Weak and strong ties and its connection to experts' problem-solving styles in scaffolding students' PBL activities on social media.

Abstract

Background: Studies have acknowledged that social media enables students to connect with and learn from experts from different ties available in the students' personal learning environment (PLE). The inclusion of experts in formal learning activities through social media such as in scaffolding problem-solving activities helps students see the practicality of experts' thinking in solving real-world problems. However, studies that evaluate experts' problem-solving styles and how these influence the experts' thinking process in delivering the know-how to students on social media based on the ties that the students have with the experts in social media are scarce in the extant literature. The study aimed to explore the problem-solving styles that the experts portrayed on Facebook based on their ties with the students. Methods: This study employed a simultaneous within-subject experimental design which was conducted in three closed Facebook groups with 12 final year management students, six business experts, and one instructor as the participants. The experts were invited by the students from the weak and strong ties in their PLE. Hinging on the Theory of Fluid and Crystallised intelligence and the Strength of Weak Ties Theory, this study employed thematic analysis using the ATLAS.ti qualitative data analysis software to map the experts' comments on Facebook. Results: The use of strong ties in combination with weak ties balances out the negative aspects of the business experts' problem-solving styles. All the experts used both fluid and crystallised intelligence in scaffolding the students' learning; however, the degree of its usage correlated with the working experience of the experts. Conclusion: The use of weak or strong ties benefited the students as it expedited their problem-solving tasks since the experts have unique expertise to offer depending on the degree of their working experiences and the proximity of the students' relationship with the experts.