Making Connections: The Importance of the Social Networks of Students Enrolled in Learning Communities

1
Making Connections The
Importance of the Social Networks of
Students Enrolled in Learning
Communities

• Gale Stuart
• Assistant Director for Assessment
• Texas AM University-Corpus Christi
• TAIR, February 6, 2008 - Galveston, Texas

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Overview of Presentation

• Background of learning communities in higher
  education and statement of problem
• An embarrassingly brief introduction to Social
  Network Analysis
• Details of two SNA studies Fall 06 and
  Spring 07
• Implications of the findings

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Learning Communities in Higher Education

• Theoretical Rationale
• Social learning
• Student involvement
• Peer interactions
• Small groups
• Connected curricula

4
Goals of Learning Communities

• Increase involvement
• Develop a sense of belonging
• Increase awareness of connections between courses
  or disciplines
• Enhance critical thinking skills

5
Outcomes of Learning Communities

• Higher retention
• Higher GPAs
• Higher satisfaction with college
• Higher intellectual skills functioning
• Greater gains in social and personal development

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Focus of this study

• Do the social relationships that students form
  in learning communities have any impact on
  college outcomes such as GPA and retention?

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Method Social Network Analysis

• A technique that considers social relations, from
  families up to nations. Social networks have
  been found to play a critical role in determining
  the way problems are solved, how organizations
  are run, and the degree to which individuals
  achieve their goals
• Attribute data versus Relational data

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Applications of Social Network Analysis

• Study the spread of HIV in a prison system
• Understand terrorist networks
• Identify key players in an organization
• Improve the functioning of a project team
• Expose financial flows to investigate criminal
  behavior
• Map communities of expertise in medical fields
• Study the adoption of contraceptive techniques in
  third world countries
• Explore power relations between countries

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Network Perspectives

• Egocentric perspective
• Socio-centric perspective

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Egocentric network
A
?
B
?
?
Ego
?
C
?
D
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Types of Network Measures for Egocentric Networks

• Number sent
• Number received
• Number reciprocated
• Personal Network Density
• Indegree centrality
• Outdegree centrality
• Betweenness centrality
• Closeness

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Socio-centric Networks
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Types of Network Measures for Socio-centric
Networks

• Number of links
• Average number sent
• Density
• Percent reciprocated
• Number of isolates
• Average Path Length
• Clustering Coefficient
• Centralization

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Site of Study

• Texas AM University-Corpus Christi,
• a regional university in south Texas
• Fall 2006 enrollment approx. 8,500
• 38 Hispanic 53 White
• 62 Female
• 65 Full-time
• Fall 2006 first-year class 1,699
• Spring 2007 first-year class 1,337

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First Year Learning Community Program Design
(example)
Triad B Tetrad D Triad I Triad L Tetrad X
Sociology History Psychology Political Science Biology
  Political Science Chemistry
English Composi-tion English Composi-tion English Composi-tion English Composi-tion English Composi-tion
Freshman Seminar Freshman Seminar Freshman Seminar Freshman Seminar Freshman Seminar
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Study Populations Fall Spring

• Fall 2006
• 7 Triads/Tetrads, approximately 150 students each
• Approximately 6 Cohorts per Triad/Tetrad
  comprised of 25 students each meeting in Freshman
  Seminar classes
• 52 total cohorts in Freshman Seminar with a total
  of 1,243 first-year students enrolled

• Spring 2007
• 6 Triads/Tetrads, approximately 150 students each
• Approximately 6 Cohorts per Triad/Tetrad
  comprised of 25 students each meeting in Freshman
  Seminar classes
• 41 total cohorts in Freshman Seminar with a total
  of 983 first-year students enrolled

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Data Collection

• On-line survey administered in Freshman Seminar
  class in late October 2006
• late March 2007
• Fall 70 response rate
• Spring 75 response rate
• Confidential not anonymous
• Background variables matched from university
  student records

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Items on the Instrument

• Personal time usage (work, socializing)
• Participation in classroom activities
• Learning Community satisfaction
• Academic satisfaction
• Overall College satisfaction
• Social Support from family friends
• Impressions of Freshman Seminar class
• Mood and disposition over last month

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Three Network Items

• Select up to 7 people from your Freshman Seminar
  Class who
• You consider to be friends
• You study with
• You would share a secret with

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Dependent Variables

• Cumulative GPA in the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007
  semester (from matched university records)
• Re-enrollment in the spring for fall students
• Re-enrollment in the fall for spring students

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Fall 2006 Results Egocentric Nets

• N 873
• 13 variables enter the equation
• R-square .267
• 3 social network items enter
• FriendsNet-Number Received
• FriendsNet-Density (negative)
• StudyNet-Indegree

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Relationships do matter

• Popular students are also good students
• Friendship groups that are closed to outsiders
  are not good for academic performance
• Students who are popular choices for a study
  partner have higher GPAs

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Other results of Egocentric Regression

• Students with higher high school class ranks and
  who come from wealthier homes generally do better
• Hispanic students have on the average a third of
  a point lower GPA than Whites
• First Generation students have on the average
  almost a quarter of a point lower GPA than Whites
• Increasing the hours spent studying pays off in
  higher GPA, while increasing the hours spent
  socializing results in lower GPA

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Fall 2006 Results of Socio-centric Regressions

• Predicting average class GPA
• N52 cohorts

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Once we control for High School Rank, the
clustering coefficient becomes important in
predicting average class GPA
Mean GPA 3.05 N 24 Clustering Coefficient
34.63
Mean GPA 2.59 N 25 Clustering Coefficient
11.29
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Students who did not re-enroll

• Had lower GPAs (1.80 versus 2.69)
• Were first generation students (65)
• Lived off-campus (65)
• Worked off-campus (80)
• Were less satisfied with their social and
  learning community experiences
• Reported being less happy in the past month
• Did not agree as often that they belonged at
  AM-CC

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Students who did not re-enroll

• Sent far fewer friendship nominations
• Were more disconnected from others, had less
  dense networks
• Were more likely to be isolates
• Were far more likely to study alone

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Fall 2006 study take-aways

• Hispanic and first-generation students are at
  greatest risk
• Relationships do matter more connected students
  persist and perform better academically
• Closed, dense networks are not optimal for
  success
• Knowing several different people is good for
  academic performance
• Students who are socially isolated are more
  likely not to re-enroll

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Spring 2007 ResultsEgocentric Nets

• N746
• 13 variables enter the equation
• R-square .332
• 5 social network variables enter
• FriendsNet-Number received
• StudyNet-Number reciprocated
• TrustNet-Closeness out (negative)
• StudyNet-Closeness in
• StudyNet-Density (negative)

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Relationships matter

• Again, popular students are also good students
• Studying together in small groups improves GPA
• Students who study in exclusive groups do not
  perform as well academically
• Students who have lower barriers for trust do not
  perform as well, although trusting at least one
  person could be important

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Other results of Egocentric Regression

• Once again, higher high school rank is associated
  with higher GPA
• Once again, Hispanic students and first
  generation students have on the average a lower
  GPA than Whites (.20 lower)
• Once again, increasing the hours spent studying
  pays off in higher GPA, while increasing the
  hours spent socializing results in lower GPA
• Students who work off-campus have a lower GPA
  than those who do not work off-campus

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Spring 2007 Results of Socio-centric Regressions
Social Network outcomes

• Predicting average class GPA
• N41 cohorts

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Friendships do matter

• Classes in which students have friendships that
  are mutual tend to perform better academically.
  These reciprocated relationships indicate strong
  bonds.
• It is important to academic performance for a
  student to have at least one friend
• Even after controlling for High School grades,
  relationships impact average GPA

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Studying together is a good thing!

• Freshman Seminar classes that have higher study
  partner density also have higher GPAs
• This means that the more students study with lots
  of other students, the better grades they receive
  on the average

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Trust in the Classroom is important

• These data show that it is important that
  students have at least one person in the class
  they can trust
• Trusting relationships should be mutual for
  optimal academic performance
• Even after controlling for High School grades,
  these relationships are important

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Students who did not re-enroll

• Had lower GPAs (1.70 versus 2.70)
• Were disproportionately Hispanic (48) and first
  generation students (62)
• Were less satisfied with their academic and
  overall college experiences
• Reported being less happy in the past month
• Did not agree as often that they belonged at
  AM-CC

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Students who did not re-enroll

• Sent and received far fewer friendship
  nominations
• Were more disconnected/distant from others, had
  less dense networks
• Did not tend to study with others
• Were less likely to have someone they trusted in
  the class

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Spring 2007 study take-aways

• Hispanic and first generation students on the
  average have lower GPAs and are at risk to not
  re-enroll
• Popular students are also good students
• It is important to GPA for students to have at
  least one friend and at least one person they can
  trust in the class
• To succeed in class, friendship and trust bonds
  should be strong (reciprocal)
• Study patterns are optimal when students study in
  pairs and with different people closed study
  partner groups do not perform as well

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Research Implications of the Method

• The importance of students relationships with
  each other in the context of academic success can
  be measured
• Can aid in early recognition of situations that
  may require intervention (like isolated students)

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Pedagogical Implications

• Instructors should think about pedagogical
  strategies in the classroom that promote the
  following outcomes
• Having at least one friend in the class is
  important to academic success
• Studying in a group is effective, but the group
  should not be an exclusive one and the study
  partners should be changed up
• It bodes better for academic success if students
  have reciprocated friendships (strong bonds)
• It is good for academic success if students know
  several different people rather than to be a
  member of a closed group of friends. Encourage
  the break-up of a cabal if you see one forming.

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Thank you!

• Contact Information
• Gale Stuart
• Assistant Director for Assessment
• Texas AM University-Corpus Christi
• gale.stuart_at_tamucc.edu