The analysis of sociograms to investigate the impact of cooperative base groups on positive interdependence on class level

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Abstract

The research reported in this article follows upon the findings of a previous study that found cooperative base group (CBG) an effective technique to facilitate the development of cooperative learning skills in distance education. A summary of the previous study serves as background for this research.

The need for the research was identified after observing that the previous class did not participate in the discussions created by the previous lecturer or their peers in the forum of the learning management system (LMS). When asked why not, the response was that they perceived the LMS as an assessment tool and therefore they did not participate in the discussions. As the South African Qualifications Authority requires that higher education develops group working skills, it was considered important to integrate a technique in the curriculum to develop cooperative learning skills.

For the purpose of the first study, a post-graduate module purposing to equip students with the knowledge, skills and techniques to use instructional techniques and multimedia in their own higher education classrooms was selected. The class (N=77) was randomly divided into eleven small groups with seven members each. Then, a private group for the class was created in Arend, an online learning environment for South African teachers. A discussion was started for each of the CBGs on the communal wall of this group. The discussions started with the names of the members of the group, information about the CBG technique, and the instruction to participate in the specific discussion in such a way that it was clear that they assisted, motivated and supported one another during the year. Cooperative learning was facilitated during the first semester by asking “Who can assist?” and “Do you agree?” instead of providing the answers. An unexpected outcome was that some of the students also participated in the discussions of other CBGs. This was allowed as it indicated that the students were able to apply newly acquired skills in other settings. 

At the end of the semester 11 sociomatrices were created – one per group – to collect data about relationships established to assist, motivate and support one another. The matrix data was read into Unicet to create a sociogram for each of the CBGs. It was found that a degree of positive interdependence developed in nine of the CBGs, no reciprocal social ties were built in the tenth CBG, and the eleventh CBG never participated in their discussion. Based on the findings, it was concluded that the CBG technique is effective for developing cooperative learning skills in an e-learning environment for distance education students. It was also found that some of the students built mutual relationships (reciprocal ties) with students from other CBGs. This finding suggested that a degree of positive interdependence developed on class level, but it was not further investigated.

The purpose of this follow-up study was to investigate the development of positive interdependence on class level. Therefore, the eleven sociomatrices, or data regarding the relationships established in each of the CBGs to assist, motivate and support peers, were combined into a single sociomatrix representing the relationships built on class level. The data was also read into Ucinet to create several sociograms of the classwide development network, and the following measures were used to analyse the sociograms: components, reciprocal social ties, centrality, cliques, and k-core to investigate the development of positive interdependence on class level.

The most important finding of this study is that a degree of positive interdependence developed on class level during the application of the CBG technique in an e-learning environment for post-graduate students in distance education. Almost half of the class (47%) did not build relationships during the first semester, but all active students were connected with at least one social tie in the whole development network. Several of the relationships did not develop into mutual relationships, indicating a need to facilitate the development of cooperative learning skills. Most of the mutual relationships were found in the core of the development network, indicating a large degree of positive interdependence in the centre of this social network. 

An interesting finding was that 11 of the 13 students who passed later the year with distinctions were members of the k-core. This finding suggests that the knowledgeable students were not only the most active during cooperative learning and the establishment of CBGs, but they were also able to connect with the knowledgeable students in the class. This observation needs to be further investigated in CBG research as the technique was only applied during the first semester. The top achievers were able to identify the knowledgeable peers in the e-learning environment, and to build mutual relationships with them. From these network positions, they could get easy access to all intangible (social) and tangible (documents, etc.) resources needed, which might have contributed to their academic success.

It is recommended that the CBG technique be applied in follow-up studies for the duration of a course to investigate a correlation between outstanding academic achievement and central network positions during the application of the CBG technique.

The research has important implications for contact education as well. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a global move from contact education to e-learning since March 2020. In the process, the focus has shifted to the efficiency of facilitation and evaluation of learning and cooperative learning in e-learning environments. Teachers in contact education settings find cooperative learning a time-consuming process, which cannot be easily evaluated. Both of these problems were addressed in an e-learning environment. It was not time-consuming to facilitate cooperative learning. With a focus on relationships, sociograms of the development network provided an effective method to evaluate the degree of positive interdependence that developed on class level. It is recommended that students be allowed to assist, motivate and support peers in other CBGs as the students were provided with multiple opportunities to learn from peers on class level as well.

Keywords: cooperative base groups (CBGs); distance education; positive interdependence; post-graduate education; social network analysis; sociograms; whole development network

 

Lees die volledige artikel in Afrikaans

Die ontleding van sosiogramme om die impak van koöperatiewe basisgroepe op positiewe interafhanklikheid in klasverband te ondersoek

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