Learning Through Network Interaction: The Potential of Ego-Networks

Abstract

Networking platforms on the Internet constitute a significant place in the lives of young people. These platforms are not often considered as potential learning environments; yet they facilitate the circulation of a great amount of information and digital artifacts. People share, discuss, encounter ideas, find each other and form communities via these sites. This chapter focuses on how through these platforms informal learning networks become available. The principles of Networked Learning and ego-network analysis, a sub-strand of social network analysis, guide our research. Based on the survey-data of 1227 high-school pupils the network composition and networked interactions of youth are mapped. We present detailed results regarding with whom online interaction happen and if network interactions in young people's personal networks (i.e., ego-network) result in discovering new information, artifacts, web-sites, etc. The findings show that similarity between our respondents and their network contacts prevailed; online networks were often a replica of the offline social circles. Although one might expect that these homogenous networks would not provide these youth with new discoveries, the participants reported that they encountered novel content frequently.

Digital Passages: Migrant Youth 2.0. Diaspora, Gender and Youth Cultural Intersections

“…However, the three foci (identity, networking and informal learning) each demanded a particular emphasis in the survey. The latter two themes proposed by the social science members of Wired Up were oriented toward learning more about the potential of ego-networks for networked learning (Ünlüsoy, De Haan & Leander, 2012;De Haan, Leander, Ünlüsoy, Prinsen, 2014;Prinsen, De Haan & Leander, 2015). The theme of identity proposed by humanities members of the project was more geared toward capturing digitally mediated representational practices, such as selfprofiling activities on social networking sites.…”

“…Their preferences can partly be understood by considering the desires, needs and expectations that may arise during their life phase of coming-of-age. The bottom-line is that the services social networking sites provide are appealing for teens, as they might feel empowered by them in having a say over their own identity representations and to facilitate peer verification, teen sociality, becoming (more) attractive and achieving a higher status (Boyd, 2007(Boyd, , 2008Ünlüsoy, De Haan & Leander, 2012;De Ridder, 2014). Young people put in an effort in updating their profile pages hoping their peers will notice it.…”