Application of Access-Log Analysis and Social-Network Analysis to the Study of Foreign-Language Learning

概要

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This report presents a new quantitative research method of investigating the English-learning behavior of students in a Web-based learning environment. Studies of computer-assisted language learning and their transition from classroom- to Web-based practices testify to the wide use of Web-based technologies. However, to the best of the author's knowledge, no accessible and practical methods have been identified that investigate the Web-based learning behavior of students. To address this need, this study performs and tests a new quantitative research method that combines access-log analysis and social-network analysis. To investigate the efficacy of the proposed research method, a Web-based learning environment was designed and integrated into in-class lessons. The in-class lessons were held once a week for a period of one and a half months, and 16 university students participated. Their access-log data on the Web-based learning environment were collected and analyzed, which allowed their learning patterns to be identified. In addition, their use of the Web-based materials was visualized to aid in understanding the topology of the Web-based learning environment. The results are used to determine the efficacy of the proposed research method.