This document discusses using social networks for effective communication and collaboration in computing education. It identifies common modes of communication on social networks and how they can be used educationally. These include status updates, comments, links, videos and documents. The document suggests social networks can increase student engagement, decrease email usage, and support flipped classrooms. It provides recommendations for guidelines, policies and modeling behavior when using social media for education.

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Twitter: @miami_mlearning
A Characterization of Social
Networks for Effective
Communication and Collaboration in
Computing Education

2. Introduction
• Social networks (SN) are extremely
popular
– Twitter, Facebook, G+ boast millions of users
http://ex.pn/LExZsy
• Gaining use in the workplace
– P&G, Best Buy, Deloitte, Dow Chemical, IBM,
SAP, Accenture, Microsoft, IBM, HP, Eli Lilly…
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3. Contributions
• Identify common modes of communication
in social networks
• Characterize how these modes can be
used in an education setting
• Suggest how different genres of
communication can be aided by social
networks
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4. Social Networks
• In the workplace • In education
– DiMicco et al. indicate – Junco et al. found an
that SN used to increase in
strengthen “weak ties” engagement when
at IBM Twitter used for
– Asunda argues SN discussions, etc.
improve networking, – Ellison et al. found
collaboration, students used SN to
information sharing, maintain “bridging”
etc. social capital (e.g.,
strengthening weak
4 ties)

5. Our Experience
• Goals
– Increase engagement between stakeholders
of the course
• Student/Faculty, Student/Student,
Student/Customer
– Decrease e-mail usage  Decrease
repetition
– Support inverted (i.e., flipped) classroom
• Google Plus used for this work
– Used Twitter and Facebook in the past
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6. Social Network Features
• Status updates • Video
• Commenting Teleconferencing
• Positive • IM Support
Reinforcement • Document Support
• Social Tagging • Video Support
• Linking • Recipient Filtering
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7. 7

8. Uses
• Status Updates as
Broadcasts
– Reminders
– Assignment
announcements
– Commentaries and
hints
– Content sharing
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9. Uses
• Questions, Answers,
and Comments
– Ask First
– Search First
– Consult (SN) First
• Ideal case: students
address questions by
consulting the SN first
and discussing issues
with colleagues
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10. Social Networks and Communication
Genres
• Situational Learning • Several modes of
• Effective communication in SN
communication occurs fall within workplace
within context scenarios
• Carter et al. – genres
of software
engineering
– Workplace scenarios
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11. Example: Requirements
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12. Observations
• Students familiar with the technology
• Potential for cheating
• Students adept at writing short, well-
articulated messages benefitted the most
• Engaged participants derived more utility
than disengaged
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13. Recommendations
• If you plan on using social media
– Establish guidelines for using social media
• In what ways are the different modes going to be
used?
– Define an acceptable use policy
• What are is allowed and what is not allowed
– Model desired behavior and usage
• Be an active participant within the social network
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14. Future Work
• Formally study engagement and
achievement
– Ask, Search, Consult behaviors and
performance
• Weak ties/Social capital versus
Engagement when social network is
integrated into course activities
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