Toronto University

Seems like only yesterday I was walking around Toronto University but yesterday saw Professor Barry Wallman from Toronto University and Alexandra Marin release their paper Social Network Analysis: An Introduction (PDF). Its a great introduction into networking concepts, its probably one of the most insightful and relevant I’ve found to date. Social networks are maturing and I feel its important to understand how social networks can really be harnessed to influence and shape the way we learn. Informal learning accounts for 87% of a persons learning and this is accelerating as more people use online wiki’s, blogs, pod-casts and social networks to learn, people and are managing their own learning and linking with other like minded people on networking sites.

Professor Barry Wellman is a professor based at the University of Toronto (and a very nice campus it is too!) where he directs the NetLab and studies networks: community, communication, computer, and social. His research examines social support, virtual community, the virtual workplace, community, kinship, friendship, and social network theory and methods. His pioneering work with networks pre-dates the hype and hysteria that is currently online social networking.