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Participants: Geri Gay, Helene Hembrooke, Connie Yuan, Gilly Leshed, Peggy Odom-Reed, and Sadat Shami.

We are currently interested in studying the effects of information and communication technologies on the development of social capital, and group collaboration.

The NASA/AIDE project is directed at investigating the future role of technology will play facilitating distributed, collaborative work groups. Currently, engineering students at both Cornell University and Syracuse University are participating in the study. The student design teams rely heavily on the collaborative communication technology to complete their goals. The HCI group is conducting a formal evaluation of the technology and its impact on the social processes inherent in group work.

Social Networks
Social network analysis is a methodolgy used for analyzing community-based activities in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments. The theoretical and methodological background is social/communication network analysis, which is employed to identify and understand students' communication and interaction patterns when collaborating through wireless computer networking tools. Findings show that social influences, in the form of network prestige effects, strongly affected the likelihood and the extent to which information posted in the CSCL environment was shared by peers in this learning community.

Social Network, Spring 2004	Information Network, Spring 2004

Research Findings
We use social network theories and analysis methodologies to study community-based collaborative activities. Findings show that geographical distribution and group assignment had influenced the formation and persistence of both task-related and friendship ties.

Students with the belief that they are in control of their life developed social networks that maximize the potential to utilize social capital, characterized by diverse, non-redundant relationships. Further, network position is related to communication media preference. For example, central students who have relatively more social relationships prefer using computer-mediated communication technologies, like email and instant messaging. Participation is an important requirement for learning: students who maintain many relationships in the class performed better. Finally, group assignment and geographical location played an important role in fragmenting the learning community.

Publications
Cho, H., Lee, J., Stefanone, M. and Gay, G. (in press). Development of Computer-Supported Collaborative Social Networks in an Online Learning Community. Behavior and Information Technology.

Yuan, C., Gay, G., & Hembrooke, H. (in press.) Focused activities and the development of social capital in a distributed learning “community”. The Information Society.

Cho, H.C., Gay, G., Davidson, B.D. and Ingraffea, A., “Communication Styles, Social Networks, and Learning Performance in a CSCL. Journal of Computers and Education (In Press)

Stefanone, M., Hancock, J., Gay, G., & Ingraffea, T. Emergent networks, locus of control, and the pursuit of social capital. Proceedings of the 2004 Computer Supported Collaborative Work Conference, Chicago.

Lee, J. S., Cho, H, & Gay, G. (2004). Applying Network Analysis to the Analysis of Web Traffic. In the Proceedings of Work with Computing Systems (pp. 634-639). Kuala Lumpur: Damai Sciences.

Davidson, B.D., Dannenhoffer, J.F., Gay, G., Ingraffea, A., Jones, S., Lee, J-S., Stefanone, M. and Zehnder, A., “On the Use of Advanced IT Tools to Facilitate Effective, Geographically Distributed Student Design Teams,” Proceedings of the 2003 ASEE Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, June 2003.

Lee., J., Cho, H., Gay, G., Davidson, B., & Ingraffea, A. (2003). Technology Acceptance and Social Networking in Distance Learning. Educational Technology & Society, 6(2), 50-61.

Cho, H., Stefanone, M., Gay, G. (2002). Social information sharing in a CSCL community. In G. Stahl (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2002 CSCL ,43-50.

Davidson, B.D., Davidson, R., Gay, G., Ingraffea, A., Miller, M., Nozick, L., Zehnder, A., Sheckler, R., Rath, C., “Distance Design Collaboration Through an Advanced Interactive Discovery Environment,” Proceedings of the 2002 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Session 1302, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 2002.

Davidson, B.D., Davidson, R., Gay, G., Ingraffea, A., Miller, M., Nozick, L., Zehnder, A., Sheckler, R. and Rath, C., “Collaborative Distance Design of Aerospace Structures,” Proceedings of the 32nd ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Session F4F, Boston, MA, November 2002

Conference Presentations
Yuan, Yu C., Gay, G., and Hembrooke, H. (2005, May). Focused activities and the development of social capital in a distributed learning community. Paper presented at the International Communication Association Conference, New York City.

Yu Connie Yuan, Hembrooke, H., & Gay. (2005, February). Homophily of network ties in a distributed learning community. Paper presented at the Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Redondo Beach, CA.

Odom, P., Stefanone, M., Davidson, B.D., Gay, G. and Ingraffea, A., “Social Ties: They Really Matter,” 54th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 2004.

Lee, J., & Gay, G. (2004). Understanding the process of social influence of technology use in a distance learning environment. Paper presented at the 13th annual AMIC (Asian Media Information & Communication Center) Annual Conference at Bangkok (1st, July).

Lee, J. S., Cho, H, & Gay, G. (2003). Web Traffic Analysis Using Social Network Approach. Paper presented to the 2003 Convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). Kansas City, Missouri.

Lee, J., Hembrooke, H., & Gay, G (2002, January). Comparison of online networks with
the social network perspective. Paper presented at the Sunbelt Social Network Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cho, H., Lee, J., & Gay, G. (2002, January). Visualization of web browsing behavior.
Paper presented at the Sunbelt Social Network Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Cho, H., Lee, J. L., Stefanone, M. and Gay, G. (2002, July). Peer interactions using CMC technologies: The role, process and consequence in a CSCL environment. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual ICA Conference, Seoul, Korea.

Cho, H., Stefanone, M., Gay, G. (2002, January). Social information sharing in a CSCL community. Paper presented at the 2002 CSCL Conference, Boulder CO.

Lee, J., Stefanone, M. and Gay, G. (2002, July). Web browsing and mobile
computing: Examining characteristics of web browsing patterns. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual ICA Conference, Seoul.

Lee, J., Stefanone, M. and Gay, G. (2002, July). Applying a social network perspective to examine web-browsing patterns. Paper presented at the 52nd Annual ICA Conference, Seoul, Korea.

Stefanone, M., Cho, H. & Gay, G. (2001, April). Structural determinants of leadership roles in mediated networks. Paper presented at the Sunbelt Social Network Conference, Budapest, Hungary.

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