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Grouping University Students Using Social Network Analysis

Author

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  • Alexander Pronin
  • Elena Veretennik
  • Alexander Semyonov

Abstract

Alexander Pronin - Senior Teacher, Faculty of Management, National Research University - Higher School of Economics (Saint Petersburg). E-mail: aspronin@hse.ru Elena Veretennik - Ph.D. Student, Teacher, Faculty of Management, National Research University - Higher School of Economics (Saint Petersburg). E-mail: veretennik@hse.ruAlexander Semyonov - Independent Researcher. E-mail: semenoffalex@gmail.comAddress: 17, Promyshlennaya str., Saint Petersburg, 198099, Russian Federation.2nd Place in a Competition of Young Scientistsʼ Research Papers of 2013.We have developed and tested a way to reorganize student groups using the Social Network Analysis (SNA) methodology. The problem defined by the administrators of the Faculty of Management at the National Research University - Higher School of Economics (Saint Petersburg) consisted in reorganizing four existing groups of second-year Bachelor's students into three new groups. The fundamental requirement was to keep the friendly and collaborative relationships that had developed between students. Technical requirements included ensuring equal sizes of the new groups (26 students) and equivalent levels of academic performance (measured by the average semester grade). We present a solution algorithm which is based on SNA tools and includes two possible strategies for groups with different interaction patterns: 1) the weak link strategy (selecting the most fragmented student group that can be easily divided into loosely connected subgroups, breaking it down and distributing the clusters among the other three groups); and 2) the melting pot strategy (reorganizing all the four groups into entirely new clusters based on the degree of student interaction). A comparison of performance ranking scores achieved during the following 18 months revealed a growth of the average grade in groups reorganized with regard to interpersonal assessment and interaction. The suggested grouping method may be used to rearrange student groups or courses in situations where some students get dismissed or transferred, or with a view to create project teams for research classes or scientific labs.DOI: 10.17323/1814-9545-2014-3-54-73

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander Pronin & Elena Veretennik & Alexander Semyonov, 2014. "Grouping University Students Using Social Network Analysis," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 3, pages 54-73.
    • Handle: RePEc:nos:voprob:2014:i:3:p:54-73
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David S. Lyle, 2007. "Estimating and Interpreting Peer and Role Model Effects from Randomly Assigned Social Groups at West Point," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(2), pages 289-299, May.
    2. Mayer, Adalbert & Puller, Steven L., 2008. "The old boy (and girl) network: Social network formation on university campuses," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(1-2), pages 329-347, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ekaterina Krekhovets & Oleg Poldin, 2016. "Social Capital of Students in the Light of Social Networks: Structure and Key Actors Analysis," Voprosy obrazovaniya / Educational Studies Moscow, National Research University Higher School of Economics, issue 3, pages 59-79.

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