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<p>While research has established the importance of questions as a key strategy used to facilitate student interaction in online discussions, there is a need to explore how the structure of questions influence students’ interactions. Using learning analytics, we explored the relationship between student-student interaction and the structure of initial questions with and without the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM). Degree centrality was used as the method to analyse the number of responses each student sent (out-degree centrality) and the number of responses each student received (in-degree centrality). Findings showed that the number of responses each student sent and received was higher in the discussions initiated by the PIM-question prompts. In addition, analysis revealed a positive relationship between students’ interaction and the discussions structured with PIM and non-PIM questions. Finally, there was a significant difference in out-degree centrality but no significant difference in in-degree centrality between discussions structured with the PIM and non-PIM questions. We conclude that initial questions can be structured using PIM as a guiding framework to facilitate student-student interaction in online discussions.</p>
</abstract>

While research has established the importance of questions as a key strategy used to facilitate student interaction in online discussions, there is a need to explore how the structure of questions influence students’ interactions. Using learning analytics, we explored the relationship between student-student interaction and the structure of initial questions with and without the Practical Inquiry Model (PIM). Degree centrality was used as the method to analyse the number of responses each student sent (out-degree centrality) and the number of responses each student received (in-degree centrality). Findings showed that the number of responses each student sent and received was higher in the discussions initiated by the PIM-question prompts. In addition, analysis revealed a positive relationship between students’ interaction and the discussions structured with PIM and non-PIM questions. Finally, there was a significant difference in out-degree centrality but no significant difference in in-degree centrality between discussions structured with the PIM and non-PIM questions. We conclude that initial questions can be structured using PIM as a guiding framework to facilitate student-student interaction in online discussions.

Exploring the Relationship Between Interaction and the Structure of Questions in Online Discussions Using Learning Analytics

European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

While research has established the importance of questions as a key strategy used to facilitate student interaction in online discussions, there is a need to...

Exploring the Relationship Between Interaction and the Structure of Questions in Online Discussions Using Learning Analytics

Published Online: Sep 13, 2020

Page range: 46 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2020-0004

Keywords
interaction, asynchronous online discussions, question prompts, learning analytics, degree centrality

© 2020 Ayesha Sadaf et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Exploring the Relationship Between Interaction and the Structure of Questions in Online Discussions Using Learning Analytics

Published Online: Sep 13, 2020

Page range: 46 - 60

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eurodl-2020-0004

Keywordsinteraction, asynchronous online discussions, question prompts, learning analytics, degree centrality

© 2020 Ayesha Sadaf et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
interaction, asynchronous online discussions, question prompts, learning analytics, degree centrality