Networks have two main components, nodes and ties (or links/edges)
Below are network plots depicting the change in students' social networks in two different environments (MI and Lecture). You can see that in the lecture class, the students' social networks remain largely unchanged while the students' social networks in MI grew.
Beginning of Term
End of term
Beginning of Term
End of Term
Eric Brewe, Laird Kramer, and Vashti Sawtelle (2012, January 12). Investigating student communities with network analysis of interactions in a physics learning center. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 8, 010101 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.8.010101
Jesper Bruun and Eric Brewe (2013, July 12). Talking and learning physics: Predicting future grades from network measures and Force Concept Inventory pretest scores. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 9, 020109 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.9.020109
Eric A. Williams, Eric Brewe, Justyna P. Zwolak, and Remy Dou (2016, December 16). Understanding Centrality: Investigating Student Outcomes within a Classroom Social Network. Presented at the Physics Education Research Conference 2015, College Park, MD, 2015 http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/perc.2015.pr.089