Blended methods for measuring and modeling

community in Formal Blended Learning

Environments
Richard A. Schwier
Ben K. Daniel
Virtual Community Research Laboratory
University of Saskatchewan

Based on: Schwier, R.A., & Daniel, B.K. (2007). Did we become a community?
Multiple methods for identifying community and its constituent elements in formal
online learning environments. In N. Lambropoulos, & P. Zaphiris (Eds.), User-
evaluation and online communities (pp. 29-53). Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing.

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Central Concerns
• Focus of research
• Atomized view of communities
• Generation of models
• Using research to inform online
learning environments

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Community

Modeling Constituents

Comparison

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006
 Sense of Community
• Chavis’ “Sense of Community Index”
• Rovai & Jordan’s “Classroom
Community Scale”
– Connectedness
– Learning

• Pre-post design (t-Test, p<.005)

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Interaction Analysis
• Fahy, Crawford & Ally (TAT)
• Included only peripheral interactions
• Density
– the ratio of the actual number of connections observed,
to the total potential number of possible connections

2a/N(N-1) = 2(122)/13(12) = .78

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Interaction analysis
• Intensity
– “levels of participation," or the degree to which
the number of postings observed in a group
exceed the number of required postings

– 858 actual/490 required = 1.75

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Reciprocity ratio
the parity of communication among participants

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Reciprocity

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

Characteristics of Community
• Transcript analysis
• Interviews
• Focus groups

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Characteristics
• Awareness • Participation
• Social protocols • Trust
• Historicity • Trajectory
• Identity • Technology
• Mutuality • Learning
• Plurality • Reflection
• Autonomy • Intensity

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

Comparison of characteristics
• Thurstone analysis

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

Thurstone Scale
 Modeling
Bayesian Belief Network

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006

 Conclusions
• Cycle of analysis is more important than
specific tools used
• Mixed methods seems reasonable, and
worked well in practice
• Baseline data are needed to situate findings
• Modeling is an act of systematic speculation
influenced by data (not limited by data)

Curriculum Studies Mini-Conference, November 25, 2006