Overview

This course surveys the field of social computing, which includes social interactions mediated by computational technologies and online communities. Ultimately, the class seeks to answer the following questions:

  • What does it mean for an online community to be successful?
  • Why are some online communities successful and why do others fail?
  • How can different design decisions be used to create online social experiences that lend themselves to particular community goals?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Characterize online social communities using qualitative and quantitative methodologies.
  2. Critique studies of online communities based on the limitations of methodologies and data sets.
  3. Conceptualize successful (and failed) online communities and social experiences through the lens of design choices related to content contribution, community commitment, regulation of behavior, and handling of newcomers.
  4. Create a design plan for an online community given a set of desired characteristics.
Required Texts
  1. [KR2016] Building Successful Online Communities: Evidence-Based Social Design by Robert E. Kraut and Paul Resnick

Additional articles will be made available on the course LMS.

Introduction to Social Computing

Students will explore the intersection of social behavior and technology. The module will cover the history and evolution of social computing, including the impact of social media, online communities, and collaborative technologies.

Students will reflect on their own experiences with online communities as a precursor for understanding the evidence-based design mechanisms used to design successful online communities.

In addition, students will engage with ethical challenges surrounding the study of online communities. This includes understanding the IRB processes that may be involved in the study of online communities.

Readings
Assignments
  • Course Navigation Quiz
  • Experience Paper Part 1
  • Reading Reflections 1 & 2

Methodologies for Analysis

This module offers a survey of the qualitative and quantitative methodologies employed in the analysis of online communities within the context of social computing. Students will explore a range of methodologies, including digital ethnography, inductive and deductive analysis, interviews, surveys, network analysis, and descriptive statistical analysis. Through case studies and practical applications, students will gain an understanding of how these methodologies are utilized to investigate the behaviors, interactions, and structures within online communities. By examining the strengths and limitations of each methodology, students will develop critical skills in evaluating and selecting appropriate research approaches for studying social computing phenomena.

Students will engage in hands-on activities in class that allow them to practice some of the methodologies with small data sets provided in class. Tools include NetworkX, SciPy, and Miro.

Readings
Assignments
  • Reading Reflections 3-5
  • Mastodon Posts 1-4
  • Mastodon Analysis Report
  • Community Study Report

Design Approaches

This module provides an in-depth survey of the design approaches utilized to create and maintain online social communities, with a focus on addressing the challenges of encouraging contributions, fostering commitment, onboarding newcomers, and regulating behavior. Students will examine a variety of design strategies, including incentive mechanisms, community guidelines, reputation systems, and user interface features aimed at promoting engagement and managing interactions within online social platforms. Through case studies and interactive exercises, students will gain practical insights into the complexities of designing effective social computing systems and develop a critical understanding of the trade-offs involved in addressing diverse user needs and community dynamics.

Readings

Contextualizing “Alternative” Online Communities

Some online communities require extra contextualization in order to fundamentally understand how they are working and the purpose they serve. This is particularly true when marginalized groups appropriate online social technologies for particular social purposes or when online communities form around a very singular purpose. By understanding the extra work required to understand these communities, we gain insight for design approaches that might be required to support the needs of typically underserved communities.

Readings