Exploring Student Participation Patterns and Meaning-Making in an Online Course: A Learning Analytics Approach

• In Event: Understanding and Using Learner Data in Technology Environments

Abstract

This paper presents results of case study research of a higher education course, with a focus on identifying differences in student participation in a course, as well as the types of meaning making and knowledge sharing that are evidenced by the students. A combination of social network analyses and discourse analyses were used within a learning analytics framework to explore blog and wiki data from the course to identify how shifts in the course design affect student participation and meaning making within the course. Implications for design and investigations of learning within online courses that employ social media are provided.

Authors

• Priya Sharma, The Pennsylvania State University

• Phil Tietjen, The Pennsylvania State University - University Park