Computer-Mediated Discussion in the University English Classroom

This study examines the nature of interaction in computer-mediated discussions in the university English classroom. The analytical framework is a content-focused interaction analysis approach with five dimensions: participative, social, interactive, cognitive, and metacognitive. Two questions guide the study: (1) How do the most active participants contribute to different dimensions in the analytical framework? (2) What are the most common dimensions in text produced by the most active participants? The analysis shows that the texts of the most active participants take up over one-third (35.4%) of the discussion. The content analysis of the texts suggests that most of these participants’ texts fit the interactive and social dimensions, and that the participants construct their discussions as a series of statements through which they continuously exchange information on the same topic. The results of the study are discussed in terms of the importance of finding common patterns and helping teachers reconceptualize the curricula of computer-mediated classes. The study provides educators a better understanding of the learning process and of the rich potential of this new form of education to improve the effectiveness of interaction among students.