Examining Learning Experience in Two Online Courses Using Web Logs and Experience Sampling Method (ESM)

Web mining and visualization techniques are used to discover the underlying patterns of online learning experience. Yet, the analytics are often limited to merely behavioral data lacking other critical dimensions that form an important part of the learning experience such as learners' cognitive involvement and emotional experience. Therefore, it is critical to find a method that can capture a holistic online learning experience while a learner progresses in an online course. This chapter introduces the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) that can be used to supplement Web Log Analysis (WLA) by collecting data on learners' cognitive involvement and emotion in each learning task. Then this chapter reports a case study of utilizing the ESM and WLA to examine online learning experiences in a discussion-focused online course and a design-/development-focused online course. Lastly, a visualized learning experience dashboard is presented to show an individual learner's learning experience based upon the three dimensions of learning experience.