Structuring the discourse on social networks for learning: Case studies on blogs and microblogs

Nowadays social networks have a prominent function in human communication. In addition, their use in the context of formal learning can contribute to increase student’s interactions. These interactions can be better supported with the right structure for the messages. This paper presents an investigation on the structure of messages on blogs and microblogs, two different categories of social networks. Usually, blogs are author-based (also called content-based or push-based) social networks while microblogs are reader-based (also called contact-based or pull-based) social networks. This categorization of social networks is explained and some characteristics of messages’ structuring on such social networks are described. Structuring messages is investigated in both categories of social networks in case studies on a collaborative learning context. The results show the importance of using both categories of social networks in learning activities and also provide interesting results on message structuring.

► Author-based social networks and blogs. ► Reader-based social networks and microblogs. ► Structuring of messages in blogs and microblogs: comment, reply and quote. ► Structure of messages of students’ interactions on blogs and microblogs.