Abstract:

The online interaction is a significant component of blended learning courses. The content of these interactions can be used to identify patterns that could help us to achieve a better understanding of learning process under non-conventional modalities.

This study uses content analysis of online interactions based on Henri’s (1992) proposal, to categorize the students´ roles adopted in five psychology undergraduate formal courses in a Mexican University using Facebook as a blended learning tool during 2010 and 2011. The results allowed us to identify three kinds of roles, the concurrent temporal variables implied on its use and distinct levels of play ranging from the leader to the follower: a) the survivors, students that uses several strategies to accomplish the course’s official requirements without any extra-effort or a deeper commitment, reducing the benefits of the face to face interaction online extension;, b) the promoters, students that really commits with the course and the whole participants interests, giving its best trying to achieve an active learning process; and c) the undefined, students that can be one or other kind under specific circumstances.

In the same manner, the study helps to understand the instructor strategies of participation and its importance to raising the number of promoters, decreasing the number of survivors, and helping to undefined ones to become promoters.

The paper ends with some recommendations to consider about the use of social networks as a tool in blended learning modalities.

Keywords:

Blended Learning, online interactions, roles of participation, Online Social Networks.