SaTC: CORE: Small: Community-Based Support for Learning Community Norms

Since the advent of internet social media, people have been able to communicate openly with others in their communities of choice. In some cases, such as with new users, their communications may not follow community rules and norms are and therefore may be inappropriate, as in cyberbullying. When users engage in harmful behavior, they may be virtually admonished or punished online, for example with account suspension. This research takes an alternative community support approach to educating users, including especially teenagers, to interactions online that avoid harm such as bullying. The approach builds on research in the field of sociology that shows supportive and community-based education can help people interact and collaborate effectively online, learning how rules and norms apply. The project leverages sociological science to enhance and support online interaction in online groups and communities. By understanding and supporting users’ and community perspectives, the project deepens the understanding of user interaction online, bridges real-world sociological research with cyberspace scholarship, and contributes to the well-being of individuals and the sustainability of communities. The project investigates users' experiences with their interactions online, and their access to existing community-based education resources. It also explores design interventions for guiding users' community cooperation and enhancement. Empirical methods, including interviews and surveys, are used to generate empirical and conceptual knowledge about how users perceive and reflect on their online behaviors, and to identify effective resources and strategies that work for effective support and teaching social integration of users in their communities. Participatory design methods are employed to explore how community-based education can be integrated into online systems for communities that desire additional mechanisms beyond those currently deployed. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.