Analysis of the online interactions of students in the project management learning process

Abstract

This paper analyses the use of discussion forums by students that work together in the same project, and investigates their relationship with the final success of the project. Furthermore, the application of text mining techniques as a tool for identifying problems in the development of the learning experience is studied. Analyses were carried out using real data from students’ participation in project management and communication tools. The results show a strong positive correlation between the frequency of use of the discussion forums and the success of the project, as well as a low variability in the terminology used by the students. Despite the potential of text mining, the reduced use of vocabulary by the students makes the process of classifying messages into a complex problem.