scholarly journals A Comparison Of Student Social Networks Between Students Living In And Out Of Living Learning Communities

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane Brown ◽  
Karyn Hildreth
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Living Learning Communities

Online Learning Communities

2014 ◽  
pp. 107-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Inghilterra ◽  
William Samuel Ravatua-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Peer To Peer ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Digital Ecosystem ◽  
Successful Approach ◽  
Mediation System

This chapter highlights the potential of educational microblogging as a mediation system to support the process of distance learning. In their experimental approach, the authors conducted participant observations with university students who used their pedagogical device over the course of two semesters. Students participated through peer-to-peer and peer-to-peer to tutor interactions that took place within the academic and personal spheres. In the research corpus, the communitarian dynamic of social networks combined with playful immersion is a fruitful heuristic for individualizing learning paths and strengthening student dedication and commitment. The digital ethnographic participant observations revealed that the sharing and dissemination of information via microblogging allowed the creation of new collaborative methods and development of a culture of participation within the community of student learners. The use of sociotechnical devices such as Twitter and microblogging have proven to be excellent tools for accustoming students to Web 2.0 technologies and ensuring optimal participation in the learning process. This chapter unveils a successful approach to constructing a digital ecosystem where social interactions are initiated (during real-time synchronous educational sessions) and extended outside of academic boundaries into the private sphere. The sociotechnical mediation that the authors have created around Twitter has proven to be very effective in linking these two spatio-temporally contiguous entities for the benefit of learning communities.

scholarly journals Enhancing Fun Through Gamification to Improve Engagement in MOOC

Informatics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Borrás-Gené ◽  
Martínez-Núñez ◽  
Martín-Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Massive Open Online Courses ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Massive Open Online ◽  
Continuous Activity ◽  
High Engagement ◽  
Perfect Space

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), regardless of their topic, are a perfect space to generate, through virtual learning communities associated with them, very valuable resources for their participants and, in general, anyone interested in the topic covered. If in the design of these learning spaces, elements specific to games are added to them, which is known as gamification, we can try to increase the engagement of the student towards the course and, therefore, towards the community. This paper presents an experience of a MOOC of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (Spain) with a connectivist approach. Aspects such as fun and motivation have been worked on in the design, through the application of gamified activities and the use of elements from social networks, considered as gamification, with the aim of increasing participation and engagement within a Facebook group, used as a community to support the course. We have analyzed aspects such as enjoyment and motivation, the result of which has been active participation and high engagement within the MOOC community in the form of content and especially great interaction, highlighting the existence of continuous activity once the edition of the MOOC is finished, as a consequence of a habit generated in the student.

Validation and Living Learning Communities: An Evaluation Case Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 152102512097093
Author(s):  
Sophia Gehlhausen Anderson ◽  
Bob Blankenberger
Keyword(s):  
Learning Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Living Learning Communities ◽  
Validation Score ◽  
The Impact

In this program evaluation study, we analyzed the impact of interpersonal validation and participation in living-learning communities (LLC) on retention and GPA via regression and propensity score matching. The LLCs were designed to improve outcomes for underrepresented, low-income and first-generation students at a Midwestern regional public university. Employing data from the widely used Mid-Year Student Assessment™, we created a validation score. This student validation score was significantly associated with retention in semester three, and third semester and sixth semester GPA. In the matched pair analyses, we found mixed results with significantly improved retention for participants in just one LLC compared to their matched peers, and significantly improved GPA for a combined group of LLC participants.

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