Engaging with online networks leads to higher grades

New research at Griffith has revealed a direct correlation between student activities on enterprise social networks (ESN) and their academic grades.
The study examined the habits of online postgraduate students and how they engaged with Microsoft’s Yammer network to share ideas and collaborate with other students and academic staff.
The online opportunity to ask the right question at the right time also emerged as a significant benefit for students.
Professor Nick Barter, Academic Director of Griffith Online, looked at SWOOP Analytics data focusing on three Yammer groups and the activities of 222 students at Griffith University.
Each individual was attributed with one of five online personas as a result of their engagement activities.
“Preliminary results showed a clear correlation between SWOOP persona and academic performance,” Professor Barter said. “On average, the highest performing students were engagers, the most desirable of the five personas.”
SWOOP is designed to analyse and report on all relationships that are formed

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Broadway star mentors musical theatre students

Musical theatre students from the Queensland Conservatorium are being mentored by Broadway royalty this week.
Award-winning singer Liz Callaway is conducting a series of intensive workshops and masterclasses with final year students before she takes to the stage in Brisbane for the first time.
The students will deliver a special performance of cabaret and musical theatre at QPAC tomorrow night, and final year musical theatre student Shubshri Kandiah has been selected to perform a duet with Liz at her show the following evening.
Shubshri, 22, said the experience had been “a dream come true”.
“I am blown away that I get the chance to sing with one of my idols,” she said.
“I grew up listening to her recordings of Cats and Miss Saigon, and I’ve always loved her voice.
“I was standing at the piano with her today and I had to hold back tears!”
Fellow musical theatre student Maddison McDonald said the week of workshops

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