The Role of Virtual Social Networks on Relationship Skills of DHH Students with Social Network Analysis

The use of new technologies such as virtual social networks (VSN) in learning environments, in addition to the impact on learning, has provided solutions that were previously difficult to implement. This is doubly important in the field of people with special needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of VSN as an enriching medium on the communication skills of deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students and also to introduce the social network analysis (SNA) technique. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test design and the statistical population was all DHH students in the 9th grade in Tehran in the academic year 2017-2018 who enrolled in DHH schools. The data collection tool was a name-generating questionnaire with verified validity and reliability. SNA was used to analyze the data. The results showed that there is a significant difference between DHH students' academic relationships after attending and educational activities in VSN. Therefore, VSN can have a positive effect on increasing DHH students' interaction and academic relationships.