The Effects of Learners' Background and Social Network Position on Content-Related MOOC Interaction

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: Practical Applications of Mixed-Method and Multimethod Research

Abstract

This study aimed to find, at the individual level, the relationship among each learner’s background, social network position, and interaction. The magnitude and significance of factors influencing interaction are compared. Prior research has largely focused on the effects of background and social network position on quantitative features of interaction. This research considered qualitative features such as cognitive engagement level and sentiment polarity in interaction and the extent to which each of these factors influences interaction. Background and social network position are found to be associated with interaction differently within certain subgroups. The top and bottom 20% of learners who actively connected in social network tended to engage in constructive activities, rather than active or interactive ones.

Authors

• Qiyuan Li, The Pennsylvania State University

• Priya Sharma, The Pennsylvania State University