The discussion below focuses on two perspectives: one is the practical implications of online teaching
and learning, and the other is the power and potential of educational data mining. In this study, students’
participation levels were depicted through various data analyses. The results showed that the majority of
the students were passive, with most of their online learning activities being reading or accessing the
course materials. Even though the course was constructed with a heavy emphasis on peer collaboration
with clear structure and sufficient guidelines, students were not actively seeking collaborations as
indicated in their online learning behaviors. They would read course materials provided by the instructor
online, but did not always post, read or respond to messages in online discussions.