The social organization of students in class versus in an online social network: Freedom and constraint in two different settings

Abstract

In “The Social Organization of Students,” Pariser and Forget illustrate the variable effects of participating in both a physical and a virtual classroom and examine the students’ interactions with their classmates online as well asin person. The MonCoin curriculum’s closed social network gave students the chance to explore new “performances” of themselves as they explored and constructed their identities (Goffman in The presentation of self in everyday life. Anchor Books, New York, 1959). The students’ online and off line interactions generated revealing sociograms. These maps of interpersonal relationships offer significant potential benefits for teachers who aim to understand the social dynamics of their classrooms better.