Download - Anatomy of a ph d terry final
Anatomy of a Ph.D.
Patrícia Fidalgo
Learning Networks and Moodle Use in Online Courses: A Social Network Analysis Study
Supervisor: Professor João Correia de FreitasCo-supervisor: Professor Terry Anderson
Presentation’s Structure
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
How it all began: researcher’s and topic
backgroundSection 1
Section 2
Conclusions & Implications
FindingsSection 3
Section 4
Section 5
Materials and Methods
Where to go from here
Researcher’s background
– College teacher for 15 years– Have been using Moodle for 6 years and is a Moodle
trainer– Teaches online courses– Was in the first group of teachers that were
responsible for the implementation of online educational project at the institution where she works
– Done previous research and has published articles on the use of Moodle by teachers and by students from the standpoint of Social Network Analysis
Finding a needle in a haystack
AcceptanceAmbition: to have or not have?
Knowing when to stop
The best part of the Ph.D.
Being brave
Shouting for help
It’s over!
Algebra
• What do I want to research? (The happiness factor)
• Lms’s… (the convenience factor)
• Researcher background (the experience factor)
• Help (the luck factor)
• Two pages a day (the discipline factor)
• Sweat and tears (the work factor)
Topic background
• Technological developments
– Development of tools for group interaction
Distance e-learning
– Online social networks
• Academic Analytics
– Social Network Analysis
“I (don’t) like Distance E-learning”
Here to stay
• Why do teachers and students offer so much resistance?– ‘Multifactorial’ analysis
• The online interaction ‘problem’– The educational context–A work in progress
• What to do with all the data from the LMS’s?
Academic analytics
Academic Analytics
Method for harvesting and analysing large volumes of
institutional data for informing decision making and reporting
processes
Log files of relational data
Social Network Analysis
Predictive Modelling
Intervention through timely information
Institutional improvement and accountability
• Q1 - What types of social learning networks are formed in LMS Moodle, in a Portuguese Higher education institution, as a mediated, on-line teaching and learning environment?
• Q2 - What are the patterns of relationships established between users of the LMS, and which features, activities influence the formation of these patterns in the context of distance education at an institution of higher education in Portugal?
• Q3 - How can the LMS, as a support environment for social learning networks, contribute to the organizational design and strategy of an institution of higher education in supporting the process of communication, sharing, knowledge building and management at distance?
Research questions and main objectives
• Case Study–Mixed method case study research–Different sources and methods of data
collection and analysis –Qualitative and quantitative techniques for
collecting, processing and analysing data• Qualitative Structural Analysis – Social Network Analysis
Materials and Methods
Research Dimensions
Data Collection
Participants’ Perceptions
Statistical Analysis
Content Analysis
Teaching and Learning Process
Socia
l Net
work A
nalys
is
Relati
onal
Aspec
ts of
the N
etwor
ks
Questionnaires
Web
trac
king Foruns
Interviews
Context and participantsSchool Private Institution of Higher
Education
School year 2010/2011
LMS Moodle
Number of courses 4 (from the ‘institutional matrix’)
Number of Students enrolled in the courses 683
Number of students that have participated in this study 371 (54,3%)
Teachers 3
Researcher Not responsible for the courses analysed
Number of forums analysed 31 (C1= 10; C2 = 2; C3 = 14; and C4 = 5)
FindingsRelational Aspects of the Networks
What types of social learning networks are formed in LMS Moodle, in a Portuguese Higher education institution, as a mediated, on-line teaching and learning environment?
Formal networks with very few interaction among the participants, especially between the students.
FindingsRelational Aspects of the Networks
What are the patterns of relationships established between users of the LMS, and what features, activities influence the formation of these patterns in the context of distance education at an institution of higher education in Portugal?
The most prominent pattern is the one centred in the teacher (star pattern). The students interact mostly with the instructor although in some sub regions of networks few examples of other patterns can also be found.Assessment activities were mainly responsible for the formation of the patterns found.We also found that more informal themes of discussion can trigger higher participation and more interaction.
FindingsTeaching and Learning Processes
How can the LMS, as a support environment for social learning networks, contribute to the organizational design and strategy of an institution of higher education in supporting the process of communication, sharing, knowledge building and management at distance?
Moodle can be tailored to support the needs of an educational institution regarding online and distance communication, knowledge building and sharing. Moodle enables the connection to other communication systems that schools may have allowing a more effective management of those systems.
Conclusions & Implications
Online Interaction
Academic Analytics
ICT
Use & Perceptions
Research
Academic Analytics Design-Based
Research Framework for Relational Aspects
Teaching & Learning
Distance E-Learning
The “Thesis”
Importance of incorporating academic analytics in the educational process as a way to provide information to everyday
practitioners in order to promote a better learning experience
And now…?
ActorsConnections
Size: 52
Density: 0,08
Geodesic distance
Social Network Analysis
Diameter: 7
Reciprocity