Sociometry and SNA

The field of Social Network Analysis (SNA) has been developing rapidly in recent years. The emergence of social networking sites on the Web has both fuelled and been fuelled by this: the Web is such a linky place. KM practitioners have also spotted the value of investigating and mapping social networks in organisations and there are some mature technologies for turning the data into graphics.

Why do we do this? Simply investigating a social system can itself be a powerful intervention, both in intended and unintended ways. If the resulting data is visible to the participants, they themselves will experience impulses to interact with each other in new ways. These could be responses to wishes or fears. It is also possible to make further interventions to develop social networks in particular ways, based on the results of analysis.

Of course SNA is not a new field. Physical and social scientists and mathematicians have been studying it for decades. The recent convergence between these fields has contributed to its rapid development.

But I am not trying to rewrite the Wikipedia entry on Social Networks. If I did, however, I'd probably mention JL Moreno, the founder of Psychodrama and Sociometry.

Sociometry is an approach to working with social systems to reveal and develop the informal relationships. It is often conducted in the here and now (f2f) using, among other things, action sociograms. The action continuum, often used in group sessions, is the classic example of this.

The art in Sociometry is to work with the particular culture and social processes that are prominent in the group at each moment. The Sociometrist is constantly applying their analysis in using the techniques and at the same time is conscious of their own social position and functioning in the group and is relating with the group and its members in a human and present way.

I am an associate member of the Australian and NZ Psychodrama Association. One of the executive of ANZPA is Diana Jones, a Sociometrist and organisational development practitioner. Diana has just launched a new website at http://www.sociometry.co.nz that provides excellent explanations and illustrations of Sociometric concepts and practice.

Collaborative Q & A

Yahoo! Answers allows participants to ask and answer questions and to rate the answers, contributing to the reputation of the answerers.

It has categories but why not tags?

Would this work inside an organisation? Will it work here?

A lot of the questions look more like discussion-starters than Q&A candidates, to me. How does this do more than a good conversation medium with rich metadata?

Should I be asking these questions at Yahoo! Answers?

ASCII Free/Busy Searches

I read somewhere that the single most common use of email is scheduling synchronous meetings (mostly face to face).

How many times have you beein in something like this:

7 Dec 1400: Simon, Susan & Sharon are OK. Sam & Sally to confirm.

How many times has it been much messier than this?

If everyone's got an up-to-date digital schedule on the same server, free/busy searches can work well.

Here's a low tech approach to using email for free/busy searches:

       December

       0                 1                   2                   3

       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

       t f S S m t w t f S S m t w t f S S m t w t f S S m t w t f 

Janne  + + - - + + + + + ? ? + + + + - - - ? ? - - - - - - - - - + 

Ville  + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + -

Kalle  - - - - + + + + e e e - - - + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +

Sanna  - - e e - - - + ? ? ? + + + + + - - + + - - - - - - + + + +

                     * *           *

SMS is eLearning Technology

In a meeting of eLearning specialists the other day, I rashly declared that the most powerful eLearning technology useed by my 12 year old daughter is texting (SMS) on her cellphone.

I said it in an attempt to provoke some controversy but to my suprise, people nodded their agreement. As I reflected on it, I realised that it is true. Despite the terrible interface, Elsie sends over 500 text messages per month and, presumably receives just as many. It's all socialising with her friends but isn't that one of the most important things for her to be learning to do? And, given that access to and literacy with this technology is increasingly ubiquitous, why shouldn't it be used for other learning areas?

My son Ed has recently acquired an iRiver. For now he's using its 5 gigs for expanding his musical awareness but he could easily carry his homework around on it.

Now, a report prepared by education.au for the ACT Department of Education and Training suggests that cell phones and iPods will soon be core accessories for learners. It's called Emerging Technologies: A framework for thinking (900kb PDF).