People relate with one another in space and through imagined and technologically mediated networks. This thesis is concerned with the relationship between these two types of social connections – spatial and network. Spatial connections structure collectives of people in the same place at the same time. Network connections structure relations between people without regard to place or time. Spatial connections are complex, but rigid by nature, while network connections are simple, but flexible. Essential articulations emerge between these two connection types. These articulations create and evolve contemporary socio-spatial systems such as the city, its many places, and groups of people therein. However, the basic human experience of these systems remains largely polarized between spatial and network social practices to the disadvantage of human agency. This thesis proposes a teleodynamic, socio-spatial interaction model for the articulation of these social practices in human agency architecture. The model is a mobile experience design that functions through people with ‘smart’ mobile devices. It connects them with one another in public place and to global information and communication networks simultaneously. Sociological study informs the model’s design – constraints and conditions for the connection extents and integrity of social interaction. The model supports self-organizing circular relationships between human interaction dynamics and their trace structures based on a methodology for emergence in complex systems. It effects the emergence of the aforementioned socio-spatial, human agency architecture, with great flexibility. The model and architecture together serve to better articulate contemporary spatial and network social practices to the benefit of human agency in urban space.

People relate with one another in space and through imagined and technologically mediated networks. This thesis is concerned with the relationship between these two types of social connections – spatial and network. Spatial connections structure collectives of people in the same place at the same time. Network connections structure relations between people without regard to place or time. Spatial connections are complex, but rigid by nature, while network connections are simple, but flexible. Essential articulations emerge between these two connection types. These articulations create and evolve contemporary socio-spatial systems such as the city, its many places, and groups of people therein. However, the basic human experience of these systems remains largely polarized between spatial and network social practices to the disadvantage of human agency. This thesis proposes a teleodynamic, socio-spatial interaction model for the articulation of these social practices in human agency architecture. The model is a mobile experience design that functions through people with ‘smart’ mobile devices. It connects them with one another in public place and to global information and communication networks simultaneously. Sociological study informs the model’s design – constraints and conditions for the connection extents and integrity of social interaction. The model supports self-organizing circular relationships between human interaction dynamics and their trace structures based on a methodology for emergence in complex systems. It effects the emergence of the aforementioned socio-spatial, human agency architecture, with great flexibility. The model and architecture together serve to better articulate contemporary spatial and network social practices to the benefit of human agency in urban space.

In online learning, little is known about the impact of mixed reality and its underlying socio-technological factors on social space perceived by learners. The term social space refers to a group's socio-emotional dynamics that structure the social relationships among its members. Drawing upon extant literature on mixed reality, interaction and social presence, this research proposes and validates a theoretical model that elucidates the influence of immersion on users’ social space experiences within digital environments across different mixed realities (i.e., augmented and virtual realities, and video conferencing). Interaction and social presence are identified as two key factors mediating this relationship. To test the proposed model, a survey involving 488 participants in higher education was conducted, and the effects were examined under three conditions: video conferencing, augmented-reality, and virtual-reality. The findings show that 1) an immersion perspective plays a significant role in educational technology, particularly for its role in facilitating social space among learners in higher education; 2) the impact of immersion on social space is entirely mediated by learners’ assessment of interactions and their perception of social presence in digitally facilitated learning environments; and 3) the influences of immersion on learners to experience a prosocial space vary across virtual reality, augmented reality, and video conferencing. VR environments offer the most pronounced sensation of social presence, while AR environments prove to be optimal for interacting in digitally facilitated learning environments. Out of these three conditions, VC environments were perceived the lowest for interaction, sensation of social presence, and the establishment of a communal atmosphere of collaboration in digitally mediated learning environments. These findings make valuable contributions to theory by providing insights into the influence of immersion and variability in mixed reality on learners’ perception of social space experiences. In this respect, this research expands the body of knowledge and research in both the information systems and education fields. Furthermore, this research offers valuable insights for educators to make informed decisions regarding the selection and adoption of augmented and virtual reality technologies, as well as devising digital strategies in higher education. It contributes to our understanding of effective implementation of mixed reality in this context. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)