Students' personal networks in virtual and personal learning environments: a case study in higher education using learning analytics approach

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyse the effect of the affordances of a virtual learning environment and a personal learning environment (PLE) in the configuration of the students' personal networks in a higher education context. The results are discussed in light of the adaptation of the students to the learning network made up by two undergraduate, inter-university and online courses. Besides, we also examine the influence of this effect in the learning process. The findings reflect the effectiveness of a PLE for facilitating student participation and for assisting students in the creation of larger and more balanced personal networks with richer social capital. However, the findings do not provide evidences about a difference in the learning performance between the two environments. From a methodological point of view, this paper serves as an illustration of the analysis of personal networks on digital data collected from technology-enhanced learning environments.

Keywords:

• virtual learning environment
• personal learning environment
• personal networks
• learning analytics
• clustered graphs
• two-mode networks

Notes on contributors

Oskar Casquero is an assistant professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Automatics at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. His research interests are focused on personal learning environments, research methodology and social network analysis.

Ramón Ovelar is a researcher in e-learning and a faculty trainer in ICT at the Virtual Campus at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. His main research area is focused on virtual communities for sharing knowledge, and drivers to stimulate participation in virtual communities.

Jesús Romo works as an associate professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Automatics at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. He is the Director of the Virtual Campus at the same university.

Manuel Benito works as an associate professor in the Department of Research Methods and Education Diagnosis at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain. He is the Assistant Director of the Virtual Campus at the same university.

Mikel Alberdi is an associate professor in the Department of Systems Engineering and Automatics at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Spain.

Notes

1. http://visone.info/wiki/index.php/Personal_networks_(tutorial).