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

THANK YOU

How to contact me: E-mail: pfidalgo@campus.fct.unl.pt

Twitter: pfidalgo1Skype: pfidalgo1