Abstract

Successful online learning requires the full and fruitful participation of learners in group discussions. These collaborative forums provide the basis for devising shared goals, encouraging comments, using the semantics of the subject area, developing critical thinking skills, providing personal examples, asking questions, lending support to others, sharing responsibility for completion of assignments, and promoting feedback. This paper examines online discussions using lexical scoring techniques. That online conversations become more sophisticated as learners interact with each other over the duration of a course is the theme of this paper. A corollary is that this heightened degree of sophistication is reflected in the choice of words used by the learners to express their thoughts. A key assumption underlying these propositions is that collaboration among the learners fosters the social construction of knowledge and that evidence of cooperation and communications is embodied in the tone of the group discussion.

Citation

Graddy, D. (2003). Mapping Online Discussions with Lexical Scores. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 14(2), 209-229. Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved January 22, 2021 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/1775/.

© 2003 Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE)

Keywords

• Cognition
• Collaboration
• Developmental Stages
• Distance Education
• Elementary Education