Conclusions From Social Dynamics for Sustainable Educational Development

2018 ◽  
pp. 146-181
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Self Interest

The social and didactic dynamics produced by the negotiation-oriented and partly web-based game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC) were analyzed by independent experts after their observations in advanced interdisciplinary university courses. It could be empirically demonstrated that the intended didactics of SGC were successful, namely that they were grounded on “active, self-organized learning,” training of “competence to act,” and on responsibility for both practicable and sustainable solutions for the society of the future. The design of SGC succeeds in equilibrating competition vs. consensus, self-study vs. team work, sharpening the self-interest vs. readiness to compromise, reductionism vs. holism, and hence, mirrors professional realities. The conclusion is made that the game's rules act as a boundary condition for expected processes of social self-organization. The independent expert's opinions express the importance of self-responsibility. Hence, self-organization in SGC allows for self-responsibility.

The Web-Supported Negotiation Game “Surfing Global Change”

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Copyright Holder ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Future Society

The negotiation oriented and partly web-based game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC, © Gilbert Ahamer) was originally invented and implemented by the author and copyright holder for use in advanced interdisciplinary university courses in the spirit of ‘blended learning.’ Didactics of SGC is grounded in “active, self-organized learning”, training of “competence to act” and responsibility for both practicable and sustainable solutions for the future society, hence constructionist “creation of meaning”. This paper presents the rules of the game as a case study of rule-based online learning tool, used over two dozen times at Austrian universities. The outlay of SGC aims at weighing out competition vs. consensus, self-study vs. team work, sharpening one’s own standpoint vs. readiness to compromise, differentiation into details vs. integration into a whole, and hence, seeks to mirror professional realities. In this spirit, the architecture of SGC provides a framework for “game-based learning” along five interactive game levels. SGC’s rules trigger two distinct processes: social dynamics among peer students in the class and their individual striving for good grades. These two targets provide useful tension during game play.

Conclusions from Social Dynamics in Collaborative Environmental Didactics

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-92
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Team Work ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Independent Expert ◽  
Future Society ◽  
The Individual

The social and didactic dynamics produced in implementations of the negotiation-oriented and partly web-based game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC) was analyzed by independent experts after their observations in advanced interdisciplinary university courses. It could be empirically demonstrated that the intended didactics of SGC were successful; namely that they were grounded on “active, self-organized learning”, training of “competence to act” and on responsibility for both practicable and sustainable solutions for the future society. The outlay of SGC succeeds in equilibrating competition vs. consensus, self-study vs. team work, sharpening the individual standpoint vs. readiness to compromise, differentiation into details vs. integration into a whole and hence mirrors professional realities. In this spirit, the architecture of SGC gives a framework for “game based learning” along its five interactive game levels. The conclusion is made that the set of game rules acts as a boundary condition for expected processes of social self-organization. The independent expert opinions express the importance of self-responsibility, for example when defining team size (ideally 3-5), during the identification of students with a project relevant to real life, and with the trainer staying on the meta level without entering into student discussions. Hence, self-organization in SGC allows for self-responsibility.

Socio-Drama in the Web-Supported Negotiation Game “Surfing Global Change”

2014 ◽  
pp. 113-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Global Change ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Copyright Holder ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Future Society ◽  
Long Term Trends

The negotiation-oriented and partly Web-based game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC, © Gilbert Ahamer) was originally invented and implemented by the author and copyright holder for use in advanced interdisciplinary university courses in the spirit of “blended learning.” Didactics of SGC is grounded in “active, self-organized learning,” training of “competence to act,” and responsibility for both practicable and sustainable solutions for the future society, hence constructionist “creation of meaning.” In section 2, this chapter presents the rules of the game as a case study of a software-based online learning tool, used over three-dozen times at Austrian universities. Sections 3 through 6 contain implementation analyses, especially graphical representations of the socio-drama. The outlay of SGC aims at weighing competition vs. consensus, self-study vs. teamwork, sharpening one's own standpoint vs. readiness to compromise, differentiation into details vs. integration into a whole and seeks to mirror professional realities. In this spirit, the architecture of SGC provides a framework for “game-based learning” along five interactive game levels: (1) learn content and pass quizzes; (2) write and reflect about a personal standpoint; (3) win with a team in a competitive discussion; (4) negotiate a complex consensus between teams; and (5) integrate views when recognizing and analyzing global long-term trends. The set of game rules frames the expected processes of social self-organization. SGC's rules provide useful tension during game play by triggering two distinct processes: social dynamics among peer students in the class and their individual strife for good grades.

scholarly journals Self-organizing dominance hierarchies in a wild primate population

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1814) ◽  
pp. 20151512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Franz ◽  
Emily McLean ◽  
Jenny Tung ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Susan C. Alberts
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Change Over Time ◽  
Winner And Loser Effects ◽  
The Social ◽  
Over Time

Linear dominance hierarchies, which are common in social animals, can profoundly influence access to limited resources, reproductive opportunities and health. In spite of their importance, the mechanisms that govern the dynamics of such hierarchies remain unclear. Two hypotheses explain how linear hierarchies might emerge and change over time. The ‘prior attributes hypothesis’ posits that individual differences in fighting ability directly determine dominance ranks. By contrast, the ‘social dynamics hypothesis’ posits that dominance ranks emerge from social self-organization dynamics such as winner and loser effects. While the prior attributes hypothesis is well supported in the literature, current support for the social dynamics hypothesis is limited to experimental studies that artificially eliminate or minimize individual differences in fighting abilities. Here, we present the first evidence supporting the social dynamics hypothesis in a wild population. Specifically, we test for winner and loser effects on male hierarchy dynamics in wild baboons, using a novel statistical approach based on the Elo rating method for cardinal rank assignment, which enables the detection of winner and loser effects in uncontrolled group settings. Our results demonstrate (i) the presence of winner and loser effects, and (ii) that individual susceptibility to such effects may have a genetic basis. Taken together, our results show that both social self-organization dynamics and prior attributes can combine to influence hierarchy dynamics even when agonistic interactions are strongly influenced by differences in individual attributes. We hypothesize that, despite variation in individual attributes, winner and loser effects exist (i) because these effects could be particularly beneficial when fighting abilities in other group members change over time, and (ii) because the coevolution of prior attributes and winner and loser effects maintains a balance of both effects.

Designing and Analyzing Social Dynamics for Sustainable Educational Development

2018 ◽  
pp. 92-118
Author(s):  
Gilbert Ahamer
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Game Based Learning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Student Groups ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Course Grades ◽  
Collaborative Behavior ◽  
The Social ◽  
Good Grade

This chapter details the basic design of the social processes involved in the five-level negotiation game “Surfing Global Change” (SGC). Through its communicational design, this web-based game elicits characteristic collaborative behavior in student groups, which is then statistically analyzed by using several sets of university students. The architecture of SGC has already been explained in other articles and gives a framework for “game-based learning” along five interactive game levels. The web-based arena of interaction induces student collaboration; the quality of which is assessed here. The statistical analyses suggest that the SGC game rules didactically enhance anticipated processes of social self-organization. Motivation for a good grade (function of collected rewards) in this sense impacts team size, attitude towards work, and individual affinity for sticking to personal convictions. The rules trigger two distinct processes: social dynamics in the class and the striving for course grades; these targets do not necessarily match.

Synergetic Theory of Document in Evolution of Document Science

2018 ◽  
pp. 1060-1068
Author(s):  
Galina A. Dvoenosova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Role ◽  
Scientific Study ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Universal Theory ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Social Goal ◽  
The Social ◽  
Synergetic Theory ◽  
First Time

The article assesses synergetic theory of document as a new development in document science. In information society the social role of document grows, as information involves all members of society in the process of documentation. The transformation of document under the influence of modern information technologies increases its interest to representatives of different sciences. Interdisciplinary nature of document as an object of research leads to an ambiguous interpretation of its nature and social role. The article expresses and contends the author's views on this issue. In her opinion, social role of document is incidental to its being a main social tool regulating the life of civilized society. Thus, the study aims to create a scientific theory of document, explaining its nature and social role as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. Substantiation of this idea is based on application of synergetics (i.e., universal theory of self-organization) to scientific study of document. In the synergetic paradigm, social and historical development is seen as the change of phases of chaos and order, and document is considered a main tool that regulates social relations. Unlike other theories of document, synergetic theory studies document not as a carrier and means of information transfer, but as a unique social phenomenon and universal social tool. For the first time, the study of document steps out of traditional frameworks of office, archive, and library. The document is placed on the scales with society as a global social system with its functional subsystems of politics, economy, culture, and personality. For the first time, the methods of social sciences and modern sociological theories are applied to scientific study of document. This methodology provided a basis for theoretical vindication of nature and social role of document as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. The study frames a synergetic theory of document with methodological foundations and basic concepts, synergetic model of document, laws of development and effectiveness of document in the social continuum. At the present stage of development of science, it can be considered the highest form of theoretical knowledge of document and its scientific explanatory theory.

Exploring the Social Dynamics of Implementing Self-Managed Web-Based Wellness Tools

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rennie Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Healthcare Insurance

According to proponents of consumer-driven healthcare, the Web continues to offer huge opportunities to empower consumers to take individual ownership over their healthcare. Consequently many healthcare insurance service providers are integrating elements of Wellness into their product and service design and are making these available through Web-based portals. Based on a longitudinal case study of an e-Wellness implementation at a multinational consumer-driven healthcare insurance firm, key concepts from structuration theory are used to explore and analyse the social dynamics involved in the implementation of these contemporary forms of healthcare service encounters. This case study reports that in this particular context, face-to-face consultations continue to prevail over the use of virtual diagnosis and treatment by a computer-meditated virtual stress therapist and dietician practitioner. The author proposes the use of social frameworks to analyse and better understand the intricacies involved in implementing Wellness innovations.

scholarly journals Consumers’ brand identity complexity: conceptualization and predictive ability

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich R. Orth ◽  
Gregory M. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Brand Identity ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Study ◽  
Identity Complexity ◽  
Social Identity Complexity

Purpose This study aims to integrate Roccas and Brewer’s (2002) social identity complexity theory with the brand symbolism literature to propose a new construct: brand identity complexity (BIC). Different than previous conceptualizations of identity complexity which focus on the degree of internal differentiation of the personal self, BIC focuses on the degree of complexity in the social self and is defined as a consumer’s subjective representation and psychological state of belongingness to multiple identity-constructing brand ingroups. BIC impacts the adoption of new brands as they relate to the social self. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were performed to test BIC’s predictive power. Study 1 measures BIC and tests its influence on the adoption of new brands positioned as unique. Study 2 manipulates BIC through priming and tests its influence on the adoption of new brands that appeal to independence. Study 3 also manipulates BIC and examines its influence on the adoption of brand extensions. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that high BIC consumers are more likely to adopt a new brand that appeals to a unique social self. Study 2 shows that high BIC individuals are more likely to adopt a new brand that appeals to an independent self. Study 3 shows that high BIC consumers are more likely to adopt a brand extension with a low fit to the parent category. All three studies offer evidence of the mediating role of identity-driven payoffs. Research limitations/implications The findings suggest that individuals perceive their multiple brand ingroups to be more or less complex. This outcome merges the social identity theory with consumer–brand relationship research and adds to an emerging stream of research that explores personal, situational and cultural differences in the social self and its relation to commercial offers. Practical implications Marketers can benefit from the findings by better understanding which brand appeals will be more effective with target consumers and under what conditions. Originality/value This research develops a conceptual framework for understanding the development of brand ingroup-based identity complexity.

scholarly journals Una Exploración Conceptual de la Formación de Patrones en Sistemas Sociales Autorganizados

Ingeniería ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
David Anzola
Keyword(s):  
Pattern Formation ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
Complexity Science ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Social Self ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
Scientists And Engineers ◽  
High Level ◽  
Self Organizing

Context: The concept of self-organization plays a major role in contemporary complexity science. Yet, the current framework for the study of self-organization is only able to capture some of the nuances of complex social self-organizing phenomena.Method: This article addresses some of the problematic elements in the study of social selforganization. For this purpose, it focuses on pattern formation, a feature of self-organizing phenomena that is common across definitions. The analysis is carried out through three main questions: where can we find these patterns, what are these patterns and how can we study these patterns.Results: The discussion shows that there is a high level of specificity in social self-organized phenomena that is not adequately addressed by the current complexity framework. It argues that some elements are neglected by this framework because they are relatively exclusive to social science; others, because of the relative novelty of social complexity.Conclusions: It is suggested that interdisciplinary collaboration between social scientists and complexity scientists and engineers is needed, in order to overcome traditional disciplinary limitations in the study of social self-organized phenomena.

The Concept Plot: A Concept Mapping Visualization Tool for Asynchronous Web-Based Brainstorming Sessions

2006 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Ivanov ◽  
Dianne Cyr
Keyword(s):  
Concept Mapping ◽  
Divergent Thinking ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Group Support Systems ◽  
Visualization Tool ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Web Based System

Electronic brainstorming systems have been shown to lead to more ideas, yet unsupported face-to-face brainstorming is still widely preferred. This paper proposes a graphical user interface for a web-based system for design problem-solving or other intellective tasks involving convergent and divergent thinking. Referring to the literature on group support systems and information and knowledge visualization, the study extends features of concept mapping and synthesizes these into a prototype called the Concept Plot (CP). Based on an advertising design task, the paper shows how the CP can be collaboratively constructed in two directions, as text and pictures are uploaded onto nodes, and these nodes scaled up or down as users click to evaluate ideas. The expectation is that this integrated visualization would diminish information overload, while enhancing the social dynamics of the process. Also presented is the pilot deployment of a Flash prototype. The results were inconclusive, yet promising that a study with more participants might demonstrate the functional and affective benefits of the CP.

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