Do Doctoral Candidates Use and Benefit From Online Social Networks (#ecer09)

Do Doctoral Candidates Use and Benefit From Online Social Networks as an Aid Their Thesis and Dissertation Process?

James, E Alana: ReinventingLife org, Ireland (Republic of)

If they need it, they will learn to use it and they will come.

Personal Learning Environments - based on Sieman's Connectivist ideas. There are two ways to look at Personal Learning Networks (PLN) - ether something the student puts together him/herself; or can be more structured with tutor putting things together.

The researcher found that she started out with four distinct social groups but over the course of time, the four networks started to interact with each other.

She found it a win/win situation: it encouraged students to "think outside the box" and it made mentoring more fun - allowing her to deliver something once but share it with many students,