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Improving the Social Connectivity in Engineering Educational Networks and Implications | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

Improving the Social Connectivity in Engineering Educational Networks and Implications


Abstract:

Introduction: It is theorized that improving the connectivity in engineering educational networks by strengthening the student–student and instructor–student relationship...Show More

Abstract:

Introduction: It is theorized that improving the connectivity in engineering educational networks by strengthening the student–student and instructor–student relationships enhances the spread of knowledge, and results in an improved objectively assessed educational outcomes. Objectives: In this study, a structured semester-long educational experiment is conducted to strengthen connectivity and social relationships among engineering students in three undergraduate courses. Methods: Students are divided into mentoring groups, each associated with a homework assignment. The assignment is then solved for the mentor students, whereby nonmentor (mentee) students should discuss with at least one mentor student. The students then report their friendship level with each classmate on a scale from 0 to 4 with each submitted homework. Furthermore, the mentor students report the number of interactions with nonmentor students and the duration of each interaction. Results: The collected data points are analyzed using social network analysis tools, where an impressive improvement in the number and quality of relationships is achieved. Compared to the beginning of the semester, where an assortative mixing based on local features was dominant, the number of friendship through network-wide connections between students has increased by a factor of 20. Conclusion: Engaging the students in social learning environment improves the quantity and quality of student–student and student–instructor relationships, which facilitates the spread of knowledge and tackles social problems, such as isolation.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Education ( Volume: 66, Issue: 1, February 2023)
Page(s): 30 - 37
Date of Publication: 23 May 2022

ISSN Information:

Department of Computer Science, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA
Manar Mohaisen received the master’s degree in communications and signal processing from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France, in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Inha University, Incheon, South Korea, in 2010.
From 2001 to 2004, he worked as a Cell Planning Engineer with the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Nablus, Palestine. From 2010 to 2019, he was a full-time Lectur...Show More
Manar Mohaisen received the master’s degree in communications and signal processing from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France, in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Inha University, Incheon, South Korea, in 2010.
From 2001 to 2004, he worked as a Cell Planning Engineer with the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Nablus, Palestine. From 2010 to 2019, he was a full-time Lectur...View more
Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
David Mohaisen (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, in 2012.
He is currently an Associate Professor with the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL, USA, where he directs the Security and Analytics Lab. Before joining UCF in 2017, he was an Assistant Professor with SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA, from 2015 to 2017, and a Senior Research...Show More
David Mohaisen (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, in 2012.
He is currently an Associate Professor with the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL, USA, where he directs the Security and Analytics Lab. Before joining UCF in 2017, he was an Assistant Professor with SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA, from 2015 to 2017, and a Senior Research...View more

Department of Computer Science, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA
Manar Mohaisen received the master’s degree in communications and signal processing from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France, in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Inha University, Incheon, South Korea, in 2010.
From 2001 to 2004, he worked as a Cell Planning Engineer with the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Nablus, Palestine. From 2010 to 2019, he was a full-time Lecturer and an Assistant Professor with the Department of EEC Engineering, Korea Tech, Cheonan, South Korea. Since August 2019, he has been working as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA. His research interests include wireless communications with a focus on MIMO systems, system security, and social network analysis.
Manar Mohaisen received the master’s degree in communications and signal processing from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice, France, in 2005, and the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Inha University, Incheon, South Korea, in 2010.
From 2001 to 2004, he worked as a Cell Planning Engineer with the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, Nablus, Palestine. From 2010 to 2019, he was a full-time Lecturer and an Assistant Professor with the Department of EEC Engineering, Korea Tech, Cheonan, South Korea. Since August 2019, he has been working as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA. His research interests include wireless communications with a focus on MIMO systems, system security, and social network analysis.View more
Department of Computer Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
David Mohaisen (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, in 2012.
He is currently an Associate Professor with the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL, USA, where he directs the Security and Analytics Lab. Before joining UCF in 2017, he was an Assistant Professor with SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA, from 2015 to 2017, and a Senior Research Scientist with Verisign Labs, Reston, VA, USA, from 2012 to 2015. His research interests are in the areas of networked systems security, online privacy, and measurements.
Dr. Mohaisen is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing, and IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems. He was a Senior Member of ACM in 2018, and is a Distinguished Speaker of ACM, and a Distinguished Visitor of IEEE.
David Mohaisen (Senior Member, IEEE) received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, in 2012.
He is currently an Associate Professor with the University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL, USA, where he directs the Security and Analytics Lab. Before joining UCF in 2017, he was an Assistant Professor with SUNY Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA, from 2015 to 2017, and a Senior Research Scientist with Verisign Labs, Reston, VA, USA, from 2012 to 2015. His research interests are in the areas of networked systems security, online privacy, and measurements.
Dr. Mohaisen is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, IEEE Transactions on Cloud Computing, and IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems. He was a Senior Member of ACM in 2018, and is a Distinguished Speaker of ACM, and a Distinguished Visitor of IEEE.View more
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