*WINNER* Classroom Physiology: The Mechanics of Student Interaction in the Honors Classroom

Abstract

This won best undergraduate poster in the Honors Program.

Social network analysis has emerged as a tool for representing and analyzing interaction and collaboration within learning spaces. Prior research related to learning spaces has emphasized the static aspects (e.g., furniture, temperature, and lighting) as opposed to the dynamic aspects (e.g., interaction, collaboration, and engagement). Beginning with the notion that learning spaces are highly dynamic environments, our project utilizes social network analysis as a method to gain further insight into effective teaching and learning strategies for fostering collaborative learning experiences. In particular, it explores interaction and collaboration in an interdisciplinary Honors classroom by using an application called Gephi to map interactions among and between students. The findings add to the body of knowledge on teaching and learning in such a way that equips practitioners to investigate interaction and collaboration in their own learning spaces.