Should Computer Scientists Make Social-Networking Research a Higher Priority?: “Facebook and Wikipedia are just the beginning. The real power of social networks will be showcased by projects that unite far-flung participants to help track disease outbreaks, revolutionize neighborhood-watch programs, encourage energy conservation, and serve other civic and community goals…”.
No doubt, social networks will grow in prominence. We’re still at the early stages of exploring how networks influence social relationships. Different types social relationships arise when geography is not a factor. Sites like Twitter can provide people with strong social connections to people they have not yet met face-to-face. I have better relationships with people in other countries, due to social technologies, than I do with some people who are located in the same building as I am.
My concern with the growth of social networks relates to how they are incorporated into education. Social networks are imported – as are many technologies and related concepts – from outside fields. We are, sadly, not leading in research on learning as a networked phenomenon. Our language and concepts are imported from math, physics, and sociology. That in itself is not bad. But to truly begin to utilize networks for learning, we need to ask questions that address needs in our field. How do learning networks differ from other networks? How does being connected influence how we develop our understanding of a subject? How can we utilize networks to improve quality of learning? How do social networks impact conceptual networks? and so on…
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3 Comments
The title implies that this question is addressed to Computer Scientists, but the article’s concern is broader. The original title of the article: “Researchers Call for National Strategy to Adapt Social Networks to Public Good” is clearer.
George, Thanks for those stimulating questions. We would also like to know the answers from our CCK08 participants and communities via the surveys. I resonate with your concept on relationships with weak ties – we seem to be more readily able to connect with those in other countries with technologies – as evidenced by my working with Roy and Jenny. It was like daily conversation without borders. And I think I could also be connected with you, Stephen and others like neighbours – just with short message and a “click”, whereas I may not have known even my neighbours down two to three houses on our street. Isn’t it amazing!
John
In a regular network (like network of computers), as the size of the network increases so does the value of the network. The computer does not get any better but its a bigger network.
In a collaborative learning network, as the size of the network increases the value of the individual node increases. Every individual has the ability to learn from more people; which creates a smarter network and therefore increasing the value of the network.
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[...] have someone acting on this role] of advocating for better and faster research. Gsiemens from eLearnSpace puts his concerned notes on how will [or already is] social networking be incorporated into [...]
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