Identifying Learners' Interaction Patterns in an Online Learning Community

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 4; p. 2245
• Main Authors: Wu, Xuemei, He, Zhenzhen, Li, Mingxi, Han, Zhongmei, Huang, Changqin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 16.02.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Cognition & reasoning; Collaborative learning; Communication; Community; Critical thinking; Deep learning; Distance learning; Education, Distance; Knowledge; Machine learning; Network analysis; Peer Group; Peers; Roles; Sequence analysis; Social networks; Social organization; Students; Teachers; emergent roles; deep learning; interaction pattern; online learning community; collaborative reflection
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19042245

The interactions among all members of an online learning community significantly impact collaborative reflection (co-reflection). Although the relationship between learners' roles and co-reflection levels has been explored by previous researchers, it remains unclear when and with whom learners at different co-reflection levels tend to interact. This study adopted multiple methods to examine the interaction patterns of diverse roles among learners with different co-reflection levels based on 11,912 posts. First, the deep learning technique was applied to assess learners' co-reflection levels. Then, a social network analysis (SNA) was conducted to identify the emergent roles of learners. Furthermore, a lag sequence analysis (LSA) was employed to reveal the interaction patterns of the emergent roles among learners with different co-reflection levels. The results showed that most learners in an online learning community reached an upper-middle co-reflection level while playing an inactive role in the co-reflection process. Moreover, higher-level learners were superior in dialog with various roles and were more involved in self-rethinking during the co-reflection process. In particular, they habitually began communication with peers and then with the teacher. Based on these findings, some implications for facilitating online co-reflection from the perspective of roles is also discussed.