Social network analysis approaches for social learning support

Abstract

Considered as a branch of learning analytics, social network analysis is the actual procedure allowing us to study interactions and relations between individuals in a social network. Given that educational roles need reliable methods to understand and optimize their social learning environment, it seems clear that social network analysis is the best suited approximation. Despite the abovementioned, very few learning management systems integrate these kinds of tools to help teachers and students enhance their social learning processes. The aim of this paper is to encourage learning management systems engineers to integrate (as default) tools for social network analysis. This way, social network analysis is presented in its fundamentals and applicability to different social learning situations. Moreover, researchers are also encouraged to work on easy models of use for both teachers and learning management system engineers.