The role of shared study space in shaping graduate students’ social networks

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study whether the use of a shared study space played a role in shaping graduate students’ social networks by exploring how the copresence in space was related to the structure of friendship and advice networks. The authors first proposed two concepts of spatial copresence: measured spatial-temporal copresence and perceived copresence. The authors then examined the role of copresence through a case study of a shared study space occupied by 27 graduate students in the same department. Design/methodology/approach Copresence relations were first constructed through a six-month room access history data set and self-reported data to examine whether measured spatial-temporal copresence was consistent with perceived copresence. Friendship and advice network relations were then analyzed with copresence, social media connections, class project collaboration relations and social homophily (nationality, gender, cohort) through quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) and MQAP analysis. Findings The authors found that students who used the shared study space more often reported more friendship and advice ties. The perceived copresence and the measured spatial-temporal copresence were highly correlated. Copresence relations, as measured by survey and room access history, were both significantly correlated with advice relation, which was associated with perceived social support. Originality/value This study contributes to the debate about whether “space” continues to play significant roles in graduate students’ social networks in the context of flexible learning environments. The results also reveal new directions for research methods in studying spatial proximity in flexible settings.

Cohort-Based Education and Other Factors Related to Student Peer Relationships: A Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis

“…There is a small but growing literature on graduate student peer relationships. It includes a variety of literature related to individual attributes [29][30][31], the institutional characteristic of cohort-based learning [31][32][33][34], and social network structural factors associated with students' relationships with one another [29,30].…”

“…However, it is not clear whether being female or male is more socially advantageous. Among STEM Master's students [30] and MBA students [31], male students were more likely than female students to report having peer relationships, yet female students were more popular than male students among engineering undergraduates [35] and STEM Master's students [30]. Additional research is needed to determine how generalizable this pattern is across graduate settings.…”

“…Graduates of cohort-based learning in a Master's program have attributed the cohort model with helping them develop camaraderie among their peers and in some cases, lifelong friendships [32]. Cohort membership has been significantly associated with the likelihood of two MBA students becoming close friends, even after controlling for collaborations in classes taken outside the cohort [31]. However, a disadvantage is that cohorts may be insular and limit interactions with non-cohort members [40].…”

“…In spite of this, not all social network studies of students in higher education examine racial or ethnic homophily. However, similarity in race, ethnicity, or nationality has been found to be salient in some Master's students' social networks [29][30][31]51]. Homophily is important to consider when examining the factors associated with their peer relationships, particularly when investigating the main effects of individual-level attributes such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, and grades.…”

“…Proximity in social and physical spaces facilitates relationships among students, such as among Master's students with the same specialization [35] or on the same practicum team [30]. For example, sharing study space and spending time in the same study space increased the likelihood two MBA students would be friends or exchange advice [31]. Classrooms may also be a shared space to cultivate relationships, but the effect of taking classes together is not often considered when examining factors associated with graduate student peer relationships.…”