Supporting Distributed Relationships: A study of relations and media - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Supporting Distributed Relationships: A study of relations and media use over time Caroline Haythornthwaite Graduate School of Library and Information Science University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign haythorn@uiuc.edu IBICT , June 2009

In-Depth Study of Two Distributed E-Learning Classes  Who talks to whom, about what, and via which The Social Informatics of Elearning media?  How does the configuration of work requirements and media use affect who talks to whom, about what, and via which media?  How does this configuration affect interactions among members of such groups?

Distributed Environment  Distance Program The Social Informatics of Elearning  Master’s program for online learners  Initial face-to-face 2-week “boot camp”  All other courses completed at a distance  Students at a distance from campus and each other  Internet-based instruction and interaction  Lectures: Real-Audio and Chat  Homework & Assignments: Discussion Boards, Web Pages, Email  Group-wide communication: Discussion Boards, Chat  Person-to-person communication: Chat whispers, Email, Phone

Data Collection Each month for three months, members of two classes  were asked: The Social Informatics of Elearning How often , over the last month, did you  Collaborate on class work 1. Exchange information or advice about class work 2. Socialize 3. Exchange emotional support 4. With each other member of the class and via each of the  available media Chat, Webboard, Email, Phone  At end of semester, also collected data on friendship  Friend (Close Friend, Friend) or Non-Friend (someone they  worked with only, or just another member of the class) Data were collected by phone. A student research assistant  called each person and asked them the questions.

Different Class Structures  Class F97 The Social Informatics of Elearning  Live lecture with Chat weekly  Bulletin board postings required weekly  Grading based on Group projects  14 members (13 participants)  Class F98  Live lecture with Chat weekly  Bulletin board -- used early but abandoned  Weekly exercises with different pairs of students responsible for discussion each week  Grading based on Individual projects  19 members (15 participants)

Social Networks Basics Actors  Nodes in the network The Social Informatics of Elearning  Interact and maintain relations with each other Relations  Lines in the network  Connect actors in specific kinds of interaction Ties  Lines between actors  Ties exist between actors who are connected by one or more relations Networks Configurations of discussion board  Whole configuration of ties conversations in two online classes 2001 and actors and 2002

Analysis  Social network analysis used to examine: The Social Informatics of Elearning  The size of the personal networks in these classes  How many people a class member reports interacting with overall, and about each kind of relation  How media were used to maintain social network ties  How friendship affected media use  Changes over time

Friendship effects  Friends talk to each other more frequently, about more types of things (relations), and via more media The Social Informatics of Elearning  Regression analysis shows frequency of communication (log) is positively associated with the number of relations maintained and the number of media used in both classes. N Frequency Relations Media F97 Non-Friends 95 41.1 3.03 2.36 Friends 49 77.1 3.45 2.82 ---------------------------------------------------- F98 Non-Friends 184 20.0 3.27 1.59 Friends 19 92.2 3.95 2.95 (N is the number of pairs) (Frequency of 60 is approximately once a day over the semester)

Average number of people students report talking to (their personal network size) and Mean frequency of communication by relation. Note : Friends communicate more about everything. 1 2 4 0 The Social Informatics of Elearning 4 3 5 4 1 0 4 3 0 3 8 2 5 7 3 7 7 3 6 2 0 6 2 1 5 4 1 0 4 4 3 2 1 5 1 0 0 C W E I S O E S C W E I S O E S F 9 7 F 9 8 Yellow & Diamond=Non-Friends; White & Square=Friends

Average personal network size and Mean frequency of communication by medium Note : High email use by friends 1 4 7 0 1 1 2 6 0 1 2 The Social Informatics of Elearning 1 4 1 0 5 0 1 1 1 0 9 3 9 8 4 0 7 6 3 0 2 4 2 0 6 3 2 1 0 1 0 0 I R C W e b b r d E m a i l P h o n e I R C W e b b r d E m a i l P h o n e F 9 7 F 9 8 Bottom & Diamond=Non-Friends; Top & Square=Friends

Differentiation between Weak and Strong Ties  Number of relations maintained and number of media The Social Informatics of Elearning used increases with increasing frequency of communication  “Media multiplexity”  Media use conforms to a unidimensional scale (Guttman scaling)  (1) Chat + (2) Discussion + (3) Email + (4) Phone  Weaker ties (low frequency of communication)  Use only the media required for class: Chat and Discussion Boards  Stronger ties (high frequencey of communication)  Use class media + optional media: Email, Phone

Changes Over Time: Relations  In the first month , those who work together are those who socialize together The Social Informatics of Elearning This suggests socializing as pre-requisite or co-requisite for  work relations  From the first to the second month , network sizes and range of relations increased  From the second to the third month , network sizes and range of relations decreased This suggests a wider circulation of ideas, information, etc.  during the second month  Over time, individuals engaged with fewer people with whom they maintained more relations, i.e., with stronger ties F97: narrow to strong work relations  F98: narrow to those with whom they socialize 

Dual Pattern of Media Use  Unidimensional scale showed that  Required media connect weak ties The Social Informatics of Elearning  Optional media were added by those with stronger work or social ties  This shows  (1) the type of medium selected by the instructor as the required class medium has an effect on who talks to whom via which media  (2) the type of tasks selected by the instructor as the required class tasks has an effect on who maintains strong ties with whom, and thus also who talks to whom via which media  Let’s look at some pictures …

F97: Collaborative work via IRC and Email by Time Chat Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Email Group projects; Webboard also used for discussion, connected all to all.

F98: All communications, IRC and Email by Time Chat Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Email No group project; Rotating pairs for presentations; Webboard use started but abandoned in this class; it connected very few after abandonment

Differences due to Class Structures  Class F97 The Social Informatics of Elearning Semester-long projects created a focus on work-oriented  relationships and thus increased the importance of work ties Interactions, including socializing, became highly organized  around project team members  Class F98 Changing pairs of presenters did not provide an enduring  basis for work-oriented relationships and individuals fell back on social ties Relationships become those associated with socializing,  built on non-work ties

Conclusions  Different organizational mandates lead to the formation of The Social Informatics of Elearning Different bases for relationships (e.g., work or social)  Different social structures  Different media use   Two patterns of interaction for groups … Class-wide exchange of information  Task-focused work completion   And two patterns of media use Low frequency, group-wide exchanges with the class as a  whole, supported through group-mandated media Higher frequency, close-tie exchanges with team members  and friends, supported through group media plus optional media

The Social Informatics of Elearning

Recommendations  Awareness of dual demands for support of weak and strong tie exchanges The Social Informatics of Elearning weak tie contact for exposure to new information, and new  others with whom stronger relationships may be built strong tie contact for completion of tasks, help in a crisis,  interpersonal support  Recognition of the impact of group-mandated means of communication on group structures creates a latent tie infrastructure through which weak ties  can be initiated forms group media use structures   Recognition of the impact of group-mandated forms of interaction on group structures organizational decisions also lay the groundwork for latent  and weak tie formation

Recommendations  Provide The Social Informatics of Elearning  a variety of means and opportunities for communication, including means for  group-wide, public communication  person-to-person, private communication  technical, social and organizational interventions that promote  group-wide sharing of information and resources  the growth of weak ties into stronger, self- sustaining ties