Social Network Analysis of Interaction in Online Learning Communities

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonggu Wang ◽  
Xiaojuan Li
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Online Learning Communities

scholarly journals Social Network Analysis and Online Learning Communities in Higher Education: A Systematic Literature Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shazia K. Jan ◽  
Panos Vlachopoulos ◽  
Mitch Parsell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Analytical Technique

This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review which sets out to explore the use of social network analysis (SNA) for investigating online learning communities in higher education. The impetus for such a review originated from an increased interest by researchers in SNA techniques to investigate interactions and learning engagement in various types of online communities. However, the researchers often omit to ground their research and SNA methods in community based learning frameworks such as communities of inquiry (CoI) and communities of practice (CoP). We identified a handful of studies that integrate SNA methods and key constructs from these frameworks and examined: SNA measures and corresponding theoretical constructs used; other analytical techniques used; limitations and; suggestions for further research. We found that while SNA is effective in detecting prominent participants, sub-groups and certain aspects of a CoP, a specific SNA measure cannot be correlated with a particular presence in a CoI. Therefore, SNA needs to be complemented with a qualitative analytical technique. Whether SNA can be used as a stand-alone technique for identifying communities remains to be seen. We also find a lack of consideration to attributional and performance variables in existing studies. In conclusion, we propose the development of a fully integrated research framework for a holistic analysis of online learning and teaching.

Using Social Network Analysis to Understand Sense of Community in an Online Learning Environment

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Demei Shen ◽  
Piyanan Nuankhieo ◽  
Xinxin Huang ◽  
Christopher Amelung ◽  
James Laffey
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Online Learning Environment

Blended learning communities

2010 ◽  
pp. 256-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Annese ◽  
M. Traetta ◽  
P. F. Spadaro
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Interactive Environments ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Psychosocial Processes ◽  
Specific Learning

Blended learning communities are defined by specific learning and psychosocial processes based on the multilayered sense of belonging of the group’s members, related to the merging of both virtual and real interactive contexts. This chapter focuses on the psychosocial dynamics of blended communities, in order to identify some specific participation strategies and identity dynamics, which both vary with the double interactive context. We used a qualitative variant of Social Network Analysis to analyse the interactions of two blended student communities, identifying various participation trajectories and identity positionings of the group members. The results revealed that the blending of two communication contexts generates different psychosocial dynamics from those activated by the same community in a wholly on- or offline context. The combination of interactive environments results in participation strategies in which members can choose distinctive trajectories, shaping their original identity positionings.

scholarly journals Online Learning Communities in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Learning Network Analysis of Twitter During the Shutdown

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Lemay ◽  
Tenzin Doleck
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Networks ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Network ◽  
Media Technologies ◽  
Conventional Teaching ◽  
The Social

This paper presents a social learning network analysis of Twitter during the 2020 global shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research concerning online learning environments is focused on the reproduction of conventional teaching arrangements, whereas social media technologies afford new channels for the dissemination of information and sharing of knowledge and expertise. We examine Twitter feed around the hashtags #onlinelearning and #onlineteaching during the global shutdown to examine the spontaneous development of online learning communities. We find relatively small and ephemeral communities on the two topics. Most users make spontaneous contributions to the discussion but do not maintain a presence in the Twitter discourse. Optimizing the social learning network, we find many potential efficiencies to be gained through more proactive efforts to connect knowledge seekers and knowledge disseminators. Considerations and prospects for supporting online informal social learning networks are discussed.

scholarly journals Online learner self-regulation: Learning presence viewed through quantitative content- and social network analysis

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Shea ◽  
Suzanne Hayes ◽  
Sedef Uzuner Smith ◽  
Jason Vickers ◽  
Temi Bidjerano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Learning Journals ◽  
Successful Students ◽  
Blended Course ◽  
Learning Presence

<p>This paper presents an extension of an ongoing study of online learning framed within the community of inquiry (CoI) model (Garrison, Anderson, &amp; Archer, 2001) in which we further examine a new construct labeled as <em>learning presence</em>. We use learning presence to refer to the iterative processes of forethought and planning, monitoring and adapting strategies for learning, and reflecting on results that successful students use to regulate their learning in online, interactive environments. To gain insight into these processes, we present results of a study using quantitative content analysis (QCA) and social network analysis (SNA) in a complementary fashion. First, we used QCA to identify the forms of learning presence reflected in students’ public (class discussions) and more private (learning journals) products of knowledge construction in online, interactive components of a graduate-level blended course. Next, we used SNA to assess how the forms of learning presence we identified through QCA correlated with the network positions students held within those interactional spaces (i.e., discussions and journals). We found that the students who demonstrated better self- and co-regulation (i.e., learning presence) took up more advantageous positions in their knowledge-generating groups. Our results extend and confirm both the CoI framework and previous investigations of online learning using SNA.</p>

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