ERIC Number: EJ1137727
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1049-4820
EISSN: N/A
Making the Most of "External" Group Members in Blended and Online Environments
Hernández-Nanclares, Núria; García-Muñiz, Ana S.; Rienties, Bart
Interactive Learning Environments, v25 n4 p467-481 2017
Although the importance of boundary spanning in blended and online learning is widely acknowledged, most educational research has ignored whether and how students learn from others outside their assigned group. One potential approach for understanding cross-boundary knowledge sharing is Social Network Analysis (SNA). In this article, we apply four network metrics to unpack how students developed intra- and inter-group learning links, using two exemplary blended case studies in Spain and the UK. Our results indicate that SNA based upon questionnaires can provide researchers some useful indicators for a more fine-grained analysis how students develop these inter- and intra-group learning links, and which cross-boundary links are particularly important for learning performance. The mixed findings between the two case-studies suggest the relevance of pre-existing conditions and learning design. SNA metrics can provide useful information for qualitative follow-up methods, and future interventions using learning analytics approaches.
Descriptors: Cooperative Learning, Blended Learning, Group Membership, Electronic Learning, Social Networks, Network Analysis, Case Studies, Foreign Countries, Questionnaires, Likert Scales, Instructional Design, Data Analysis, Intergroup Relations
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A