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A Social Network Analysis Perspective on Student Interaction Within the Twitter Microblogging Environment

Citation:

Stepanyan, K., Borau, K. & Ullrich, C. (2010). A Social Network Analysis Perspective on Student Interaction Within the Twitter Microblogging Environment. Communication presented at the 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. Sousse: IEEE.

Work data:

Type of work: Communication

Categories:

e-Learning and Instructional Technology | Education | Social Media & Social Software

Tags:

twitter, microblogging, nanoblogging, social network analysis, twitter in the classroom

Abstract:

This paper summarises the analyses of participant interaction within the Twitter microblogging environment. The study employs longitudinal probabilistic social network analysis (SNA) techniques to identify the patterns and trends of network dynamics. It explores the associations of student achievement records with the observed network. The results indicate tendencies towards: [i] reciprocal interaction; and [ii] adoption of a selective approach in communication over time, implying that students tend to communicate with fewer peers over time. The evaluations that examine achievement score attributes indicate [iii] network homogeneity and popularity effects associated to achievement scores – suggesting greater interaction among students of similar levels and more attention to higher achieving students.