Social networks play an essential role in learning environments as a key channel for knowledge
sharing and students’ support. In distributed learning communities, knowledge sharing does not
occur as spontaneously as when a working group shares the same physical space; knowledge sharing
depends even more on student informal connections. In this study we analyse two distributed learning
communities’ social networks in order to understand how characteristics of the social structure can
enhance students’ success and performance. We used a monitoring system for social network data
gathering. Results from correlation analyses showed that students’ social network characteristics are related to
their performance.