Joint Trajectories of Learner Engagement and Learner Roles in Asynchronous Online Discussions

• In Event: 25.066 - Learning Experiences, Community of Inquiry, and Online Learner Engagement

Abstract

This exploratory study examined the joint trajectories of learner engagement and learner roles in the context of an undergraduate blended writing course in which students performed significant learning activities on the wiki-based online discussion forums. Learner engagement dimensions included behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The evolving diversity of individuals’ roles in online learning was classified into the marginal participant, peripheral participant, engaging participant, and full participant, from least to most involved, using a profiling method that combined three social network metrics (i.e., InDegree, OutDegree, and Betweenness). The results showed that learner engagement dimensions developed differently over time. Changes in learner roles were explained by interaction. Learner profiles showed the potential to describe student development in online participation.

Authors

• Min Kyu Kim, Georgia State University

• In Heok Lee, University of Georgia