A visualization of group cognition: semantic network analysis of a CSCL community

This paper reports our progress in using the Knowledge Space Visualizer (KSV) as a tool for formative assessment of online discourse. Whereas social network analysis has been used in research on computer-supported collaborative learning, it only examines the social structure of discourse participants, and does not provide information about the content of the discourse. We discuss two types of networks as they relate to online discourse: structural and semantic. The initial findings indicate that the KSV can be used to visualize a Knowledge Forum database, and can provide a fine-grained semantic analysis that may enable teachers and students to locate the key ideas around which collective learning may takes place.