad Hoc Transient Community

Expected effects

AHTC

•Decentralized network

•Higher sense of belonging to the community

•Increased mutual support

Proposed peer-support service

• AHTCs meant as an addition to existing communication methods

• The service should...

• Have a matching mechanism

• Be able to create private communication areas

• Be embedded in the larger online learning network• Access to the forum• Usage of profiles• History of fulfilled requests

Current work

• Simulations in Netlogo

• Start by simulating previous AHTC work

• Add our own changes

Future work

• Theoretical paper has been submitted

• Build of a prototype

• Experiment(s) in existing Learning Network

Conclusions

• Learning network problems• High dependancy on central participants• Low sense of belonging to the community• Boundaries for asking for support, especially as a newcomer

• AHTCs solution:• Participants are brought together for a specific request (Ad Hoc)• Once a request is fulfilled the AHTC disappears (Transience)• Relationships stay

• Because:• + Spread out & number of relationships• + Sense of belonging to the community• + Mutual support

Questions

Contact information

Sibren Fetter

E-mail: sfe@ou.nl

Open Universiteit NederlandValkenburgerweg 1776401 DL HeerlenThe Netherlands

For papers:http://dspace.ou.nl/