1 Introduction

The advance of information technologies has lead to new education systems that extend traditional classroom teaching. The concept of blended learning describes courses in which the learning activities take place partly in the classroom and partly on the internet. Studies of blended learning explore how to maximize the advantages of both face-to-face learning and electronic learning by combining various learning delivery methods (Alonso et al. 2005; Osguthorpe and Graham 2003; So and Brush 2008). Though these studies discuss the advantages and disadvantages of blended learning, we still have little knowledge about how learning activities are influenced by the social networks that are becoming more and more popular. Powered by Web 2.0 technologies, social networking is penetrating all sectors of society, including tertiary education, to transform the way that we connect and communicate, leading to unprecedented changes in the way social ties are formed and understood (Park et al. 2014). A social learning network is defined as the online social network platform that supports university learning by connecting students and instructors beyond class-centric activities. As social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter are becoming increasingly popular among learners, the social learning platform will enable connections with other social networks to achieve a broader impact. Guided by pioneering thinking in educational theories, this research strives to investigate and demonstrate how social learning networks (SLN) can be incorporated into tertiary education with the end goal of enhancing students’ learning performance.

In order to achieve this goal, we develop a SLN platform, called IdeaWorks, to support learning activities in the online environment. Blended learning, social learning theory, and innovation-centered learning are used to support the design of IdeaWorks. IdeaWorks is built on Web 2.0 technologies, particularly social networking and instructional techniques. This platform implements the “learning through socialization” approach among the partner universities to facilitate courses that require individual and group projects. Three groups of essential features of social learning networks are developed in this platform. First, the system provides exploration functions for the users to find students/advisors and build their social learning networks; explore projects/groups and join projects/groups of interest; and search for relevant events. Second, collaborative learning management functions are also offered by IdeaWorks to help users store important information (e.g., ideas), develop and conduct group projects; and manage social networks with their friends, team/project members and advisors. Third, additional collaboration tools such as Skype and GoogleDocs are also integrated into the system. Figure 1 shows the interface of IdeaWorks.

Fig. 1.
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An illustration of the social learning network platform – IdeaWorks

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Two empirical studies were conducted to evaluate IdeaWorks. A usability study was conducted to evaluate the usefulness and ease of use of the system from the perspective of the system users. Undergraduate students, who are the potential users of the system, were invited to participate in the study to experience the system and give their feedback on its usability. We find that the major feature of IdeaWorks (i.e., conveniently explore and extend social networks for learning) is recognized by users. An impact study was conducted to compare the learning outcomes of using IdeaWorks and learning outcomes via face-to-face teaching. A foreign language (i.e., English) learning program was organized for experiment participants, who were randomly assigned into two study groups. While the experimental group had online sessions using IdeaWorks, the control group had face-to-face classroom sessions. By comparing students’ perceptions under two different environments, we found that there is no significant difference in students’ perceptions of social presence, cognitive presence, satisfaction with the course, and satisfaction with the group. However, the analysis results show that instructional communication and group communication are better supported by classroom teaching.

The objective of this study is to contribute to previous research and to provide useful guidance to education practitioners on how to facilitate students’ learning activities via social learning networks. This IdeaWorks research makes two significant contributions that we believe are worth highlighting. The first important contribution of our research is our designed social learning network platform - IdeaWorks. Though scholars and practitioners have noticed the value of social networks for education, there is little research on designing a social learning network platform to support students’ learning activities. In this research, social connection functions, collaborative management functions, and additional collaborative tools are integrated to assist social-oriented learning. The usability study shows that students are satisfied with the functionality and interface design of IdeaWorks. Second, the impact study shows that IdeaWorks can effectively support students’ learning activities as well as classroom learning. Our empirical study shows that students’ perceptions of social presence, cognitive presence, satisfaction with the course, and satisfaction with the learning group have no significant difference under the two different contexts, namely learn in classroom and learn through IdeaWorks. Such findings contribute to current literature of e-learning by demonstrating that facilitating social connections via SLNs also enables students to perceive social presence and cognitive presence in the learning process. Additionally, students’ are still satisfied with the course and learning groups after they move from the classroom to IdeaWorks.

2 Theoretical Foundation

Social learning networks are designed based on several key domains that are particularly relevant to the requirements of students and instructors: blended learning, social learning theory, and innovation-centered learning. Blended learning, which combines online technologies with traditional face-to-face teaching methods, has emerged as an alternative mode of traditional classroom teaching. Social learning theory emphasizes social interactions among people in the teaching and learning process. Innovation-centered teaching cultivates creativity, motivation, and knowledge among students in their learning processes.

2.1 Blended Learning

As the “third generation” of distance education systems, blended learning maximizes the best advantages of face-to-face learning and multiple technologies to deliver learning. It is particularly suitable to the process of transferring from traditional forms of learning and teaching towards e-learning (Hoic-Bozic et al. 2009). It combines many different learning delivery methods, such as face-to-face instruction and electronic learning methods (So and Brush 2008). Blended learning could facilitate learners to have both online and offline interactions with their classmates and teachers. This is effective in encouraging the process of online collaborative learning. So and Brush (2008) found that this collaborative learning could improve student perceptions of satisfaction and social presence in the learning process. The effectiveness of blended learning is confirmed in the research of (Al-Qahtani and Higgins 2013).

Osguthorpe and Graham (2003) suggested that three types of mixing could be identified in blended courses, namely online and face-to-face learning activities, online and face-to-face students, and online and face-to-face instructors. Importantly, they also identified six goals which are expected in the blended environments: (1) pedagogical richness, (2) access to knowledge (3) social interaction (4) personal agency (5) cost effectiveness and (6) ease of revision. For instance, Hoic-Bozic et al. (2009) developed a learning management system (LMS) to make a mixture of different learning activities, including collaborative learning, problem-based learning and independent learning. Their evaluation results show that students were satisfied with the pedagogical approach, and had a better academic performance. Schnurr et al. (2013) also integrates three education delivery methods-preparatory learning, face-to-face learning, and online collaborative learning-to simulate negotiation.

2.2 Social Learning Theory

Bandura’s (1977) Social Learning Theory proposed that people learn from others via observation, imitation, and modeling. The theory emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of each other. “Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action” (Bandura and McClelland 1977). An important point of this theory is that learning occurs in a social context, which is a weakness of our current online systems design.

There are three major arguments in his social learning theory. (1) Observation learning includes live model, verbal instructional model, and symbolic model. Live model is when an actual person demonstrates a behavior; verbal instruction is when an individual describes and explains a behavior; symbolic model is when a real or fictional character demonstrates the behavior through media, such as television and internet. (2) Intrinsic reinforcement, as well as environmental and external reinforcement, influence learning behavior. (3) Four steps are involved in the modeling process. First, attention should be paid to observational learning. Second, retention (i.e., the ability to remember) is necessary to reproduce the behavior. Third, reproduction makes people improve their learned behavior with practice. Fourth, individuals have to be motivated to imitate the behavior which has been modeled. There are many studies and guidelines on the learning process. We are interested in how this concept supports blended learning in our IdeaWorks design.

In the blended learning context, Wu and Hwang (2010) found that intrinsic reinforcement (e.g., learning attitude) influences the effectiveness of e-learning for blended courses. Hill et al. (2009) further analyzed different social learning perspectives and discussed how they could be adopted in the design and implementation of e-learning. Three general directions are proposed for future research and practice: (1) examine students’ personal characteristics through e-learning; (2) identify strategies for encouraging social interaction in e-learning systems; (3) develop effective design principles for e-learning. In addition, Vassileva (2008) identified that the new learning technologies should perform three main roles to support social learning: (1) enable the learners to find the appropriate content; (2) support them to connect with the right people; (3) motive individuals to learn.

Based on a blended and eclectic view of different learning theories, Alonso et al. (2005) designed e-learning mechanisms following different approaches: (1) look at the content structure; (2) focus on the cognitive process of understanding how the mind works during the learning process and what factors determine and condition the success of the process; (3) understand that human learning is constructed not only by interacting with the content but also by working together with colleagues and instructors.

2.3 Innovation-Centered Learning

The goal of innovation-centered learning is to improve learners’ innovation ability through a series of methods. Numerous training programs were developed to improve learners’ innovation ability in the last half century. Scott et al. (2004) conducted a meta-analysis of the program evaluation efforts and found that more successful programs were likely to emphasize development of cognitive skills and the heuristics involved in skill application, using realistic exercises appropriate to the domain at hand. Three components are the sources of innovation, namely knowledge, creative thinking, and motivation (Adams 2005). (1) Knowledge is all the relevant understanding an individual brings to bear on a creative effort; (2) creative thinking relates to how people approach problems and depends on personality and thinking/working style; and (3) motivation is generally accepted as key to creative production, and the most important motivators are intrinsic passion and interest in the work itself. Innovation-centered learning tries to improve these three components of the individual learning process.

Innovation is not so much an individual trait but rather a social phenomenon involving interactions among people within their specific group or cultural settings (DeHaan 2009). For instance, brainstorming methods are used to improve group innovation. Groups of interacting individuals were better at solving complex, multipart problems than single individuals. Many scholars acknowledge that creative discoveries in the real world, such as solving the problems of cutting-edge science—which are usually complex and multipart—are influenced or even stimulated by social interaction among experts. By integrating social learning theory, six techniques are suggested to improve student innovation in the classroom: model creativity, cross-fertilize ideas, repeatedly encourage idea generation, build self-efficacy, constantly question assumptions, and imagine other viewpoints. Clements (1991) investigated the effects of information technology usage on creativity improvement. The results showed that computer-based training could improve learner innovation. This is also confirmed by Benedek et al. (2006).

3 Design of IdeaWorks

IdeaWorks is a web-based collaborative group learning system which aims to facilitate discovery-enriched teaching and learning by using social network functions. The system is designed for users to conveniently explore and extend their social networks for learning; efficiently manage their ideas, interest groups, projects, and events; facilitate group learning efficiency; and support innovative thinking.

Key functions in IdeaWorks can be found in MY SPACE and SEARCH SPACE, which help students manage and explore their resources. Under MY SPACE, students can store and manage their ideas in My Ideas. My Projects shows a list of projects that a student has joined. Project-related information (introduction, members, milestones, and outcomes) is shown to provide students a platform to interact with other project members and advisors. Students can also initiate new projects and invite other students to join. My Groups shows a list of groups that the student has joined. Students are able to manage their group resources, submit their individual or group assignments, and communicate with group members and teachers under My Groups. They can also manage their social learning networks and events related to their projects or groups in MY SPACE. Under SEARCH SPACE, students can further explore and extend their social learning networks in IdeaWorks by searching for learning buddies and advisors and inviting them to join their social learning networks. Public projects and groups can also be found in SEARCH SPACE. Other functions in USEFUL LINKS and IDEA TOOLS are designed to provide students with important information to facilitate collaborative group learning. For instance, Skype and Google Calendar are embedded in IDEA TOOLS to encourage student interaction. We conducted usability and impact studies to evaluate IdeaWorks.

4 IdeaWorks Usability Study

The goal of the IdeaWorks usability study is to invite users to evaluate the usefulness and ease of use of this system. Eight first and second year students from four departments at one university were invited to participate in the study. We believe that students with different backgrounds can better evaluate the usability of the system, since they will complete multi-disciplinary tasks to highlight the collaborative feature of the system.

The usability study is comprised of two stages: online tutorial and offline tasks. During the online tutorial, which takes one hour, students are gathered in a lab to learn how to use the IdeaWorks system. We assign small tasks for them to complete. Before each task, we teach them relevant functions and basic operations of the system. After finishing each task, they are required to complete a portion of the questionnaire based on their experiences on the system. The questionnaire is designed to test three aspects of the system: user interface, functionality, and process (Chin et al. 1988; Lewis 1995). The first two aspects (i.e., user interface and functionality) are evaluated in the lab, while the system process is tested offline. Seven-point scales are used to measure the usability, with 7 indicating the greatest user satisfaction (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2.
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Project Module in IdeaWorks

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First students were asked to register and browse the system, which gave them a general understanding and some user experience on the system. They then gave feedback (i.e., give scores) on the relevant user interface questions on the questionnaire. These questions ask for users’ overall reaction to IdeaWorks, followed by questions on screen, terminology and system information, learning, and system capabilities. Then, the students explored each key function of IdeaWorks (i.e., functions under My SPACE, Search SPACE, Useful Links, and Basic Tools) and completed the functionality relevant questions in the questionnaire. Functionality relevant questions are designed to evaluate user satisfaction with the system functions. Usefulness, ease of use, and reliability are the key criteria for user satisfaction (Segars and Grover 1993). Students completed the assigned tasks successfully in the lab.

At the end of the lab experience, we assigned an offline task for the students that simulated the group forming and group project development process. This is a common process for university students. We expect that experiencing this process will increase students’ understanding of the usability of the IdeaWorks system. Each student was required to create an interest group, search other interest groups, join interest groups after communication with these interest group members through the forum, discuss ideas with group members via a message board that is only visible to members, and develop projects based on the ideas. Using IdeaWorks, students successfully created interest groups and developed projects through cooperation. Questions on the system process were answered after they finished the task. Process relevant questions ask about user experience regarding smoothness, consistency, and ease of use. Overall assessment of IdeaWorks and usage intention are also included in the questionnaire. In addition to the Likert questions, there’s also an open question on the advantages and disadvantages of the system.

Table 1 summarizes the results of the Likert questions. As suggested in the table, mean values of all dimensions are above average (i.e., 3.5 points), which suggests a satisfying result on the prototype system in general. Based on the average values of the constructs, we conclude that the users are satisfied with the user interface design and the functionality of our system. System capabilities and the functionality of search space achieved notably high scores (i.e., 5.94 and 5.38 respectively). The results also demonstrate that the functionality is recognized by the users. Generally, the users agree that MY SPACE AND SEARCH SPACE are convenient for them to use. The results for the open question were similar. From the perspective of users, advantages of the system include “easy to contact buddies,” “easy to find projects done by others for reference,” “encourage innovative ideas,” “user-friendly,” and “easy to find friends with similar interests.”

Table 1. Measurement items
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Compared with user interface, functionality, and overall assessment, the scores of process relevant questions are not high, indicating the ease of use of IdeaWorks could be further improved to meet user requirements. Feedback from the open question on the disadvantages of the system also shows that the convenience of using the system is questioned. Some users also feel that the system is dull and not attractive enough. This user feedback helps us identify needed improvements. In the following, we summarize the areas of improvement for IdeaWorks based on user feedback from the usability study. (1) Improve system robustness by consummating basic functions (e.g., enhancing core features and fixing bugs). (2) Simplify and smooth the operation process to improve the ease of use of the system. (3) Add more attractive features to make the system more fascinating. (4) Enhance the security of the system through advanced access control mechanism (e.g., multilevel privacy control), data protection, and communication security maintenance.

To summarize, we achieved a satisfying result from the usability study. The undergraduate student participants recognized the core features of the system and found the social network expansion useful for learning, group collaborative learning, and innovative idea generation. However, the system still needs improvements on robustness, ease of use, attractiveness, and security to achieve higher user satisfaction.

5 IdeaWorks Impact Study

The impact study is intended to evaluate how IdeaWorks influences students’ learning process. We propose that learning in IdeaWorks is as useful as learning through classroom-centric courses. The education research shows that perception of presence, communication, and satisfaction are important for students’ learning activities. The experiment is designed to compare students’ perceptions in the context of IdeaWorks and traditional classrooms.

An English learning program was designed for the experiment and divided into two equal sessions. An experienced instructor was invited to teach this course. Thirty-three undergraduate students from the department of information systems were invited to learn business report writing. They were randomly assigned into two different groups (16/17). Conducting the t-tests of demographics in two groups of students enabled us to determine that the assignment process is appropriate. The 16 students in the first group was taught the first session of the course through traditional classroom learning and the second session via IdeaWorks. The other 17 students learned the first session via IdeaWorks and the second session in a traditional classroom. After each session, the students were required to evaluate the courses on the following constructs: social presence, cognitive presence, instructional communication, group communication, satisfaction with the group, and satisfaction with the course.

Students were asked to respond to a questionnaire based on a 7-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; to 7 = strongly agree) at the end of each session. The validity of the questionnaire was reviewed by a panel of 4 educational technology experts and adopted items were revised based on their comments and recommendations. The questionnaire items are presented in Table 2.

Table 2. IdeaWorks usability study results
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T-tests were conducted to compare students’ perceptions under two different environments. The results are shown in Table 3. Our results reveal that there was no difference in students’ perceptions of social presence, cognitive presence, satisfaction with the course, and satisfaction with the group under the two different environments. Using the social media functions in IdeaWorks, students can perceive a high level of social presence (mean = 5.33) and cognitive presence (mean = 5.32). The analysis results also show that students are satisfied with the course (mean = 5.29) and the group (mean = 5.32) when they learn with IdeaWorks. Unfortunately, the communication support is still limited in IdeaWorks. Students perceive a higher level of instruction communication (p < 0.01) and group communication (p < 0.001) in the context of a traditional classroom.

Table 3. IdeaWorks impact study results
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6 Conclusions

Building on the social learning theory, we designed a new online education system, called IdeaWorks, to support students’ online learning activities. IdeaWorks functions include idea management, project management, and group management, which support learning activities through interaction with students and instructors. The system is evaluated by a usability study and an impact study. The results of the usability study show that students are satisfied with the user interface and functionality of IdeaWorks and would like to use it in their learning activities. Impact study results showed that IdeaWorks could help students achieve a high level of social presence and cognitive presence. Additionally, students are satisfied with the course and group when they learn via IdeaWorks. In the future, IdeaWorks will be further improved to help fulfill students’ growing networking needs and, thus, improve their social learning effectiveness.