Investigating patterns of interaction in networked learning and computer-supported collaborative learning: A role for Social Network Analysis

Abstract

The focus of this study is to explore the advances that Social Network Analysis (SNA) can bring, in combination with other methods, when studying Networked Learning/ Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (NL/CSCL). We present a general overview of how SNA is applied in NL/CSCL research; we then go on to illustrate how this research method can be integrated with existing studies on NL/CSCL, using an example from our own data, as a way to synthesize and extend our understanding of teaching and learning processes in NLCs. The example study reports empirical work using content analysis (CA), critical event recall (CER) and social network analysis (SNA). The aim is to use these methods to study the nature of the interaction patterns within a networked learning community (NLC), and the way its members share and construct knowledge. The paper also examines some of the current findings of SNA analysis work elsewhere in the literature, and discusses future prospects for SNA. This paper is part of a continuing international study that is investigating NL/CSCL among a community of learners engaged in a master's program in e-learning.

Developing an Instrument to Understand the Social-Structural Integration of Diverse Students

“…Three consecutive sections were chosen for further examination. The choice to use three sections was done so that the sample size compared relatively well with the initial study run (93 and 107, respectively), and to several previous studies 16,19,39 . A laboratory section was selected at random, and then two consecutive sections were included.…”

“…The interaction of students across these formal boundaries makes a precise assessment of their complete social network challenging. Building upon previous work, our study in an OEL represents a substantial leap in scale, size, and complexity compared to the environments where SNA has been previously administered 16,19,24,30,46 but mirrors the environments of many first-year engineering programs.…”

“…SNA is a tool that can provide insight on group interactions, cohesion, engagement levels of participants, and strength and direction of interactions. 19 Providing teachers and researchers a quick way to evaluate the inclusiveness of the environment. An advantage of SNA is its ability to generate a visual representation of all the connections that occur within the environment.…”

“…[16][17][18][19] Typically these efforts concentrate on the nature of the interactions and the interpersonal/intergroup dynamics. 14,[20][21][22][23] Examination at this micro-level is vital to understanding how relationships are formed, but tends to ignore the larger social structures of an environment.…”

Teacher Role Adoption and Barriers to Participation in an Online Educational Social Network

“…), which usually implies that the message is sent indiscriminately to multiple users" [15]. Research further suggests that participants play different roles over the period of the learning activity [16] and that providing opportunities for every member of the community to become a full or peripheral member is important for successful participation in that community, such as having lower entry barriers [17]. As such participation is linked to learning.…”