Knowledge diffusion and convergence in open learning environments as a social contagion

Online learning has become increasingly prevalent, offering accessibility and flexibility in education. Learners often engage in discussions and share ideas through posts and blogs, creating a form of "group wisdom" that generates and transforms new knowledge. Thus, this study examines how knowledge diffuses in online learning environments using a contagion model. Factors such as cohesion (familiarity relationships) and structural equivalence (similar network positions) that influence this process were tested. By analyzing 683 blog entries from 50 participants in a five-week higher education online course, we employed a word vector approach to create a knowledge similarity network.Our findings indicate that knowledge diffusion occurs through social contagion, leading to knowledge convergence. Notably, structural equivalence plays a more significant role in this process than cohesion. This research provides new insights into the social dynamics mechanism of knowledge diffusion in online learning environments.