ERIC Number: EJ910454
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-6677
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Social Network Analysis to Examine Interaction Patterns in Knowledge Building Communities
Philip, Donald N.
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, v36 n1 Fall 2010
This paper describes use of social network analysis to examine student interaction patterns in a Grade 5/6 Knowledge Building class. The analysis included face-to-face interactions and interactions in the Knowledge Forum[R] Knowledge Building environment. It is argued that sociogram data are useful to reveal group processes; in sociological terms, the community lies in the connections among the group. A classroom of unconnected individuals is unlikely to form as a Knowledge Building community; data analyses reported in this study show promise in understanding the dynamics of Knowledge Building in a consistent and measurable way. The strength of the work is not in particular patterns demonstrated but in new forms of assessment and their potential to inform work as it proceeds. The research reported shows that teachers and students are finding social network analysis useful and that through their engagement research-practitioner-engineer teams are better positioned to develop tools to advance Knowledge Building pedagogy. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Network Analysis, Group Dynamics, Grade 5, Social Networks, Interaction Process Analysis, Grade 6, Classroom Environment, Evaluation Methods, Classroom Communication, Questionnaires, Discourse Analysis, Computer Mediated Communication, Web Sites, Computer Assisted Instruction, Blended Learning, Laptop Computers
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: cnie-rcie@cnie-rcie.ca; Web site: http://www.cjlt.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 5; Grade 6
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A