Conversations and silence: Learning by word of mouse?

This thesis explores how and what people learn through networked collaborative
discussions online, in order to establish whether this can be a rewarding learning
experience and to address some of the gaps in our understanding of the underlying
theory and pedagogy.
The research examined an online distance learning programme aimed at educational
professionals who were, or would be, implementing e-Iearning in their institutions in the
United Kingdom. Its focus was a series of online collaborative discussions about
aspects of e-Iearning.
The study's virtual auto-ethnographic approach, in which the researcher experienced
online learning first hand as a student, and its use of metaphor analysis and critical
event recall to complement content analysis, aimed to put the learner's perspective at
the centre of the research. The idea of the student as researcher rather than, for
example, the teacher as researcher was also pursued.
The study explores the issue of community in online learning and, in particular, the
significance of non-participation ('silence') in collaborative discussions and found that
valuable learning may occur, despite widespread non-participation and lack of a
community of practice. However, while individuals may learn by 'lurking', the learning
potential of collaboration may be reduced as a result. It is therefore important to
balance the right of individuals to be silent with the group's need for collaboration.
There was evidence of a strong link between metaphor and emotion. The study also
suggests that online learners' language can transmit aspects of their identity, such as
their values and gender, which may be a threat to the democratising nature of online
learning. It is important to appreciate the significance and power of language,
especially metaphors, as a teaching tool and as a means of expressing emotion,
especially negative emotion, and overcoming lack of body language.