https://flic.kr/p/ahecjJby Marc Smith https://www.flickr.com/photos/marc_smith/ |
Review of Lin, Huan, and Chuang’s (2015) “The impacts of network centrality and self-regulation on an e-learning environment with the support of social network awareness.”
This paper combines
the effects of social connectedness and self-regulation to determine their
influence on learner performance and achievement. Lin, Huang, and Chuang (2015) acknowledge results
of other studies that have already determined that, as independent factors, social
network centrality and self-regulated learning (SRL) have positive effects on
achievement. Their study works to further
explore how these two factors interact in an e-learning environment that
fosters social network awareness.
To help determine the
interaction between self-regulation and network centrality, Lin, et.al (2015)
uses “help seeking behavior” in the learners (Lin, Huang, Chuang, 2015, p. 42) an
indicative measure of how the two factors interact. Meaning, the study looked at
the number of times learners requested assistance from their peers.
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The study demonstrates
significant findings among the learner group who reported low levels of
self-regulation. Learning achievement
among this particular group of learners is positively impacted by a highly-centralized
social network. In other words, learners
who are less self-regulated are likely to achieve more when they are engaged in
a learning environment with peers they trust and can reach out to for
assistance. With low-level centrality,
low-level self-regulators had a lower number of requests for peer assistance. The report shows no significant findings for
learning achievement in the interaction of high-level self-regulation and
network centralization for learners who are highly self-regulated.
This study highlights
the importance of learners being self-regulators and having access to social
networks. To self-regulate is a quality that
can be an innate characteristic or something that is learned. Either way, being proactive is really the key
for learning achievement. Everyone has an
element of responsibility to nurture and strengthen this self-regulating quality
in themselves and in others so that learners are contributing to and gaining
from social networks in a positive way. Otherwise,
the value of that social network diminishes.
While Lin, et.al (2015) manage to bring attention to this interaction
between social network awareness, network centralization, and self-regulation, there
seems to be more opportunity to consider other indicators beyond help seeking
behavior.
In the end, this
article serves as a good reminder that learners must feel safe to ask for help,
know when and where to get help, and empowered to be proactive and own their learning. We as lifelong learners, parents, teachers,
mentors, educators, friends, and leaders must recognize that we all play a part
in this learning network we call life.
Reference:
Lin, J. W., Huang, H. H. & Chuang, Y. S. (2015). The impacts of network centrality and self-regulation on an e-learning environment with the support of social network awareness. British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(1), 32-44
