Keyboard warriors in cyberfights:conflict in online communities of consumption

Nowadays, with the use of social media generalizing, increasingly more people gather online to share their passion for specific consumption activities. Despite this shared passion, conflicts frequently erupt in online communities of consumption (OCC). A systematic review of the literature revealed that a lot of knowledge has developed on OCC conflict. Different types of conflicts unfolding in an OCC context have been distinguished, various drivers of conflict identified and various consequences outlined at the individual level (experiential value) and the community level (collective engagement and community culture). However the specificity of conflicts unfolding in an OCC context has not been conceptualized. Past research is also inconclusive as to where and when does OCC conflict create or destroy value in communities. This research provides a theory of OCC conflict and its impact on value formation by conceptualizing OCC conflict as performances. The theory was developed by conducting a netnography of a clubbing forum. Close to 20,000 forum posts and 250 pages of interview transcript and field notes were collected over 27 months and analysed following the principles of grounded theory. Four different types of conflict performances are distinguished (personal, played, reality show and trolling conflict) based on the clarity of the performance. Each type of conflict performance is positioned with regard to its roots and consequences for value formation. This research develops knowledge on disharmonious interactions in OCCs contributing to the development of a less utopian perspective of OCCs. It indicates how conflict is not only a byproduct of consumption but it is also a phenomenon consumed. It also introduces the concept of performance clarity to the literature on performance consumption. This research provides guidelines to community managers on how to manage conflict and raises ethical issues regarding the management of conflict on social media.

Modelling question selection behaviour in online communities

Value of online Question Answering (QandA) communities is driven by the question-answering behaviour of its members. Finding the questions that members are willing to answer is therefore vital to the effcient operation of such communities. In this paper, we aim to identify the parameters that cor- relate with such behaviours. We train different models and construct effective predictions using various user, question and thread feature sets. We show that answering behaviour can be predicted with a high level of success.

Reducing the Discipline Gap Among African American Students: Learning in Classroom Communities of Practice

The author argues that learning in classroom communities of practice may reduce exclusionary school discipline practices and the discipline gap that disproportionately affect African American students. Communities of practice prioritize the social nature of learning as legitimate peripheral participation, encouraging community membership, social identity transformation, and synergistic relationships and spaces.

Communities of Practice and Learning in a Senior Living Environment

Adults participate in communities of practice (COP) in diverse environments. As the number of US citizens 55 years or older increases, so might the number residing in adult living environments. COP research would be valuable in such settings.

Adults Learning Math Online: A Surprising Harmony

Adults returning to school face challenges including overcoming math anxiety. Many choose online courses as they balance life and work schedules. Online math courses therefore can be restructured to prevent math anxiety by catering to individual learning styles, providing tools that aid concept attainment, and using problem-based learning strategies.

Hiearchies of Eating Disorders: Fat-Phobia and Internalized Beauty Ideals in Online Communities

Research and discourse on Eating Disorders (ED) have a tendency to perpetuate certain stereotypes regarding women of color, however unintentional or innocuous it may appear. The research conducted, does show that the prominent ED within communities of minorities or of lower social status is Binge Eating Disorder (BED). A Foucauldian discourse analysis of online forums by young women with ED, such as myproana.com, would be the primary method of documenting how these women form a hierarchy of the community's ED, and analyze if it correlates with the social status primarily associated with the Eating Disorder. Within these forums, and ED based communities, a clear hierarchy is formed, with Anorexia Nervosa at the top and BED at the bottom. From the minimal research available on women of color and ED, it is clear that, for Black women at least, BED is the most common—and thus it is my goal to explore any possible correlation if applicable. Because so little exists that focuses on EDs in women of color, this analysis may help to promote more research in race and class dynamics of Eating Disorders, as well on how those factors affect how women view their own bodies.

Social-Cognitive Determinants of Success in Online Communities for Weight Management

Background: Online communities may be an effective, convenient, and relatively inexpensive intervention platform for individuals seeking assistance with weight management. Recent research suggests that these communities may be as effective as in-person treatments for weight management; however, very little is known about the characteristics that predict weight loss amongst those using an online community. Methods: Within a social-cognitive framework, we sought to identify the psychosocial characteristics that are associated with successful weight management for users of MyFitnessPal, a popular online community for weight management. We recruited participants who were new to the online community and asked them to complete 2 surveys (one at baseline and one 3 months later) that assessed various psychosocial constructs as well as self-reported height and weight. Results: Participants in our sample reported losing, on average, 4.55 kg during the 3-month time period. We found that engaging in weight control behaviors (e.g., monitoring food intake, weighing oneself, etc.) fully mediated the relationship between several of our variables of interest (i.e., baseline self-efficacy and perceived social support within the community) and weight loss. We also found that participants who expected to lose more weight at baseline were significantly more likely to have lost more weight at follow-up. Conclusions: On average, participants in our study lost a clinically meaningful amount of weight. Predictors of weight loss within this community included perceived support within the community (mediated by weight control behaviors), baseline self-efficacy (mediated by weight control behaviors), and baseline outcome expectations. Results of this study can ultimately serve to inform the design of future eHealth interventions for weight management.

Best Practices: Lessons Learned by a South Florida Non-Profit Community Based Organization while Designing and Implementing a Career Exploration Evidence Informed Framework in Urban Communities

All A’s was designed to support of the agency’s family strengthening initiatives in South Florida. All A’s uses evidence informed strategies poised to be an inclusive curriculum that teaches self-determination and adaptive behavior skills. The framework incorporates problem based learning and adult learning theory and follows the Universal Design for Learning. Since 2012, the agency has served over 8500 youth and 4,000 adults using the framework. The framework addresses educational underachievement and career readiness in at risk populations. It is used to enhance participants AWARENESS of setting SMART goals to achieve future goals and career aspirations. Participants are provided with ACCESS to resources and opportunities for creating and implementing an ACTION plan as they pursue and ACHIEVE their goals. All A’s promotes protective factors and expose youth to career pathways in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) related fields. Youth participate in college tours, job site visits, job shadowing, high school visits, online college and career preparation assistance, service learning projects, STEM projects, and the Winning Futures© mentoring program. Adults are assisted with résumé development; learn job search strategies, interview techniques, job shadowing experiences, computer and financial literacy programs. Adults and youth are also given the opportunity to complete industry-recognized certifications in high demand industries (food service, general labor, and construction), and test preparation for the General Educational Development Test.

Enlivening, Invigorating & Enhancing Science:This session explores learning from a range of Primary Science Teaching Trust projects focused on invigorating the experience of children, teachers and whole school communities with primary science.

This session will provide you with opportunity to find out what is being achieved and explore the implications for your own practice.

Evaluation of online higher education: learning, interaction and technology

The work presents a theoretical framework for the evaluation of e-Teaching that aims at positioning the online activities designed and developed by the teacher as to the Learning, Interaction and Technology Dimensions. The theoretical research that underlies the study was developed reflecting current thinking on the promotion of quality of teaching and of the integration of information and communication tools into the curriculum in Higher Education (HE), i.e., bearing in mind some European guidelines and policies on this subject. This way, an answer was sought to be given to one of the aims put forward in this study, namely to contribute towards the development of a conceptual framework to support research on evaluation of e-teaching in the context of HE. Based on the theoretical research carried out, an evaluation tool (SCAI) was designed, which integrates the two questionnaires developed to collect the teachers' and the students' perceptions regarding the development of e-activities. Consequently, an empirical study was structured and carried out, allowing SCAI tool to be tested and validated in real cases. From the comparison of the theoretical framework established and the analysis of the data obtained, we found that the differences in teaching should be valued and seen as assets by HE institutions rather than annihilated in a globalizing perspective.

Eine Pädagogik von multinationalen Online Seminaren (Webinaren) in Echtzeit im Rahmen des Blended Learning-Konzepts

Online-Meetings in Echtzeit oder auch Webinare sind eine hervorragende Möglichkeit, mit den Gruppen auf virtuellem Wege kommunizieren zu können. Dieser Aspekt beinhaltet ein enormes Potential für die internationale und nationale Zusammenarbeit von unterschiedlichen Bildungsanbietern. Während Online-Konferenzen in der Geschäftswelt bereits zum Alltag gehören, ist man im Bildungsbereich noch weit davon entfernt Webinare als integrativen Bestandteil der Lehre anzusehen. Eingebunden in ein "Blended Learning"-Szenario erwiesen sich Webinare als ein effizientes Tool für die transnationale Kooperation von Gruppen. Sogar Großveranstaltungen können als Online-Event durchgeführt werden. Es bedarf jedoch einer sorgfältigen Planung und Inhaltserstellung, um aus einem Webinar eine attraktive Lehrveranstaltung für die Lernenden werden zu lassen. (DIPF/Orig.)

VirRAD: A New Paradigm for Technology Enhanced Learning

In most e-learning scenarios, communication and on-line collaboration is seen as an add-on feature to resource based learning. This paper will endeavour to present a pedagogical framework for inverting this view and putting communities of practice as the basic paradigm for e-learning. It will present an approach currently being used in the development of a virtual Radiopharmacy community, called VirRAD, and will discuss how theory can lead to an instructional design approach to support technologically enhanced learning.(DIPF/Orig.)

Tutoría en E-Learning. Funciones y roles del tutor en la formación online

La teleformación, de manera paralela a Internet, ha tenido una rápida y constante evolución a lo largo de los últimos años. Al mismo tiempo, dicha modalidad formativa ha ido cobrando mucha relevancia en el ámbito de la formación, en particular, en la capacitación de las personas trabajadoras. Teniendo en cuenta las ventajas que presenta la teleformación, se hace necesario que se realicen avances y mejoras de la calidad en el desarrollo de los procesos incluidos en ella, como es el caso de la tutorización. Por estas razones esta investigación se plantea: ¿Qué funciones realizan los tutores y tutoras de e-learning durante las acciones formativas en las que participan?, y ¿cómo perciben esas funciones los estudiantes? Este trabajo investiga las formas de tutorización que ayudan a un mejor desempeño por parte del teletutor, promoviendo procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje que contribuyan a disminuir el índice de abandonos de estudiantes. La metodología seguida emplea técnicas cuantitativas y cualitativas buscando en cada momento, el método que mejor dé respuesta a los objetivos planteados inicialmente. Para la realización de la misma se han tomado dos muestras. Una de 707 estudiantes de cursos online pertenecientes a un proyecto de formación continua de trabajadores de pequeña y mediana empresas, y autónomos, La segunda muestra la conforman 8 tutores que han participado en el mencionado proyecto. A través de esta investigación se han podido analizar y estudiar las dimensiones y funciones que han realizado los tutores durante las distintas acciones formativas llevadas a cabo y se ha llegado a conocer las percepciones que tienen los estudiantes sobre las distintas dimensiones o funciones que ha empleado cada tutor en las mismas. Se consiguió identificar y comprender las tareas y funciones puestas en práctica por los tutores durante las acciones formativas llevadas a cabo, y las diferencias que se produjeron en ellas en cada uno de los docentes. Así mismo los resultados han permitido organizar diversos sistemas de categorías en otros tantos marcos “teóricos”, representados a través de diagramas comprensivos, que nos ayudan a entender de manera más adecuada las relaciones entre categorías y dimensiones de cada uno de los tutores del estudio. Ha sido posible incluso llegar a establecer tipologías de tutores según las funciones y roles desarrollados, los recursos más utilizados en su labor de tutorización y los rasgos que caracterizan a los estudiantes que realizan este tipo de formación.

The visibility/invisibility paradox of trust: Developing distributed educational leadership for online communities

A visibility/invisibility paradox of trust operates in the development of distributed educational leadership for online communities. If trust is to be established, the team-based informal ethos of online collaborative networked communities requires a different kind of leadership from that observed in more formal face-to-face positional hierarchies. Such leadership is more flexible and sophisticated, being capable of encompassing both ambiguity and agile response to change. Online educational leaders need to be partially invisible, delegating discretionary powers, to facilitate the effective distribution of leadership tasks in a highly trusting team-based culture. Yet, simultaneously, online communities are facilitated by the visibility and subtle control effected by expert leaders. This paradox: that leaders need to be both highly visible and invisible when appropriate, was derived during research on 'Trust and Leadership' and tested in the analysis of online community case study discussions using a pattern-matching process to measure conversational interactions. This paper argues that both leader visibility and invisibility are important for effective trusting collaboration in online distributed leadership. Advanced leadership responses to complex situations in online communities foster positive group interaction, mutual trust and effective decision-making, facilitated through the active distribution of tasks.