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Statistical Discourse Analysis of Online Discussions: Informal Cognition, Social Metacognition, and Knowledge Creation

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Knowledge Creation in Education

Part of the book series: Education Innovation Series ((EDIN))

Abstract

To statistically model large data sets of sequences of knowledge processes during asynchronous, online forums, we must address analytic difficulties involving the whole data set (missing data, nested data, and the tree structure of online messages), dependent variables (multiple, infrequent, discrete outcomes and similar adjacent messages), and explanatory variables (sequences, indirect effects, false-positives, and robustness). Statistical discourse analysis (SDA) addresses all of these issues, as shown in an analysis of 1,330 asynchronous messages written by 17 students during a 13-week online educational technology course. The results showed how attributes at multiple levels (individual and message) affected knowledge creation processes. Men were more likely than women to theorize. Asynchronous messages created a micro-time context; opinions and asking about purpose preceded new information; and anecdotes, opinions, different opinions, elaborating ideas, and asking about purpose or information preceded theorizing. These results show how informal thinking precedes formal thinking and how social metacognition affects knowledge creation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University, 100 North University Street, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    Ming Ming Chiu

  2. Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada

    Nobuko Fujita

Authors
  1. Ming Ming Chiu
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  2. Nobuko Fujita
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ming Ming Chiu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore

    Seng Chee Tan

  2. Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Hyo Jeong So

  3. National Institute of Education, Singapore, Singapore

    Jennifer Yeo

Appendix: Ancillary Data

Appendix: Ancillary Data

Table 6.A1 Student demographics
Full size table

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Chiu, M.M., Fujita, N. (2014). Statistical Discourse Analysis of Online Discussions: Informal Cognition, Social Metacognition, and Knowledge Creation. In: Tan, S., So, H., Yeo, J. (eds) Knowledge Creation in Education. Education Innovation Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-047-6_6

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