Can You Tell If They're Learning? Using a Pedagogical Framework to Measure Pedagogical Activity

Posted: 14 May 2015

See all articles by Tim O'Riordan

Tim O'Riordan

University of Southampton

David Millard

Independent

John Schulz

University of Southampton

Date Written: April 24, 2015

Abstract

The proliferation of Web-based learning objects makes finding and evaluating online resources problematic. While established Learning Analytics methods use Web interaction to evaluate learner engagement, there is uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of these measures. In this paper we propose a method for evaluating pedagogical activity in Web-based comments using a pedagogical framework, and present a preliminary study that assigns a Pedagogical Value (PV) to comments. This has value as it categorises discussion in terms of pedagogical activity rather than Web interaction. Results show that PV is distinct from typical interactional measures; there are negative or insignificant correlations with established Learning Analytics methods, but strong correlations with relevant linguistic indicators of learning, suggesting that the use of pedagogical frameworks may produce more accurate indicators than interaction analysis, and that linguistic rather than interaction analysis has the potential to automatically identify learning behaviour.

Keywords: web-based learning, pedagogical frameworks, learning analytics, language analysis, MOOC, discussion forums

JEL Classification: I21

Suggested Citation

O'Riordan, Tim and Millard, David and Schulz, John, Can You Tell If They're Learning? Using a Pedagogical Framework to Measure Pedagogical Activity (April 24, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2603327

Tim O'Riordan (Contact Author)

University of Southampton ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hampshire SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/people/tor1w07/

David Millard

Independent ( email )

John Schulz

University of Southampton ( email )

University Rd.
Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hampshire SO17 1LP
United Kingdom

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