Social Navigation and Role of Persistent Structures in a Collaborative Virtual Environment

Jenny RobinsGraduate School of Library & Information Science

University of Illinois Urbana Champaign

“…what attracts people is people...”-Munro, Hook & Benyon

Definition: Social Navigation

-the way people use the activities of others to direct their own behavior.

-Direct social navigation is Personal-Indirect social navigation is Peripheral

Is it useful to look at Social Navigation when evaluating Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs)?

Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) Continuum

Structural Complexity:From List-Servs to Distance Education Programs

Types of CVEs on the Continuum:•List-Servs•Blogs•Collaboratories•MUDs & MOOs•Distance Education Programs•Virtual Work Environments

The Environment:

From Family photos to anonymous users on a Web Site

The LEEP Longitudinal StudyLibrary Education Experimental Program III

Subjects: 17 LEEP StudentsData Collection: Interview 4 times over a year

This Analysis:•Identify Persistent Structures in LEEP•Control for behaviors related to Distance Education•Identify behaviors related to Social Navigation•Map to a matrix

The Research Project: Social Networks and Virtual Community among

Computer-Supported Distance Learners. Caroline Haythornthwaite, P.I.http://alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/gslis/research/social-networks.html

7 Types of Social Navigation Behavior

Guided BehaviorsRecommender

Tutoring

Awareness BehaviorsOrientingNetiquetteAnarchistic

Approbation BehaviorsAffirmingInclusive

9 Persistent Structures

TechnologiesEmail

Web boardIRC

Whisper

AdministratorsTechnical Staff

InstructorLEEP Dean

ActivitiesBoot CampOn-Campus

BehaviorsTechnologies Administration Activities

Email Web

Board

IRC Whisper Technical

Staff

Instructor LEEP

Dean

Boot

Camp

On-

Campus

Recommeder B&P B&P P P P B

Tutoring B&P B&P P B&P P B P

Orienting P B B P P P

Netiquette B B B P B

Anarchistic B B B B

Affirming B B&P B&P B P B&P P

Inclusive B B&P B B P P P B

B = Bonus P= Planned B&P = Bonus & Planned

Social Navigation & the Role of Persistent Structures in LEEP

BehaviorsTechnologies Administration Activities

Email Web

Board

IRC Whisper Technical

Staff

Instructor LEEP

Dean

Boot

Camp

On-

Campus

Recommeder B&P B&P P P P B

Tutoring B&P B&P P B&P P B P

Orienting P B B P P P

Netiquette B B B P B

Anarchistic B B B B

Affirming B B&P B&P B P B&P P

Inclusive B B&P B B P P P B

B = Bonus P= Planned B&P = Bonus & Planned

Social Navigation & the Role of Persistent Structures in LEEP