SNA, particularly when combined with content analysis, can provide a detailed understanding of interactions between network members, supporting optimisation of course design, learner-group composition and dropout identification¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The evidence so far strongly suggests that SNA, particularly when combined with content analysis, provides detailed understanding of the nature and type of interactions between network members. → Cela 2015 q2 i? This understanding allows for optimisation of course design, composition of learner groups and identification of learners in danger of dropping out. → Cela 2015

Evidence¶

Cela 2015¶

Cela, K.L., Sicilia, M.Á. & Sánchez, S. (2015). Social Network Analysis in E-Learning Environments: A Preliminary Systematic Review. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-014-9276-0

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review's overall synthesis of the 37 included studies states that "the evidence so far strongly suggests that SNA, particularly when combined with content analysis, can provide a detailed understanding" of network members' interactions, with the stated applications to course design, group composition and dropout identification. No effect sizes are printed.

"the evidence so far strongly suggests that SNA, particularly when combined with content analysis, can provide a detailed understanding of the nature and type of interactions between members of the network, allowing for optimisation of course design, composition of learner groups and identification of learners in danger of dropping out."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Prior SNA studies of centrality-achievement links in CSCL show inconsistent, mostly small-sample results, with betweenness and closeness the most inconsistent measures — related
• Evidence that classroom network structure relates to course outcomes under interactive pedagogies is mixed — related
• Diffusion-based centralities show moderate-to-strong statistically significant positive correlations with the frequency of information sharing and argumentation utterances in CSCL — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Network measurement in undergraduate SNA research shows little consistency even when research questions overlap — related