Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 2, Fall 2014 | Page 76
Visualizing Knowledge Networks in Online Courses
Figure 1. Analytical Framework for Social Knowledge Networks (SKN).
of our aim is to be able to understand and
visualize the topicSpread of student and instructor-generated
content from the course
discussions across (and beyond) this map.
In this paper we deal mostly with conversational
concepts. Work on course concept
structure and use of ontologies is ongoing.
Knowledge Activity
To characterize the focus of student
and instructor-generated content
in the context of each course discussion,
we further wanted to be able to
identify the level of knowledgeActivity that
resulted from participant engagement. To
this end we developed a custom rubric to
align with the types of knowledge activities
prompted by collaborative and discussion
assignments included in the program under
study.
Levels of Knowledge Activity:
1. Absorb: Determining the meaning
of instructional messages and course
concepts.
2. Transfer: Transferring an understanding
between contexts or disciplinary
environments.
3. Apply: Carrying out or using a theory,
concept or procedure in a given situation.
4. Innovate: Putting elements together
to form a novel or coherent whole
or to identify an original product or
solution.
Not surprisingly, knowledgeActivity
is one of the most difficult attributes to code
consistently and our understanding continues
to develop as we dive deeper into our
data and can see more clearly the types and
nuances of knowledgeActivity occurring in
our context.
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