Understanding the evolution of cognitive engagement with interaction levels in online learning environments: Insights from learning analytics and epistemic network analysis

Abstract Background There is a strong association between interactions and cognitive engagement, which is crucial for constructing new cognition and knowledge. Although interactions and cognitive engagement have attracted extensive attention in online learning environments, few studies have revealed the evolution of cognitive engagement with interaction levels. Objectives The study aims to automatically identify learners' interactions and cognitive engagement and then analyse the evolution of learners' cognitive engagement with interaction levels and during different stages of online learning. Methods The participants of the study were learners who participated in an online open course. Their text data from discussion forums on five learning themes were collected. Data were analysed using text mining and ENA. Results Learners' cognitive engagement in online learning was related to interaction levels. As learners' online interaction levels changed from surface to deep, cognitive engagement levels changed from low to high. With the continuous occurrence of deep interactions, cognitive feedback became more complex. At the social–emotional interaction level, although learners' cognitive engagement levels began to change from low to high, complex cognitive feedback was still insufficient. In addition, the analysis of the evolution of cognitive engagement during different stages of online learning showed that learners' patterns of cognitive engagement changed significantly as the learning process continued, from initially dynamic and complex to a stable development pattern. Implications The results of the study are of theoretical significance and practical guidance for further understanding the relationship between online interaction levels and cognitive engagement as well as the process of online collaborative knowledge exploration, construction, and even connectivity.