PhD proposal Sibren Fetter - The Social Function of Ad Hoc Transient Communities

The present proposal addresses research into the potential of so-called Ad Hoc Transient Communities to increase sociability in Learning Networks. Ad Hoc Transient communities are small, fleeting groupings of learners that emerge within the confines of a Learning Network and serve to solve a practical problem some learner has. As they also are a mechanism through which learners become acquainted with each other, the question arises how they may be used to reinforce the social capital of Learning Networks. To answer this question, a social network service in the form of a software artifact will be developed, evaluated by experts and tested in Learning Network-like experimental settings. In the course of the investigations, valuable insights into the dynamics of community formation in the context of a Learning Network (and similar social structures) may arise.