Social Network Analysis of Asynchronous Discussion in Online Learning

Online learning is often informed by constructivist principles aimed at encouraging collaborative knowledge building through asynchronous online discussion. Social network analysis is uniquely suited to studying these socio-cognitive processes because it emphasizes interactions rather than the attributes of individual participants. This paper uses social network analysis to explore the networks formed by different types of interaction in online discussion and to analyze the ways in which each type of interaction is related to the others. The resulting insights will help instructors design and monitor online courses to facilitate knowledge building as well as to assess both the quality and the quantity of student contributions.