Mapping Interactions in a Computer Conferencing Environment

In this paper we discuss some preliminary findings from an evaluation on online interactions within a large population undergraduate computing course offered by the Open University (UK). The course uses asynchronous electronic conferencing to provide students at a distance with a collaborative learning environment. One type of online activity on the course is group working, which is of a practical problem solving nature, and is formally assessed. In our evaluation, we investigate the patterns and frequencies of interactions during online discussion for one of the course projects. In particular, we use content analysis to identify the nature of contributions that give rise to learning during the online discussion.