Facebook or Fail-Book: Exploring "Community" in a Virtual Community of Practice

Autor/inn/en	Peeters, Ward; Pretorius, Marilize
Titel	Facebook or Fail-Book: Exploring "Community" in a Virtual Community of Practice
Quelle	In: ReCALL, 32 (2020) 3, S.291-306 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Peeters, Ward) ORCID (Pretorius, Marilize)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0958-3440
DOI	10.1017/S0958344020000099
Schlagwörter	Social Media; Social Networks; Communities of Practice; Network Analysis; Cooperative Learning; Web 2.0 Technologies; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; English (Second Language); Computer Assisted Instruction; Sense of Community; Learning Processes; Computer Mediated Communication; College Students; Student Attitudes; Peer Relationship; Assignments; Teaching Methods; Foreign Countries; Belgium + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Soziale Medien; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Community; Netzplantechnik; Kooperatives Lernen; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Computer based training; Computerunterstützter Unterricht; Learning process; Lernprozess; Computerkonferenz; Collegestudent; Schülerverhalten; Peer-Beziehungen; Assignment; Auftrag; Zuweisung; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Ausland; Belgien
Abstract	Creating collaborative working and learning experiences has long been at the forefront of computer-assisted language learning research. It is in this context that, in recent years, the integration of social networking sites and Web 2.0 in learning settings has surged, generating new opportunities to establish and explore virtual communities of practice (VCoPs). However, despite the number of studies on the concept, research remains inconclusive on how learners develop a sense of community in a VCoP, and what effect this may have on interaction and learning. This research project proposes to use social network analysis, part of graph theory, to explore the configuration of a set of VCoPs, and presents an empirical approach to determine how interaction in such communities takes shape. The present paper studies the concept of "community" in two VCoPs on Facebook. Participants (Group 1: N = 123, Group 2: N = 34) in both VCoPs are enrolled in English as a foreign language courses at two Belgian institutions of higher education. Social network analysis is used to show how both learner groups establish and develop a network of peers, and how different participants in those groups adopt different roles. Participation matrices reveal that interaction mainly revolves around a number of active key figures and that certain factors such as the incorporation of online and offline assignments and the inclusion of a teacher online result in varying levels of success when establishing collaborative dialogue within the VCoPs. Recommendations are formulated to inform and improve future practice. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01