• Note: Recognizing the shortcomings of Powerpoint, this presentation was created as an interactive session. The slides posted here provide a rough outline of the topics discussed in this session. For more information please contact the authors.

Karma or Pushback: using network theory to explore

interactions and collaboration in the virtual

classroom

Cyprien Lomas

Ulrich Rauch

University of British Columbia

Interactive Moment #1

– Let’s define Karma. Take 2 minutes to discuss what Karma means to you.

– Is there consensus in the room?

• karma

• ['kɑːmə] noun

• (Hinduism) (Buddhism)

• the principle of retributive justice determining a person's state of life and the state of his reincarnations But also:

• Karma means intention or cause.By the will of the individual, the re-action or effect can itself also influence an action

• (not cause and effect!!)

Pushback

Stimulus <> Response:

Interactive Moment #2

• Lets explore what we mean by the term ‘ecosystem’.

What is an ecosystem?

Because we are interested in the ecology of learning networks, we need to talk about Social Systems

Science and Social Science have different approaches to Systems Theory

A quick discourse on objects (in a system)

• notion of self referential vs. self organising:

• self-organisation: self-organisation of a structure

• self-reference: units that constitute a layer within a structure

• objects in an ecosystem have autonomy and are consequently creative and unpredictable, whereas programmed systems have no autonomy, but are reliable and predictable.

Baran’s Networks

Source: Barabasi, Linked

Networks are everywhere….

• Biological Systems

• Social Systems

• Musing: what are the similarities between a network and an ecological system?

Classic food web

Networks are everywhere….

How does an ecologist make predictions?

Interactive Moment #3

• Using the paper in front of you, draw a line from yourself to the two people you know best at your table.

Source: Barabasi, Linked

On Powerlaws …

Example: Blogs

What is one?

What are some features?

In addition to content, they are ‘linking machines’.

Blogroll promote uniformity

(no diversity of opinions)

A Soap box

Powerlaws: An underlying principle of self- organisation?

• Examples?– blogging– In the Classroom

Mapping the Classroom:

Let's look at the tired transformation:

“Sage on the stage to guide on the side”

• Topology Switch

• Performance vs. engagement

• Interaction potential between ”nodes””

Problem:

• CMS Discussion boards: decontextualised

• Blog is on the opposite end of the semantic spectrum: too individualised meaning, too often linked to people with the exact same opinions (strong ties - you read people with same opinions - not enough differentiation - no system development).

Interaction 4

Tell two people what you think this session is all about. Explain (and discuss) it without diagrams or referring to these slides.

 Conditions for a collaborative

learning environment: We want to create a classroom environment that

escapes the "natural laws"

We need to be careful about invoking a parallel between a learning environment and an ecology – To keep Powerlaws from actively forming hubs

and gatekeepers in a P2P environment there has to be a benefit for powerful hubs to connect to those less well connected nodes

– Marginalised voices (weak ties, nodes with few links) need to be supported or else will get caught up in connecting to a "hub", reproducing the power structures we wish to control and eliminate

– We need to use technology (and education) to counter the specific characteristics of power laws that we identify as informing the organising principle of self-organising systems.

– Diversity

– The notion of autonomous learning groups needs to be strengthened by the simultaneous articulation of support structures that stabilise the system equal weighing interacting nodes

– Technology has allowed us to identify and visualise power laws

In the end we suggest that the master's tools will be capable of dismantling the master's house.