Abstract
Blogging has become mainstream, even in Higher Education. How to successfully build and sustain dispersed cross-institutional learning networks, however, still remains a conundrum. Validation trials evaluating learning technology and practice lack possibilities to investigate this at scale with hundreds of individuals over yearlong periods of time. With this contribution, we therefore propose a model for simulating a Higher Education blogosphere in order to circumvent this cost and resources problem. The model is informed by actual, but smaller-scale trials conducted within the EC-funded iCamp project. This computational model is used to investigate the potential impact of a new educational intervention model and new blog network management facilities developed with the aim of facilitating social networking, self-direction, and collaboration among learners. The simulations conducted predict increased density and reciprocity of an open Higher Education blogosphere, when fitted with improved technology and when a subset of individuals is scaffolded along formal courses to form weak ties.
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Wild, F., Sigurdarson, S.E. (2011). Simulating Learning Networks in a Higher Education Blogosphere – At Scale. In: Kloos, C.D., Gillet, D., Crespo García, R.M., Wild, F., Wolpers, M. (eds) Towards Ubiquitous Learning. EC-TEL 2011. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 6964. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23985-4_32
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23985-4_32
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