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Social interactions, socio-cognitive conflicts and learning

ILC Louvain-La-Neuve, Mons

PhD project title

Learner engagement in asynchronous socio-cognitive conflicts in MOOC discussion forums.

Learner engagement is the active involvement of the learners in their learning process. This involvement consists of different dimensions that describe the investment that learners put to acquire knowledge. Learner engagement is important because of the positive effects it can have on the acquisition of knowledge. When learners engage with one another, they might experience socio-cognitive conflicts.

Socio-cognitive conflicts are discrepancies of knowledge that trigger a social and a cognitive imbalance. This imbalance requires learners to question their knowledge and analyse differing points of view that helps them reconstruct their knowledge. As a primary means of social and intellectual interactions, discussion forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) could provide an appropriate venue for learners to engage in socio-cognitive conflicts. Yet, research on socio-cognitive conflicts in MOOC forums is scarce.

 

In this context, the goals of the project are:

  1. Identify the quantity and quality of learner engagement in MOOC forums and the extend to which this engagement reflects different levels of thinking skills.
  2. Pinpoint the individual and course factors that affect engagement in asynchronous socio-cognitive conflicts on MOOC discussion forums.
  3. Examine the effects of different forum instructional designs on the engagement of MOOC learners and on the epistemic resolution of socio-cognitive conflicts.
  4. Investigate how delayed responses, atemporal posting, and the type and quality of instructor feedback affect engagement in socio-cognitive conflicts.

Expected contributions for Educational Research

This research investigates how the learner, course, and instructional design characteristics of MOOC forums can affect how learners engage in the epistemic resolution of socio-cognitive cognitive. The goal of this study is to develop in-depth understanding of the dynamic process of social learning in MOOC forums and pinpoint the possible factors that may trigger the most fruitful socio-cognitive interactions. 

 

List of presentations and publications

Original Research

2023

Rivera, D., Frenay, F., & Swaen, V. The learning design of MOOC discussion forums: An analysis of forum instructions and their role in supporting the social construction of knowledge. Technology, Knowledge, and Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-023-09670-w
 

International conferences

2022

Rivera, D., & Frenay, M. Promoting social learning in MOOC discussion forums. Exploring research synergies to learn from each other: EARLI SIG1 & SIG4 conference 2022 (Cadiz, Spain, du 27/06/2022 au 30/06/2022). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/264490
2022

Rivera, D., de Montpellier, P., Frenay, M., & Swaen, V. Redesigning discussion forums to increase learner participation and post quality in a MOOC on Corporate Social Responsibility. Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Instructional Design and Technology Across all Educational Levels - EARLI Sig6 & Sig7 (Zollikofen, Switzerland, du 22/08/2022 au 24/08/2022) http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/264491
2021

Paquot, M., Van de Poel, B., Dumont de Chassart, P., Frenay, M., Lambotte, F., de Montpellier, P., Rivera, D., Swaen, V., & Zienkowski, J. MOOCresearch2.0: A mixed-method and multidisciplinary approach to socio-cognitive conflicts in online educational platforms. Corpus Linguistics 2021 (University of Limerick, Ireland - ONLINE, du 13/07/2021 au 16/07/2021). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/244986
2021

Rivera, D., & Frenay, M. The teaching presence in the forums of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to facilitate socio-cognitive conflicts. BAPS 2021 (Université Catholique de Louvain, du 27/05/2021 au 28/05/2021). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/264489

 Watch on Instagram Reels
2020

Rivera, D., de Montpellier, P., Swaen, V., & Frenay, M. L’apprentissage des Concepts Essentiellement Contestés dans les MOOC : La cas de la Responsabilité Sociétale des Entreprises. Colloque AUPTIC2020 (UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, du 11/11/2020 au 13/11/2020). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/238479

Watch on YouTube
2020

Rivera, D., & Frenay, M. The instructional design of MOOC discussion forums. International IBS Workshop 2020 on LCL: Learner Centered Learning (Online (Laubusch/Lauta, Germany), du 10/11/2020 au 11/11/2020). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/237554
2020

Rivera, D., Frenay, M., Swaen, V., & Charlier, B. Unfolding the Roadmap of Cognitive Engagement in MOOC Forums. EARLI SIG 6 and 7 (Tübingen, Germany (online), du 24/08/2020 au 26/08/2020). http://hdl.handle.net/2078.1/229795

Watch on YouTube

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) 2023

 

 

Contact person:

PhD Candidate: Dennis A. Rivera

 

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