Online Communities

Bauer Béla—Déri András: Hálózathoz kötődve – a fiatalok online hálói

by András Déri

A link a teljes Arctalan (?) Nemzedék tanulmánykötet letöltéséhez vezet.

Title in English: Connected to the net: Online youth networks
Published in:: Arctalan (?) nemzedék. Ed. by: Bauer Béla & Szabó Andrea, NCSSZI, Budapest, 2011., p. 283-292.

English abstract (text only in Hungarian):

This study investigates the consequences of growing digital... more English abstract (text only in Hungarian):

This study investigates the consequences of growing digital literacy and online presence of young people with an overview of the literature on these questions and an outline of the main directions of future research. If we interpret the new spaces of virtual social action provided by new channels of communication as social spaces, we can understand the nature of the participants’ networks – especially the network’s normative characteristics and growth, as well as the diffusion within the network. We can also understand and describe the specific capitals of network members.

'Please don't put the whole dang thing out there!': A discursive analysis of internet discussions around infant feeding

by Jane Callaghan

Co-authored with Lisa Lazard

Reality, virtuality and fandom: exploring gender in online fan communities

by Jane Callaghan

Online Components of Social Capital

by András Déri

Paper presented at the International Conference on Communication, Media, Technology and Design, Istanbul, 10 May 2012.
For referring to this paper please check the original link of the conference publication, this version is clearer and more readable.

Increasingly widespread online presence has significantly changed typical ways of contacting others and maintaining... more Increasingly widespread online presence has significantly changed typical ways of contacting others and maintaining social connections. Traditionally, social capital has been described as a resource that lies in a person’s social connections, or – as a collective characteristic – social networks, which lead to reciprocity, solidarity and trust. The advent of social media fundamentally has challenged sociologists’ views on what the components of social capital are and how social ties build up networks and indicate the resources within an individual’s networks. I argue that for a better understanding of online social capital, we have to differentiate between two different types of online connections: connections based on mutual acquaintance and connections based on online activities. While the characteristics of network capital (defined as productive combinations of social connections, technology, and technological skills) can be found in both types of online connections, it is latent ties that are more characteristic of connections based on online activities.

Online Ideology: A Comparison of Website Communication and Media Use.

by Jennifer Griffith

Byrne, C. L., Nei, D. S., Barrett, J. D., Hughes, M. G., Davis, J. L., Griffith, J. A., Harkrider, L. N., Hester, K. S., Robledo, I. C., Angie, A. D., Connelly, S., O'Hair, H. D., & Mumford, M. D. (In press). Online ideology: A Comparison of website communication and media use. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

This study examined and compared the websites of ideological groups from a communications and media use perspective.... more This study examined and compared the websites of ideological groups from a communications and media use perspective. Thirty-six websites with message boards categorized as either violent ideological, nonviolent ideological, or nonviolent non-ideological were content coded for several distinguishing characteristics. The results indicated that group type was predicted by the type of information presented, the difficulty of becoming a member, and the amount of freedom members had on discussion boards. These findings suggest that characteristics of violent ideological group websites can be used to distinguish them from websites of both nonviolent ideological and non-ideological groups. This study also provides a demonstration of a research methodology that can be used to naturally observe ideological groups via an online setting.

Exploring the Democratic Potential of Online Social Networking: The Scope and Limitations of e-Participation

by Panos Panagiotopoulos

In Communications of the Association for Information Systems 30 (16), 2012

Access to the article is without charge following the link below to aisnet.org

The availability and promise of social networking technologies with their perceived open philosophy has increasingly... more The availability and promise of social networking technologies with their perceived open philosophy has increasingly inspired citizens around the world to participate in political activity on the Web. Recent examples range from opposing public policies, such as government funding cuts, to organizing revolutionary social movements, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa. Although online spaces create remarkable opportunities for various forms of political action, there are concerns over the power of existing institutions to control and even censor such interaction spaces. The objective of this article is to draw together different insights on the online engagement phenomenon, highlighting both its potential and limitations as a mechanism for fostering democratic debate and influencing policy making. We examine recent examples from Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Finally, we summarize the implications of our work and outline directions for further research.

Tensions in compliance for renal patients – how renal discussion groups conceive knowledge and safe care

by Natalya Godbold

Godbold, N. In press, ‘Tensions in compliance for renal patients – how renal discussion groups conceive knowledge and safe care’, Health Sociology Review, vol. special issue.

Taste Regimes and Market-Mediated Practice

by Zeynep Arsel

Co-authored with Jonathan Bean. Forthcoming in Feb 2013.

Taste has been conceptualized as a boundary making mechanism, yet there is limited theory on how it enters into daily... more Taste has been conceptualized as a boundary making mechanism, yet there is limited theory on how it enters into daily practice. In this paper, we develop a practice-based framework of taste through qualitative and quantitative analysis of a popular home design blog, interviews with blog participants, and participant observation. First, we define a taste regime as a discursively constructed normative system that orchestrates practice in an aesthetically oriented culture of consumption. Taste regimes are perpetuated by marketplace institutions such as magazines, web sites and transmedia brands. Second, we show how a taste regime regulates practice through continuous engagement. By integrating three dispersed practices—problematization, ritualization, and instrumentalization—a taste regime shapes preferences for objects, the doings performed with objects, and what meanings are associated with objects. This study demonstrates how aesthetics is linked to practical knowledge and becomes materialized through everyday consumption.

Sharing practices on collaborative learning: the case of a CPD Course

by Diogo Casanova

Huet, I., Casanova, D. & Ramos, F. (2011). Sharing practices on collaborative learning: the case of a CPD Course. In Moreira et al., Old Meets New: Media in Education – Proceedings of the 61st International Council for Educational Media and the XIII International Symposium on Computers in Education (ICEM&SIIE'2011) Joint Conference (pp 138-145). Aveiro, Portugal. (ISBN 978-972-789-347-8)

Teaching and learning in Higher Education is changing dramatically in the past few years. The role of teachers is no... more Teaching and learning in Higher Education is changing dramatically in the past few years. The role of teachers is no longer the one of transmitting knowledge but one of facilitating. Both students and teachers learn with each other in a learning environment that is becoming far away from the traditional classroom context. More than ever, students build virtual learning communities outside the school environment, managing and selecting information that in most cases is not used for academic purposes. Teachers need to pursue such skills and used them for their own benefit but for that it is essential to be familiar with concepts such as active learning, communities of practice and ICT enhanced learning. This paper has thus two main objectives. First it intends to highlight the importance of creating a community of practice to discuss collaborative/cooperative teaching and learning strategies and to discuss the role of ICT for maximising the interaction between students and teachers, during a continuous professional development Course on Collaborative Learning. Secondly it will present an evaluation study to monitor the impact that such an experience might have for teachers’ practice.

Formative Research on an Instructional Design Theory for Online Learning Communities: A Higher Education Faculty Development Case

by Elizabeth Yagodzinski

Ph.D. Dissertation Report

The steady and consistent growth of online learning and the rapid development of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis... more The steady and consistent growth of online learning and the rapid development of Web 2.0 technologies such as wikis and blogs have led to innovative methods of training and instruction. As a result, continuing research is needed to develop and validate instructional design theories and models that support teaching and learning in today’s technology-rich learning environment.

The goal of this research was to refine the Creating Online Learning Communities for Adults (COLCA) instructional design (ID) theory by using the theory to design an online faculty development course. A formative research design guided the investigation.  Formative research seeks to identify improvements for an instructional design theory based on a designed instance of the theory, in this case an online faculty development course in Web 2.0 tools and techniques. This research is a designed case applying the COLCA instructional design theory to an online faculty development course. Data sources included course documents and observations, email messages, and participant interviews. These data were used to determine which methods prescribed by the COLCA ID theory work well, what methods could be improved, and in which specific situations each method works best.

As an original contribution to the discipline of information technology as applied to teaching and learning, this study sought to improve upon an instructional design theory currently in its early stages of development and informs the design of online learning communities for adults. This research is important to continued growth and advancement of contemporary instructional design theories that provide support for emerging technologies, adult learners, and online learning methods that facilitate the development of online learning communities and communities of practice.

Retention in online courses: Surviving the first week.

by Timothy Clapper

Clapper, T. C. (2012). Retention in online courses: Surviving the first week. Evolllution. http://www.evolllution.com/curriculum_planning/retention-in-online-courses-surviving-the-first-week/

Understanding retention in online learning means understanding the learners and the issues that are involved in their... more Understanding retention in online learning means understanding the learners and the issues that are involved in their decision to stay or go. There are some consistent variables that occur in the first week that a course developer and facilitator must consider.

Supporting the cooperation of end-user programmers through social development environments

by Leif Singer

Towards communities of practice for mashups

by Leif Singer

Recasting Social Media Users as Brand Ambassadors: Opening the Doors to the First ‘Social Suite’

by Avery Holton

Co-authored with Mark Coddington, University of Texas at Austin. Published in Case Studies in Strategic Communication, 2012.

Professional sports teams have struggled to incorporate social network sites into their existing branding and media... more Professional sports teams have struggled to incorporate social network sites into their existing branding and media strategies, wrestling with issues of access and trust. This case study examines an innovative effort by one organization, Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Indians, to create a physical space for online discussion about their team. In that space, called the “Social Suite,” local social media users were given exclusive access to watch the team’s games from a suite, along with access to team staff and information. Through in‐depth interviews and participant observation this study found suite users saw themselves not as members of the media, but as active participants in the team’s own online marketing efforts. This self‐perception corresponded with team executives’ goal to use the suite as a way to reverse negative online discussion about the team by creating a network of influential “brand ambassadors” who spread positive perceptions about the organization. This novel approach—one that illustrates the changing landscape of media and communication
practice and theory—may serve as a model for other sports teams and businesses as they work to integrate the public into their digital and online efforts.

Cult Yet? The 'Miracle' of Internationalization?

by Benjamin W. L. Derhy

in Williams, R. (ed.) (forthcoming, 2013) Torchwood Declassified: Investigating Mainstream Cult Television, London: I.B. Tauris.

The sci-fi series Torchwood started on BBC3 as a small spin-off from an immensely successful programme, Doctor Who.... more The sci-fi series Torchwood started on BBC3 as a small spin-off from an immensely successful programme, Doctor Who. After discussing Torchwood's prior positioning in relation to the cult and mainstream labels, this chapter analyses the unexpectedly violent reaction of Torchwood's fans with regards to the use of American cult Television writers on the programme's latest series, and how the latter impacted on Torchwood's cult and mainstream status. By addressing the viewers' negative response towards Miracle Day, this paper exposes the opposite consequences which resulted from the latter. It finally outlines the impermanency of this situation, and the long term repercussions which may arise from it.

ÇEVRİMİÇİ ÖĞRENME ORTAMLARINDA ALGILANAN SOSYALLEŞME ÖLÇEĞİNİN BİLGİSAYAR DESTEKLİ ORTAKLAŞA ÖĞRENME ORTAMLARINA YÖNELİK YAPI GEÇERLİĞİ/ CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF THE SCALE OF THE PERCEIVED SOCIABILITY OF ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN COMPUTER SUPPORTED COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

by Salih BARDAKCI

Erkan Çalışkan
Salih Bardakcı
Necmettin Teker

Abstract

The main aim of the study is to test construct validity of “The Scale of
The Perceived... more Abstract

The main aim of the study is to test construct validity of “The Scale of
The Perceived Sociability of Online Learning Environment (SPSO)”, developed
by Kreijns, Kirshner, Jochems and VanBuuren (2007) and adapted to Turkish
culture for online learning environments by Bardakci (2010) in computer supported
collaborative learning (CSCL) environments. The scale consists of ten
five-point-Likert type items under a single factor, and all of the items positively
contribute to the total score. The research data is collected from 158 undergraduates
from Ankara University, Gazi University, Marmara University and Van
Yuzuncu Yil University, participating in a CSCL environment application in the
2008-2009 academic year. Confirmatory factor analysis is applied to the
obtained data. According to results SPSO exactly maintains the construct shown
by Kreijns and et al. (2007) and Bardakci (2010) in CSCL environments. In the
research, both The Cronbach Alpha internal consistency coefficient and The
Sperman-Brown split- half coefficient of the scale items are found as .92.
Key Words: Computer supported collaborative learning, CSCL, Social
interactions, The scale of perceived sociability


Özet

Bu araştırmanın amacı Kreijns, Kirshner, Jochems ve VanBuuren (2007)
tarafından geliştirilen ve Bardakcı (2010) tarafından Türk kültürü ve çevrimiçi
öğrenme ortamlarına yönelik olarak uyarlanan Çevrimiçi Öğrenme
Ortamlarında Algılanan Sosyalleşme Ölçeği’nin (ÇASÖ) yapı geçerliğinin bilgisayar
destekli ortaklaşa öğrenme (BDDÖ) ortamında sınanmasıdır. ÇASÖ tek
faktör altında toplanan ve tamamı toplam puana olumlu yönde katkı sağlayan
beşli Likert tipinde 10 maddeden oluşmaktadır. Araştırma verileri Ankara,
Gazi, Marmara ve Van Yüzüncü Yıl üniversitelerine devam etmekte olan ve
2008-2009 öğretim yılında ortak bir BDOÖ uygulamasına katılan 158 lisans
öğrencisinden elde edilmiştir. Veriler üzerinde doğrulayıcı faktör analizi çalışmaları
gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre ÇASÖ BDOÖ ortamında
da Kreijns ve arkadaşları (2007) ve Bardakcı (2010) tarafından ortaya konulan
yapıyı aynen korumaktadır. Araştırmada ÇASÖ maddelerine ilişkin olarak
hem Cronbach Alfa iç tutarlık hem de Sperman-Brown iki yarı test güvenirlik
katsayıları .92 düzeyinde bulunmuştur.
Anahtar Sözcükler: Bilgisayar destekli ortaklaşa öğrenme, sosyal
etkileşim, algılanan sosyalleşme ölçeği.

An informal online learning community for student mental health at university: a preliminary investigation

by Derek Richards

As a potential solution to increasing demands on mental health services at universities, this project seeks to develop... more As a potential solution to increasing demands on mental health services at universities, this project seeks to develop an informal online learning community for mental health support and education.  Students’ use of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), especially to access health information, provides a supporting rationale for this project.  The design for this study is grounded in the pedagogical principles of informal learning and the practices for building successful online communities. The student online mental health community has been implemented at the authors’ university for one academic term and the initial analysis of its usage is positive.  Features that are being positively evaluated are the role of the reader participant, disinhibition that arises from anonymity, online provision acting as a gateway to further support, and online provision reaching an audience who ordinarily do not use face-to-face services.  At the same time, difficulties specific to this type of community have surfaced, including technical issues, implications of anonymity and user safety.

Features and benefits of online counselling: Trinity College online mental health community.

by Derek Richards

Online counselling attempts to deliver established expertise using new modes of technology. A unique feature of online... more Online counselling attempts to deliver established expertise using new modes of technology. A unique feature of online delivery is that the Internet can facilitate community and therefore any interventions can potentially act therapeutically for an online community of users.  This paper reports on the use of an online counselling service, highlighting the positive effect of disinhibition and the therapeutic benefit of writing.  Single session counselling is discussed as a model that fits the service provided.  Users have reported satisfaction with online counselling and the services impact within the community of users is complementary.  The benefits of increasing access and on-time and on-demand services are given attention as is the use of online counselling as part of a stepped care approach.

Hull - A Digital City? : A study into the adoption of social media and web technologies in organisations and communities.

by Delia Pembrey MacNamara

Paper type: Research paper (MBA Dissertation), University of Hull
Submitted: 28th September 2011

A study into the adoption of social media and web technologies in organisations and communities. The findings dispel... more A study into the adoption of social media and web technologies in organisations and communities. The findings dispel the myth of the Generation Y dominance on social media, and reveal that the barriers to adoption include individual perceptions and boundaries toward new technologies, incorrect assumptions of prior learning and the need to change leadership styles when utilising social media. The scope of the research and its longitudinal nature make the study original.


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Creating Church Online: Networks and Collectives in Contemporary Christianity

by Tim Hutchings

Published in "Digital Religion, Social Media and Culture: Perspectives, Practices and Futures", ed. Pauline Hope Cheong, Peter Fischer-Nielsen, Stefan Gelfgren and Charles Ess (Peter Lang, 2012).