SharePoint for Social Learning, Case Study Example

“SharePoint for social learning” was written in 2012 and this study is still applicable today (UCISA, 2012). It found that incorporating social networking features into Microsoft Office tools was a reasonable way to keep students engaged and enhance their ability to communicate with one another in a manner that would help them excel in their academic work. The testing period was enhanced by information provided to the developers in the form of student feedback. While a sample size was not reported, the study notes that 89% of students felt these tools were useful, indicating that a large number of students were surveyed in order to generate this understanding. During the first phase of the study, 15 students were consulted.

The study took approximately three months to complete. While it is challenging to determine whether a control was used in the experiment, a seemingly apparent control is use of a student portal system without incorporating Microsoft 365 or the use of Microsoft 365 alone. The results make the study appear to be sound, as 89% of students agree that this system is useful. However, a more thorough statistical analysis of responses would be necessary for this information to be convincing. It was not possible to determine whether the results were statistically sound because there was not a sufficient summary of the types of survey questions asked. Overall, the study was not convincing because it left out a lot of data, seemingly to convince the reader of the success of the SharePoint program, indicating that the study publication is biased. Ultimately, this case study was meant to sell a product rather than to provide information, which damages the credibility of the authors.

References

UCISA. (2012). SharePoint for social learning. Retrieved from http://www.ucisa.ac.uk/~/media/groups/cisg/SharePointc_casestudy/CISG%20CS_Share_point%20for%20social%20learning.ashx