View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Universidade do Minho: RepositoriUM E-MODERATION IN A THEMATIC SAMPLE OF ORKUT VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES Eliana Santana Lisbôa, Clara Pereira Coutinho University of Minho (PORTUGAL) [email protected], [email protected] Abstract In today's society, the technologies have a role of prominence in all social segments, allowing the understanding of the new social structure - the network society - and thus a new economy in which information technology and communication tools are considered indispensable in handling the information and construction of knowledge by individuals. Therefore, this communication begins Introducing the concept of social network as a virtual space where information can be shared in a democratic and egalitarian, focusing our attention on Orkut. Then, we discuss the concept of virtual communities and finally, present an analytical study on the role of e-moderator in virtual communities of Orkut that focused on themes: "Web 2.0", "Teacher education" and "ICT". The objective of the study was to find out the e-moderators opinions and perceptions about their role in the community since the literature identifies him as the subject that streamlines and motivates the group, contributing to the integration and socialization of the members as well as to the construction of knowledge in the community. Results show that the e-moderator is the main actor responsible for the mediation of the process of interaction and knowledge sharing inside the community. We also verified that the quality of the topics discussed assumes a very important nature that influences and determines the participation and retention of members in a community. The e-moderator emerges as the key element in fostering virtual communities, yet it was perceived that e-moderators may not have a full awareness of the importance of his/her role, often assuming a more administrative than pedagogical function. Keywords: E-moderation, Collaboration, Social Network, Orkut, Internet. 1 INTRODUCTION Nowadays, virtual social networks are spaces in which people of all ages, races, occupations, socio- economic backgrounds and even religions meet for different purposes: to make friends, to share experiences and knowledge and to keep themselves up to date in a changing, competitive and demanding global world. The formation of social networks as informal spaces for learning throughout life is a recurring theme that has been approached by several authors, including [1], [2], [3],[4] and [5]. Today, with the spread of the Internet and other digital technologies, there has been a proliferation of these environments (social networks), on existing platforms or even through specific software (for example, MySpace, Facebook, Ning, Orkut, etc.). This has allowed the creation of virtual communities, which may form as a means of socialising, but which at the same time can serve as an instrument of expression and communication through the discussion of various topics, thereby including the construction of knowledge in a collaborative way. The objective of the study was to find out the e-moderators opinions and perceptions about their role in the community since the literature identifies him as the subject that streamlines and motivates the group, contributing to the integration and socialization of the members as well as to the construction of knowledge in the community. 2 VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES According to the relevant literature, virtual communities can function as informal spaces for collaborative learning, where, through mutual support and interaction between members, information can be transformed into knowledge. In fact, as stated by[6], “the community is developed not only on shared interests, which corresponds to its simplest form, but also by integrating the diversity of representations, including 'social voice' as regards” [6]. 3URFHHGLQJVRI('8/($51&RQIHUHQFH ,6%1 -XO\%DUFHORQD6SDLQ However, not every virtual community can be considered as a virtual learning community. To be considered as such, a virtual community must present three attributes: cognitive presence, social presence and teaching presence. Cognitive presence is defined as a component that allows participants from a given community to construct meanings through discussions held in that context [7], [8]. The cognitive presence reflects the development of higher psychological processes, giving individuals the opportunity to establish relationships with other existing knowledge, acquiring higher levels of competence in terms of analysis and critical reflection. The social presence relates to the creation of an enabling environment so that participants feel comfortable and safe when expressing their ideas. This is crucial in a community because it prepares members to develop the ability to express their opinions and points of view and, above all, to respect the diversity of the opinions in the group. Thus, it becomes a very important support through which the cognitive presence can become effective, since it prepares people to learn collaboratively and to discuss ideas using solid arguments and within set ethical principles, thus promoting critical thinking and also learning [7]; [9]. Finally, the teaching presence, which is understood to be the provider of the components outlined above, aims to promote a space conducive to the sharing of knowledge and the construction of meaning. Therefore, the presence of these elements in a virtual community can bring about multiple forms of communication, and transform cyberspace into an infinite channel for multiple learning experiences. It must be considered that it is both challenging and motivating to belong to a group, to participate and to be recognised as an active member [10]. When socially integrated into the group, the individual seeks to act in accordance with its rules and, according to the author, learns about much more than the focus of his own interest. In other words, individuals learn to live as part of a group, to listen and to overcome conflicts by respecting a diverse range of opinions. 3 E-MODERATION The term e-moderation can be defined “as a regulatory activity of procedures for the organization [sic] of groups and learning that takes place in virtual environments, with particular attention to the ways of promotion, management and monitoring” [6]. This is because what can promote the expansion or reduction of the learning environment is the constant streams of interaction between participants, which is directly related to technical and human components, thereby ensuring the quality of connections. However, for this to happen, as noted by [11], monitoring by a leader or an e-moderator capable of energising and involving all members in the group is fundamentally important. It is vital that they always have in mind the aim of creating a friendly and socially positive environment which is conducive to collaborative learning, prolonging the network’s “life cycle, i.e., its sustainability” [11]. According to [12], the e-moderator should know how to recognise and value the contributions of participants in the community during the discussion process; they should also have credibility within the group so that members feel free to participate, encouraging the flow of information. They should make appropriate interventions by means of providing feedback, an evaluative summary at the end of or even during the discussion, so that the construction of knowledge is seen as a result of the interactions established inside the group. Moreover, they should have skills and abilities related to online learning; they should have communication skills, be able to master the content that will be addressed and, above all, they must have knowledge of the technologies in use. Finally, the e- moderator should have some individual attributes such as creativity, motivation and being emotionally sensitive to the factors (diversity etc.) that can interfere with online interactions, with the aim of establishing a shared leadership. Many authors as [13] consider that four aspects in the role of the e-moderator in a virtual community: pedagogical, social, technical and administrative. The pedagogical is his capacity to direct the discussions to the proposed community objectives. In other words, it can be seen as the ability to moderate the community discussions so that don´t miss the focus as well to enhance the change of ideas and socialisation. The social role aims to maintain the identity of the group creating an environment that promotes the discussions and guarantees mutual respect. The technical refers to the technological expertise and software knowledge needed to create and moderate a virtual community. Finally the administrative role deals with issues related to the management of a virtual environment. In general, e-moderation is an activity that requires planning, implementing and closure of online activities [5]. The first stage consists in organising the topics to be discussed considering didactics and pedagogical frameworks as well as the relevance they have for the community in order to stimulate and encourage participation. The rules of social coexistence must be defined at this stage as well as the type of language and the form of the discourse. We may speak of a sort of planning of the activity that must consider all details and forms of overcoming unsuspected drawbacks that need to be resolved. The second stage, the most interventional, is