Characterizing faculty online learning community interactions using social network analysis
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Partnership for Integration of Computation into Undergraduate Physics (PICUP) was founded in the mid-2010s to assist educators with the challenges of integrating computation into physics curricula. In addition to in-person trainings and hosted educational materials, PICUP uses a Slack Workspace to continue collaboration and discussion off-line. In this work, we use social network analysis (SNA) to study the communication patterns of PICUP and assess if PICUP is meeting their goals in the Slack environment. Through our analysis, we discuss PICUP’s community structure and define a conceptual framework to evaluate if the goals are being met through SNA metrics. We present a comprehensive analysis of eight channels in the Slack Workspace using various SNA metrics, identifying three distinct levels of user engagement. We conclude with implications for PICUP and provide recommendations for the community.
DOI: 10.1103/n3yf-5h29
Institutions: Michigan State University, University of Oslo
Language: English
Subfield: Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,000
Funder: National Science Foundation
Awards: Collaborative Research: Surveying the state and implications of computational physics in courses for physics majors, Collaborative Research: Integrating Computation into Undergraduate Physics--A Faculty Development Approach to Community Transformation, Collaborative Research: Fostering integration of computational practices into physics courses - A local communities approach
OpenAlex ID: W4415399399