1. Patrícia Fidalgo
Supervisor: Professor João Correia de Freitas
Co-supervisor: Professor Terry Anderson

2. Presentation’s Structure
How it all began: researcher’s and topic
Section 1
background
Section 2 Materials and Methods
Section 3
Findings
Section 4 Conclusions & Implications
Section 5 Where to go from here

3. Researcher’s background
– College teacher for 15 years
– Have been using Moodle for 6 years and is a Moodle
trainer
– Teaches online courses
– Was in the first group of teachers that were
responsible for the implementation of online
educational project at the institution where she works
– Done previous research and has published articles on
the use of Moodle by teachers and by students from
the standpoint of Social Network Analysis

4. Finding a needle in a haystack
Ambition: to have Acceptance
or not have?
Being brave Knowing when to
stop
The best part of
Shouting for
the Ph.D.
help

5. It’s over!

6. Algebra
• What do I want to research? (The happiness factor)
• Lms’s… (the convenience factor)
• Researcher background (the experience factor)
• Help (the luck factor)
• Two pages a day (the discipline factor)
• Sweat and tears (the work factor)

7. Topic background
• Technological developments
– Development of tools for group interaction
Distance e-learning
– Online social networks
• Academic Analytics
– Social Network Analysis

8. “I (don’t) like Distance E-learning”

9. Here to stay
• Why do teachers and students offer so
much resistance?
– ‘Multifactorial’ analysis
• The online interaction ‘problem’
– The educational context
– A work in progress
• What to do with all the data from the
LMS’s?

10. Academic analytics
Predictive
Modelling
Log files of
Intervention relational data
through
timely Academic Analytics
information
Social
Method for harvesting and Network
analysing large volumes of
Institutional Analysis
institutional data for informing
improvement decision making and reporting
and processes
accountability

11. Research questions and main objectives
• Q1 - What types of social learning networks are formed in LMS
Moodle, in a Portuguese Higher education institution, as a
mediated, on-line teaching and learning environment?
• Q2 - What are the patterns of relationships established between
users of the LMS, and which features, activities influence the
formation of these patterns in the context of distance education
at an institution of higher education in Portugal?
• Q3 - How can the LMS, as a support environment for social
learning networks, contribute to the organizational design and
strategy of an institution of higher education in supporting the
process of communication, sharing, knowledge building and
management at distance?

12. Materials and Methods
• Case Study
– Mixed method case study research
– Different sources and methods of data
collection and analysis
– Qualitative and quantitative techniques for
collecting, processing and analysing data
• Qualitative Structural Analysis
– Social Network Analysis

13. Research Dimensions
Data
Collection
Questionnaires
Statistical Analysis
Participants’ Perceptions

14. Context and participants
Private Institution of Higher
School
Education
School year 2010/2011
LMS Moodle
Number of courses 4 (from the ‘institutional matrix’)
Number of Students enrolled in the
683
courses
Number of students that have
371 (54,3%)
participated in this study
Teachers 3
Not responsible for the courses
Researcher
analysed
31 (C1= 10; C2 = 2; C3 = 14; and C4 =
Number of forums analysed
5)

15. Findings
Relational Aspects of the Networks
What types of social learning networks Formal networks with very few
are formed in LMS Moodle, in a interaction among the participants,
Portuguese Higher education institution, especially between the students.
as a mediated, on-line teaching and
learning environment?

16. Findings
Relational Aspects of the Networks
What are the patterns of relationships The most prominent pattern is the one
established between users of the LMS, centred in the teacher (star pattern). The
and what features, activities influence the students interact mostly with the
formation of these patterns in the context instructor although in some sub regions
of distance education at an institution of of networks few examples of other
higher education in Portugal? patterns can also be found.
Assessment activities were mainly
responsible for the formation of the
patterns found.
We also found that more informal themes
of discussion can trigger higher
participation and more interaction.

17. Findings
Teaching and Learning Processes
How can the LMS, as a support Moodle can be tailored to support the
environment for social learning networks, needs of an educational institution
contribute to the organizational design regarding online and distance
and strategy of an institution of higher communication, knowledge building and
education in supporting the process of sharing.
communication, sharing, knowledge Moodle enables the connection to other
building and management at distance? communication systems that schools may
have allowing a more effective
management of those systems.

18. Conclusions & Implications
Academic Analytics
Use &
Perceptions
ICT Teaching & Distance E-Learning
Learning
Academic Analytics
Research Design-Based
Research Framework
Online Interaction for Relational Aspects

19. The “Thesis”
Importance of incorporating academic
analytics in the educational process as a
way to provide information to everyday
practitioners in order to promote a better
learning experience

20. And now…?
Social Network Analysis
Connections Actors
Size: 52
Density: 0,08
Diameter: 7
Geodesic distance
Reciprocity

21. THANK YOU
How to contact me:
E-mail: pfidalgo@campus.fct.unl.pt
Twitter: pfidalgo1
Skype: pfidalgo1