Key ideas

Case study of use of learning analytics in MOOC

Social scientists have lagged behind researchers in other fields, for instance in fields such as biology and physics, it is unavoidable for analytics to become part of social science research.

Emphasise the urgency for a data-driven computational social science to develop „based in an open academic environment‟, rather than in the domain of private companies such as Google and Yahoo, and government agencies who are currently the main players in the analytics field. They answer the question: “What value might a computational social science – based in an open academic environment – offer society, by enhancing understanding of individuals and collectives?” (Lazer, et al.)

Dawson et al: To improve student learning experience must not just do quantitative analysis, but value judgment of what usage counts as good or bad, and how to move from one to the other.

De Laat: Complexity of researching networked learning:

• human agency
• dynamics of the network
• power-relationships of network
• amount of content generated

Needs:

• multi-method approach
• computer-aided analysis of content
• social network analysis (who talks to whom)
• interview with critical event recall

PLENK2010

Between 40 and 60 were active producers, the other 1580 were not visibly active.

Unexpected to course organizers - saw creation and activity as critical to learning.

Tools used:

• Social Networks Adapting Pedagogical Practice (SNAPP)
  • who posted and replied to whom
  • what major discussions were about
  • how expansive they were
  • generates diagrams
• Pajek
• NetDraw
• Nvivo

Time to code and do analyses was prohibitive, but detailed information of one discussion. Computer-assisted analysis could help and should be explored.