Characterizing Social Interactions in Online Social Networks: The Case of University Students

M. E. Sousa-Vieira, J. C. López-Ardao, M. Fernández-Veiga

2017

Abstract

The widespread use of computing and communications technologies has enabled the popularity of social networks oriented to learn. In a previous work, we studied the nature and strength of associations between undergraduate students of an introductory course on computer networks, using an online social network embedded in a learning management system. With datasets from two offerings of the same course, we mined the sequences of questions and answers posted by the students to identify structural properties of the social graph, patterns of collaboration among students and factors influencing the final achievements, concluding that the structural properties most correlated to the final academic results are robust measures of centrality (degree and eigenvector), which are already detectable since the first weeks of the course. In this work, we apply SNA to graduate engineering students enrolled in a master level course in computer networks. The results obtained show that quality participation in the social activities appears to be correlated with the final outcome of the course, and that good students tend to show denser egonetworks. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of the role of social learning among highly educated students.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Sousa-Vieira M., López-Ardao J. and Fernández-Veiga M. (2017). Characterizing Social Interactions in Online Social Networks: The Case of University Students . In Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU, ISBN 978-989-758-240-0, pages 188-199. DOI: 10.5220/0006292701880199

in Bibtex Style

@conference{csedu17,
author={M. E. Sousa-Vieira and J. C. López-Ardao and M. Fernández-Veiga},
title={Characterizing Social Interactions in Online Social Networks: The Case of University Students},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU,},
year={2017},
pages={188-199},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0006292701880199},
isbn={978-989-758-240-0},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF
JO - Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Education - Volume 2: CSEDU,
TI - Characterizing Social Interactions in Online Social Networks: The Case of University Students
SN - 978-989-758-240-0
AU - Sousa-Vieira M.
AU - López-Ardao J.
AU - Fernández-Veiga M.
PY - 2017
SP - 188
EP - 199
DO - 10.5220/0006292701880199