Discussion group data patterns: two approaches to analysis

Discussion group data patterns: two approaches to analysis Discussion groups are an integral part of e-learning Many approaches consider the DG-communication the main part of the course and the final grade is often partially based DG-participation. The research reported aims at gaining a deeper understanding of the rich and multilayered data available in discussion groups. Applying techniques from computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, statistics and sociology, two approaches to analysis are suggested. A graphical representation of communication patterns and behavior offers an intuitive understanding of the underlying data. Comparative analysis shows out-of-the-box options to be inadequate at describing this communicative space.