Redefining the turn-taking notion in mediated communication of virtual learning communities

Abstract

In our research on social interactions taking place in forum-type tools that virtual learning communities use, we have found that the users have the following particular temporal behavior: they answer generally some messages situated in different threads in a very short time period, in a digest-like way. This paper shows this work pattern through a quantitative study and proposes an integration of this work pattern in a Forum-type tool developed for supporting the interactions of virtual learning communities through the creation of a new structure we will name Session. This structure allows the turn-taking of threaded conversations in an orderly fashion to become visible. © Springer-Verlag 2004.