SNA Research News

Read the relationships behind the results.

A reviewed collection of journal and conference articles that use social network analysis as a substantive data analysis approach.

All article types Journal article Conference paper

36 articles

Page 6 / 6

Photograph of medical students in hybrid problem-based learning groups, with four network overlays leading to an uncertainty display

Journal article2018Open access

Journal article 16

Using online problem-based learning networks to understand and predict performance

Mohammed Saqr, Uno Fors, Jalal Nouri

PLOS ONE

Across four online problem-based learning courses, interaction networks were linked with grades through correlations and regression, then checked on the next year's course data. Denser group interaction, cohesion, and ties to prominent peers were associated with performance, and a classifier reported 93.3 percent accuracy.

Online PBLPerformance predictionLearning networks

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Photograph of mathematics teachers collaborating with manipulatives at workshop tables, connected by colored message paths

Journal article2018Open access

Journal article 15

Supporting mathematics instructional change through professional-development message networks

Charles N. Hayward, Sandra L. Laursen

International Journal of STEM Education

A year-long listserv following an inquiry-based mathematics workshop linked qualitative coding with SNA. Thirty-five participants and 11 facilitators exchanged 281 messages; question and follow-up patterns sustained discussion, and 47 percent of messages included a community-building function.

Faculty developmentMessage networksMixed methods

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Photograph of an instructor and university students in a seminar room, with a network overlay shifting from teacher-centered to distributed peer coordination

Journal article2018Open access

Journal article 14

Monitoring online collaborative learning networks to guide an informed intervention

Mohammed Saqr, Uno Fors, Matti Tedre, Jalal Nouri

PLOS ONE

Interaction logs from three medical courses with 82 students and three teachers were mapped before and after a mid-course intervention. Participation roles, density, in-degree, and clustering increased after five targeted teaching actions, but the observational time comparison cannot isolate the intervention from normal course development.

Learning analyticsNetwork interventionOnline PBL

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Photograph of diverse dental students studying in small groups in a simulation clinic, with subtle network lines connecting peer circles

Journal article2017Open access

Journal article 13

Informal peer-assisted learning groups and dental exam performance: A network test

M. AbdelSalam, Maha El Tantawi, Asim Al-Ansari, Adel AlAgl, Ghada Al-Harbi

Medical Principles and Practice

Seventy-four of 92 invited fourth-year dental students reported self-formed peer-learning groups and friendship relations before a 22-item examination. Network and regression analyses found prior academic performance was the clearest predictor, while group structure and peer similarity did not show a dependable advantage.

Dental educationPeer learningFriendship networks

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MOOC discussion network divided into content-related and non-content interactions

Conference paper2017

Conference paper 02

Honing in on social learning networks in MOOC forums: examining critical network definition decisions

Alyssa Friend Wise, Yi Cui, Wan Qi Jin

Seventh International Learning Analytics & Knowledge Conference (LAK '17)

Analysis of 3,124 posts from 567 MOOC learners showed that separating content from non-content interaction changed network interpretation and that an overly broad copresence tie could inflate apparent status.

MOOCsNetwork constructionLearning analytics

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Introductory physics discussion network with central and peripheral students

Conference paper2016Open access

Conference paper 01

CourseNetworking and community: Linking online discussion networks and course success

Adrienne L. Traxler, Andrew Gavrin, Rebecca S. Lindell

Physics Education Research Conference 2016

An introductory-physics forum was modeled as a student network to test whether central discussion positions aligned with final grades. The study found no strong correlation, offering an important caution for learning analytics.

Physics educationDiscussion forumsNull findings

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