Learning Communities / Social Networking Some of my colleagues are involved in investigating the hows and whys of setting up a digital repository for teaching and learning materials (the JISC Rights and Rewards project). One of the research areas they are looking at is social networking so this is the start of some articles and sites that may be of interest:

Social network wikipedia entry

Five reasons social networking doesn't work By Molly Wood
A slightly misleading article as it's from the business point of view and about making money and contacts through social networking, rather the necessarily altruistic model that academia will have to rely on in order to grow communities of teaching and learning practitioners.

Learning in Communities, Ettienne Wenger & William Snyder, LiNE Zine online magazine with various interesting useful links out.

Does your VLE virtually undress its users?, Adam Joinson. The Times Higher Education Supplement, 15 September 2006, page 19
Article on the user data that is generated by instiutional VLEs and hidden dangers of lack of anonymity and privacy which will impact on willingness to participate in group activities and express unpopular or challenging views. He cites privacy researcher Judith DeCew.  ¶ 2:18 pm