ABSTRACT
Active learning methods, such as group projects and collaborative learning using asynchronous discussions, provide opportunities for students to participate in academic discourse and apply what they have learned. But inspiring students to participate in online discussion interactions and evaluating the degree of their discussion engagements can prove challenging for many instructors. This chapter addresses that important issue by describing how social network diagrams and quantitative data mined from within a learning management system (LMS) course enabled faculty to identify levels of interaction among students. Furthermore, this chapter demonstrates data-informed facilitation approaches with which the quality and quantity of online discussion may be increased using visualizations from a social network analysis app.
