One of the fruitful outcomes of my postdoc is the sharpening of my academic interest towards peer effects and complex networks in learning settings. As I find myself working on several empirical projects, I thought it may be useful to pull the threads together. First, the larger question I am curious about is what learning … [Read more…]
As I am waiting for last minute administrative signatures for a grant due tomorrow, an email arrived to my mailbox that caused a reflection I am willing to share. The book title is Judge Thy Neighbor: Denunciations in the Spanish Inquisition, Romanov Russia, and Nazi Germany by Patrick Bergemann. I do not know if it … [Read more…]
Most of the time, I study human interactions in online settings using network methods. Often that implies being asked about the relationship between learning and social interactions because ‘I can also learn alone!’. Over years I grew high intolerance to this question, but having been asked it at a job interview lately (I opted out … [Read more…]
A postdoc in Singapore can not be a PI for most grant submissions. I wish I asked the question: ‘Can I apply for grants for my own research?” when I was applying for this job. In fact, I wish I asked a lot more questions like this to the brand new Assistant Prof hiring me. … [Read more…]
This May Shane and I are teaching a new course on Social Network Analysis on edX. This was quite a challenge to design as I was reluctant to give into the linear transmission of small idea chunks, and instead produced materials that integrate skills and organize them by competencies thematically. I am quite proud of some … [Read more…]
A question I continuously ponder about. Job ads rarely seek social scientists or educational researchers. They seek computer scientists, data scientists, HCI experts, or psychologists. Academic posts may make some space for learning sciences or behavioural sciences. As if only putting the science attribute makes something a discipline that can measure. I have also seen … [Read more…]
I have been to the University of Michigan these past weeks, attending Learning Analytics Summer Institute and getting acquainted with amazing learning analytics people and work that is being done there. Ann Arbor turned out a wonderful university town, picture-perfect in the summer, and taken straight out of ‘coming-of-age’ college US movies. The stay was … [Read more…]
I was asked to give a very short presentation of my PhD at my university. Introducing the MOOCs and problem formulation literally takes most of the slides, but there are a couple that summarise the main message and findings. Maybe just good to have it here as well. Please click on the link to get … [Read more…]
Excited to have our full paper accepted for the upcoming LAK conference in Vancouver. ABSTRACT The facilitation of interpersonal relationships within a respectful learning climate is an important aspect of teaching practice. However, in large-scale online contexts, such as MOOCs, the number of learners and highly asynchronous nature militates against the development of a sense of belonging and … [Read more…]
The last days I have been amazed at how much my own thinking has been shaped during the days of my graduate school. There were several major influences, but the one I would like to refer to has to do with the module on Comparative Education. I wanted to write a research paper on the citizenship … [Read more…]