Identifying Learners’ Interaction Patterns in an Online Learning Community

Xuemei Wu, Zhenzhen He, Mingxi Li, Zhongmei Han and Changqin Huang
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Xuemei Wu: School of Information Technology in Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Zhenzhen He: School of Information Technology in Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Mingxi Li: School of Foreign Studies, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
Zhongmei Han: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
Changqin Huang: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: The interactions among all members of an online learning community significantly impact collaborative reflection (co-reflection). Although the relationship between learners’ roles and co-reflection levels has been explored by previous researchers, it remains unclear when and with whom learners at different co-reflection levels tend to interact. This study adopted multiple methods to examine the interaction patterns of diverse roles among learners with different co-reflection levels based on 11,912 posts. First, the deep learning technique was applied to assess learners’ co-reflection levels. Then, a social network analysis (SNA) was conducted to identify the emergent roles of learners. Furthermore, a lag sequence analysis (LSA) was employed to reveal the interaction patterns of the emergent roles among learners with different co-reflection levels. The results showed that most learners in an online learning community reached an upper-middle co-reflection level while playing an inactive role in the co-reflection process. Moreover, higher-level learners were superior in dialog with various roles and were more involved in self-rethinking during the co-reflection process. In particular, they habitually began communication with peers and then with the teacher. Based on these findings, some implications for facilitating online co-reflection from the perspective of roles is also discussed.

Keywords: collaborative reflection; emergent roles; interaction pattern; deep learning; online learning community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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