Analysis of Patterns of Interaction and Knowledge Construction in Online Learning Environments: A Methodological Strategy

A model of analysis of interaction and construction of knowledge in educational environments based on computer-mediated communication (CMC) is proposed. This proposal considers: 1) the contextual factors that constitute the input and the scenario of interaction, 2) the interaction processes: types of interaction and its contents (Garrison, Anderson and Archer, 2000) as well as the discursive strategies (Lemke, 1997), and 3) learning results that involve the quality of the knowledge constructed by the participants (Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson, 1997). This model was applied to the analysis of the interaction among a group of participants in two web forums (with or without the presence of a teacher), during the teaching of a PhD in Psychology program.