Discovering the Pattern of Interactions in Online Discussions Using the Social Network Analysis Principle

This article is based on the findings of a research project that observed the nature of task and activity management in an online learning environment. Based on social network analysis (SNA) and the community of practice framework, this article reports on the interaction patterns and participation of tutors and students in a discussion through a learning management system (LMS). The analysis is focused on the nature of participation; the pattern of tutor-student and student-student interactions; the existence of assisted performance in online interactions; and the social configuration across different task types. An analysis shows that the pattern of assisted performance by a peer or tutor could depend on one or more of the following factors: the type of task (the nature of the task initiated), group formation (either one whole large group or one small working group) and tutor management (the degree of tutor involvement in responding to students’ posting).