"Choose Your Classmates, Your GPA Is at Stake!": The Association of Cross-Class Social Ties and Academic Performance. (October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gašević, Dragan; Zouaq, Amal; Janzen, Robert
• Other Names: Haythornthwaite Caroline guest-editor.; de Laat Maarten guest-editor.; Dawson Shane guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 57:Number 10(2013)
• Page Start: 1460
• Page End: 1479
• Publication Date: 2013-10
• Subjects: learning analytics -- student performance -- social ties; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764213479362
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

This article presents results from an investigation of the association between student academic performance and social ties. Based on social capital and networked learning research, we hypothesized that (a) students' social capital accumulated through their course progression is positively associated with their academic performance and (b) students with more social capital have significantly higher academic performance (operationalized as grade point average). Both hypotheses were supported by results of an empirical study that analyzed 10 years of student course enrolment records ( N = 505) in a master's degree program offered through distance education at a Canadian university. These results are consistent with previous studies that looked at social networks built through student interaction in classrooms or computer-mediated communication environments. The significance of this research lies in the simplicity of the method used to establish student social networks from existing course registration records readily available through an institution's student information system. Direct implications of this research are that (a) study plans for students should consider investment in building new social ties in each course during degree programs and (b) readily available data about cross-class networks can be used in software systems supporting study planning.