A Practical Demonstration of Social Networking System in a University Setting: A Case Study of Obong University

The study has to do with the explorations of a way to use the internet services to provide a platform for theuse of individuals groups of people and companies to interact with one another through the social media The social media has really assisted interaction and even bringing together business tycoons and their services together through social networking forums blogs et

The Use of Social Networking Sites among the Undergraduate Students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka

This study was carried out to investigate the use of social networking sites among the undergraduate students of university of Nigeria Nsukka. In the context of today’s electronic media, social networking sites have come to mean individuals, using the Internet and web application to communicate in previously impossible ways. This is largely the result of a culture-wide paradigm shift in the uses and possibilities of the internet itself. The objectives of the study are to ascertain the various categories of social networking sites used by UNN Undergraduates, to examine the extent of usage of social networking sites by UNN Undergraduates, to examine their (UNN Undergraduates) purposes of using social networking sites, to determine the benefits of using social networking sites and to identify the dangers associated with social networking and to proffer strategies to ameliorate such dangers. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design which was employed to derive responses from a sample size of 150 undergraduate students of university of Nigeria Nsukka who were selected via random sampling techniques. Data were collected from this population using questionnaire. The 150 respondents completed and returned the questionnaire correctly representing 100% response sate. Means (x) were used to analyze the six research questions that guided the study. The result of the study reveals that mostly all the student were using the social networking sites in interaction with friends, connecting to their class mates for online study and for discussing serious national issues and watching movies etc. There are also laudable benefits of using social networking sites and dangers associated with social networking and such dangers can be ameliorated using the strategies available in the work. Drawn from the findings, it was recommended that university Authorities should organize seminars to enlighten students on the not-so good aspects of social networking sites etc. In addition useful suggestions for further research were equally made

Is the popularity of social networking sites affecting formality in business communication? A case study of widespread usage of such social networking sites in a company in the Czech Republic

Hlavním cílem bakalářské práce bylo zjistit, zda popularita používání sociálních sítí může ovlivňovat formálnost obchodní komunikace. K dosažení tohoto cíle bylo nutné nejdříve objasnit teoretické pozadí, tedy základní informace o tom, co je to komunikace, její formy a jak se projevuje v obchodní sféře, a dále také definovat sociální sítě, jejich význam, historický vývoj a specifické znaky. Kromě chronologického přehledu nejpoužívanějších sociálních sítí byla detailněji popsána nejrozšířenější sociální síť - Facebook. Dalším stěžejním bodem pro tyto účely bylo vypracování a následné zpracování dotazníku. Cílovou skupinou pro tento dotazník byli zaměstnanci různých firem v České Republice, u kterých se předpokládalo potřebné zázemí k získání objektivního výsledku. Na základě těchto teoretických a praktických podkladů bylo zjištěno, že sociální sítě většina zaměstnanců využívá, ale rozhodně nejsou hlavním komunikačním nástrojem na pracovišti. Z toho vyplývá, že nijak zásadně neovlivňují formálnost obchodní komunikace.Katedra anglického jazyka a literaturyObhájenoThe main aim of this thesis was to determine whether the popularity of social networking can affect the formality of business communication. To achieve this it was necessary first to clarify the theoretical background, the basic information about what is communication, its forms and how it manifests itself in business, and also to define social networking sites, their meaning, historical development and specific features. In addition to a chronological overview of the most used social networking sites have been described in detail the most common one - Facebook. Another key point to prove the goal was composing and subsequent elaborating of the questionnaires. The target group for this questionnaire was employees of various companies from the Czech Republic, who were expected to have the conveniences necessary to obtain an objective result. Based on these theoretical and practical bases it was found that the most of employee uses social networking sites, but certainly not as the main communication tool at the workplace. It follows that it does not fundamentally affect the formality of business communication

Socially-Motivated Discussion Forum Models for Learning Management Systems

This paper seeks to contribute to the field of learning management system (LMS) development in tertiary education institutions, in particular, to advance the adoption of LMSes by exploring the incorporation of appropriate socially-motivated discussion forums. This study uses a Web-based application, which implements four different discussion forum models for learning management systems (LMSes), in order to test usability and student preferences. Two non-social discussion forums and two social discussion forums were compared, to determine their appropriateness in terms of attributes or features and general functionality for LMSes. The design processes led to the creation of a Web-based application called 4DFs that includes implementations of all discussion forum models. Two of these models are non-social discussion forums: the chat room unstructured model and the traditional general threaded discussion. The other two types are social discussion forums, where users can choose who they converse with: the Twitter-style short comment feed and the Facebook-style hybrid post and reply. A controlled experiment was conducted with 31 students from the institution. The study found that students preferred that the learning forum includes certain characteristics - they prioritised ease of use, low complexity, less interaction and a user-friendly interface over their familiarity with the forum. For learning, there is a need to use the features for a specific purpose so users do not necessarily want non-essential features like emojis; instead they want systems that help them to learn efficiently

A Comparison of Socially-Motivated Discussion Forum Models for Learning Management Systems

This thesis seeks to contribute to the field of learning management system (LMS) development in tertiary educational institutions, particularly to advance the adoption of learning management systems (LMSes) by exploring the incorporation of socially-motivated discussion forum models. This study proposes a Web-based application, which includes four different discussion forum models for LMSes, in order to test usability and student preferences. The purpose of this study was to compare two non-social discussion forums and two social discussion forums, to determine their appropriateness in terms of attributes or features and general functionality for LMSes. The design processes led to the creation of a Web-based application called 4DFs, which includes four different discussion forum models. Two of these models are non-social discussion forums: the chat room unstructured model and the traditional general threaded discussion. The other two types are social discussion forums, where users can choose who they converse with: the Twitter-style short comment feed and the Facebook-style. The chat room and the traditional general threaded discussion forums’ features are based on those of Sakai, since the research sample was comprised of students from the University of Cape Town (UCT). The Twitter-style and Facebook-style elements, such as retweets, hashtags, likes and reposts, are based on Twitter and Facebook. A pilot study was conducted to discover any errors or issues with the experimental procedure. A controlled experiment was then conducted with 31 students from the institution. Participants had to fill out a background information survey to gather some demographic information and to understand more about participants’ previous experiences using chat rooms, discussion forums, and social media applications for university related purposes and for non-university related purposes. Following that, participants were given tasks to test all the features of the different discussion forum models. To avoid bias in the participants’ choosing of discussion forum models, the research was conducted with a Counterbalanced Measures Design. Participants had to fill in the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire in conjunction with their use of the Web-based application. Then, after using all discussion forums, they had to fill out a preferences questionnaire that asked about their preferences of the discussion forums and the features. The Twitter-style short comment feed model was preferred in terms of the ease of use and since participants were familiar with this forum. This was followed by the chat room unstructured model and the traditional general threaded discussion in terms of these forums’ ease of use and students’ preference for the layout. The Facebook-style was less preferable. Also, participants indicated that the post button, reply button, edit, delete, and search button were more beneficial features. Participants mention that the layout of the chat room unstructured model was not optimal, since the massive amount of text made it confusing and unclear to decipher. Participants suggested that including the uploading of media, allowing private chat, adding extra features for important posts, and using a repost button in the discussion forums would be more useful. The study found that students preferred that the learning forum include certain characteristics; they prioritised ease of use, less complexity, less interaction and a user-friendly interface over their familiarity with the forum. For learning, there is a need to use the features for a specific purpose so users do not necessarily want extra fancy features (like emojis), instead they want systems that help them to learn efficiently

Social Networking Sites to Learn Spanish as a Foreign Language: An Investigation of Busuu and Wespeke as Tools for Blended Language Learning

Research on Language Learning Social Networking Sites (LLSNS) and Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) has been limited to date. English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has dominated LLSNS, and the existing research typically focuses on informal/autonomous language learning. This thesis is original in that it investigates Busuu and Wespeke, two LLSNS not previously researched in combination, and explores their use in a Spanish course in the higher education sector. The study fills several gaps in the literature related to the social dimension of LLSNS and uses Hinkelman’s (2018) ecological framework to investigate how LLSNS can be used in a blended learning context. Two research questions guided the study: 1) What theories of SLA do LLSNS adhere to? And 2) How do the features of LLSNS develop SFL learning skills? An exploratory research design was used involving two stages in a blended Spanish beginners’ course developed by the teacher-researcher in a university in North-West England involving twelve students. A mixed-methods approach was designed to collect data via user experience questionnaires, feedback questionnaires, logon sheets and focus groups and analysed by thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. While LLSNS are often promoted in line with social constructivist learning principles, findings suggested that not all LLSNS follow them, and many, like Busuu, tend to rely on behaviourist exercises involving repetitive practice. Conversely, Wespeke largely followed a social constructivist approach, encouraging language exchange and online social interaction. While LLSNS can help improve core language skills, learners in the study were surprisingly more interested in using their online features to improve writing rather than speaking. This study’s main limitation was that no linguistic performance was measured. However, it has implications for the effective design of blended language courses. Future research is required to measure learner performance in LLSNS and to investigate the attrition and/or disengagement experienced by some students

Toward a Ludic Architecture. The Space of Play and Games

Whether we think of a board game, an athletic competition in a stadium, a videogame, playful social networking on the World Wide Web, an Alternate Reality Game, a location-based mobile game, or any combination thereof: Ludic activities are, have, and take place in or at, spaces. “Toward a Ludic Architecture” is a pioneering publication, architecturally framing play and games as human practices in and of space. Filling the gap in literature, Steffen P. Walz considers game design theory and practice alongside architectural theory and practice, asking: how are play and games architected? What kind of architecture do they produce and in what way does architecture program play and games? What kind of architecture could be produced by playing and gameplaying? “Toward a Ludic Architecture” is a must-read for analyzing and designing play and games from an architectural standpoint. Such a contribution is particularly applicable in an era when games extend into physical, designed space that is increasingly permeated by devices, sensors, and information networks, allowing for rules and fictions to superimpose our everyday environments. Including a maze-like, episodic, and critical discussion of interweaving “play-grounds,” “Toward a Ludic Architecture” is a playful look at the conceptual space of play and games.</p

Implementing social networking features in a web environment

This report has been written with the aim of providing the reader with a vivid summary of the author’s work and learning experience during completion of the Final Year Project at School of Computer Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. For the purpose of this project, a website built by a PhD student- Knowledge Web for Memetic Computing- was enhanced to include social networking features and connect memetic scientists. The project draws inspiration from the impact of social networking on the World Wide Web. Social network, a relatively new aspect to the Internet, has engulfed many people into the realm of virtual interaction. Leading this online rage are the Internet sites Facebook and Twitter. The reach of social network has gone into the academic and professional world as well with sites like Research Gate and LinkedIn rising up the user count chart. Knowledge Web for Memetic Computing is an academic database of journals, related software and glossary of terminology. However, this website is at its infant stage with a potential for expanding into a full-fledged specialized social network for the academia in this expansive research field. The purpose of this project is to study the given website- Knowledge Web for Memetic Computing, identify the shortcomings, propose additional features that would enhance the networking ability of the site’s users and then implement those features. Several features have been proposed to create a well-connected network of researchers dedicated to the field of memetic computing. Firstly, a login page was created which would connect the user’s facebook account to the website, hence providing them with a profile to work with. A Facebook application that invites all your friends was envisioned. Secondly, there were no actual research papers on the website and merely details that were manually entered. This feature was considered crucial, and two ways of uploading/downloading papers were planned- a manual function and a web crawler. Thirdly, the website was empowered to send emails to all the tagged users in a paper so that they can collaborate with the author on the research.Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science