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ERIC Number: EJ963208
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1436-4522
EISSN: N/A
Investigation of Organizational Interaction and Support in an NGO through Computer-Mediated Discussions
Chang, Yao-Jen; Chang, Yao-Sheng
Educational Technology & Society, v14 n3 p130-140 2011
Discussion forums have been used to support organizational communication and they have become a candidate for study of organizational behaviors. However, online behaviors of NGOs have been insufficiently studied compared to those studies conducted in education and industries. Our empirical study examined how social workers in one NGO used an internal discussion forum to help them disseminate time-sensitive employment opportunities for people with mental impairments, provide space for collective expressions of support, and enable sharing of information and experiences. The main purpose of the paper is to study a multifaceted assessment methodology to assess online discussion forums in an NGO. In this paper, we carry out a systemic set of assessment methods including network analysis, category analysis, and content analysis for evaluating online social software, and particularly discussion forums. The methods are used empirically to assess patterns of information sharing, social network, and peer support in an NGO. (Contains 6 tables and 2 figures.)
International Forum of Educational Technology & Society. Athabasca University, School of Computing & Information Systems, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3, Canada. Tel: 780-675-6812; Fax: 780-675-6973; Web site: http://www.ifets.info
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Taiwan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A