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Exploring the Roles of Social Participation in Mobile Social Media Learning: A Social Network Analysis
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, Faculty of Science and Technology Bournemouth University Fern Barrow, Talbot Campus, Poole Dorset BH12 5BB United Kingdom ; , , Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia ; , Center for Distance Education Athabasca University ; , School of Design, Engineering, and Computing Faculty of Science and Technology Bournemouth University Fern Barrow, Talbot Campus, Poole Dorset BH12 5BB

IRRODL Volume 16, Number 4, ISSN 1492-3831 Publisher: Athabasca University Press

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Abstract

Social media is increasingly becoming an essential platform for social connectivity in our daily lives. The availability of mobile technology has further fueled its importance – making it a ubiquitous tool for social interaction. An emerging mode of learning is the mobile social media learning where social media is used in the mobile learning mode. However, limited studies have been conducted to investigate roles of social participation in this field. Thus, the study investigates roles of social participation in mobile social media learning using the “ladder of participation and mastering”. Participants were students taking an educational technology course in a local university. The study was conducted in a four-month period. Data was collected from discussions while learning among the students using one of the mobile social media platforms, Facebook groups. The data was analyzed using a social network analysis tool, NodeXL. Data was analyzed based on egocentric networks, betweeness centrality, and closeness centrality. The findings revealed that there are four roles of social participation in mobile social media, which are: (i) lurkers; (ii) gradually mastering members/passive members; (iii) recognized members; and (iv) coaches. The findings also indicated that over the course of four months, learners can inter-change roles of social participation – becoming more central or less central in learning discussions. As a result, a roles of social participation scale for mobile social media learning is proposed. Future research could be conducted in other fields to investigate whether mobile social media could be used to promote learning.

Citation

Norman, H., Nordin, N., Din, R., Ally, M. & Dogan, H. (2015). Exploring the Roles of Social Participation in Mobile Social Media Learning: A Social Network Analysis. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(4),. Athabasca University Press. Retrieved August 19, 2022 from .

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