Online Discussions

Introduction
Introduction by Patrick R. Lowenthal

Trends and Issues with Online Learning
From Reluctant and Reticent to Engaged and Enthusiastic: The Passage to Online Teaching
Susan Giullian

Preparing Special Education Teachers Through Online Instruction
Donna Sobel

Using eCollege to Facilitate Learning, Provide for Program Coherence, Manage Accountability Innovations, and Ensure the Evolution of a Principal Licensure Program
Connie Fulmer

Make, Share, Find: Web 2.0 and Informal Learning
Phil Antonelli

Technology in Action
The Advantages of a Ning Social Network Within a Higher Education Program
Laura Summers

Fresh and Forward-thinking: Using Blogs for Educational Purposes
Joanna C. Dunlap & Ellen Stevens

Hanging on by a Thread
Dorothy F. Garrison-Wade

Instructional Uses of Twitter
Joanna C. Dunlap & Patrick R. Lowenthal

Using Audio for Giving Feedback to Project Teams: A Useful Complement to Track Changes
Brent G. Wilson

Wordle… Just for Phluff?
Joanna C. Dunlap

A Teaching Video Project Brought to Closure
Farah A. Ibrahim

Improving the Design of PowerPoint Presentations
Patrick R. Lowenthal

Emerging Tools and Applications
Audacity
Ning
Blogger
PBworks
Bubbl.us
Picnik
Delicious
ScreenSteps Desktop
Facebook
Songza
Flickr
SkyDrive
Google Docs
Skype
Google Reader
Twitter
iSpring
Ustream
Jing VoiceThread
Media Converter
Youtube
MyPodcast
Zotero

Resources
Down-and-dirty Guidelines for Effective Discussions in Online Courses
Joanna C. Dunlap

Protocols for Online Discussions
Joanna C. Dunlap

Improving the Odds of Effective Collaborative Work in Online Courses
Joanna C. Dunlap

This study aimed to find out if there is a significant difference in the oral communication competence of Grade 9 students before and after classroom talk strategy was utilized thru online discussions. Preassessment and post-assessment were given to know if the implementation of classroom talk did enhance the oral communication competence of the group that was involved in the study. The activity was evaluated using the scoring rubrics as instrument that included the organization, content, language use, and speech delivery as sub-categories to measure. The design of this study is experimental one group pre-test posttest. The respondents were composed of 30 Grade 9 students studying at San Pablo City Science Integrated High School for the School Year 2020-2021. The group was originally heterogeneously sectioned even before the study was implemented so there was no need to do a random sampling. The teacher-researcher selected one Grade 9 section with 30 students, as advised by the thesis adviser. Since the students were already in a heterogeneous group, intact sampling was used by the researcher. This sampling technique was the appropriate one for this study for it will most likely guarantee a valid result when very strong assumptions were formed after the implementation of the study since the respondents have already been grouped heterogeneously from the beginning of the school year. This means that their skills regarding the oral communication competence varies. Using Brainstorming, Think-Pair-Share, and Storytelling as activities under classroom talk strategy, respondents were given more opportunities to speak out their minds and share their opinions to the rest of the class, thus exercising their oral communication competencies. This has been proven effective for the post-assessment activity yielded increased scores of the students compared to their pre-assessment data gathered. The data gathered after the retrieval of the profiling questionnaires were subjected to descriptive statistics to describe the respondents' profile using frequency, mean, and standard deviation. The study confirmed that Grade 9 respondents' oral communication competency was enhanced after classroom talk strategy has been implemented during their online discussions. It was hypothesized that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the respondents before and after using classroom talk strategy in their oral communication competence.

Background/Context: Increased polarization of viewpoints in the United States may have detrimental consequences for democratic pedagogy. The goals of civil society require a reliance on democratic values, and active participation is necessary for a strong civil society that demands the common good be deliberated in democratic ways. Discussion as pedagogy has been advanced for furthering democratic learning spaces in higher education with adults and in teacher education programs. Opportunities to participate in democratic discussions may also be created in online courses to prepare students who are literate in multiculturalism and an inclusive society. Engaging students in discussion that facilitates diverse perspectives and that challenges taken-for-granted assumptions is necessary. Purpose: This article explores the theoretical frameworks of a pedagogy of process called a Socrates Café, resulting in a typology for an online Socrates Café. This framework may assist instructors to create and sustain purposeful online discussion forums that engage students in deliberative discussion to develop democratic learning spaces and civil discourse. If democratic pedagogies are enhanced when people deliberate in online discussions by sharing their reasoning with each other, listening to competing points of view, considering new evidence, and treating one another as political equals, then the Socrates Café has much to offer as a pedagogical process. Research Design: Drawing on scholarship from key pedagogical and dispositional components, this analytical essay offers a typology that finds its theoretical roots in several areas, including: philosophical forum, discussion and dialogue, critical inquiry, habits of mind, intellectual traits, critical reflection, and civil discourse. Findings/Results: From both the pedagogical and dispositional components of the Socrates Café, we develop an integrative framework for guiding the creation and ongoing development of an online discussion. Our purpose in creating the framework was to determine those pedagogical and attitudinal dispositions that were foundational elements of the online Socrates Café: clarity of thinking and other habits of mind; attitudes of empathy, confidence, open mindedness and scholarliness; and questioning and dialogue. Conclusions/Recommendations: This essay concludes that the online Socrates Café is fraught with unavoidable contradictions resulting in a pedagogy of process that is negotiated and dynamic, but also purposeful and intentional. The integrative framework proposed in this work

The aim of this research study was to explore the effect of instructional techniques on critical thinking and critical thinking dispositions in online discussion, based on triangulation design. Six Thinking Hats, Brainstorming, Role Playing, Socratic Seminar, and Anyone Here an Expert, were selected as an instructional techniques for online discussion. In the quantitative part, according to the results of ANOVA, except Socratic Seminar, there is no difference between groups in terms of scores of pre-tests and post-tests of critical thinking dispositions. In the qualitative part, according to the results of the analysis of critical thinking in online discussion, the Mixed Techniques group performed as having the best ability of critical thinking, the Anyone Here an Expert group was second and the Brainstorming group was third in terms of performing critical thinking ability in online discussion.

This paper discusses quotation data from German newspaper articles and online discussion fora relating to the 2009 bi-millennial commemoration of a Germanic revolt under Arminius against Imperial Roman rule. In these press articles and online discussions, quotations from the writings of classical authors such as Tacitus play a key-role in establishing speakers’ authority regarding historical details and interpretative perspectives. Some discussants adopt the voice of Tacitus for themselves; others try to undermine these assumed voices/identities, e.g. by quoting dissonant passages from Tacitean and other classical texts. The debates between quoters and critics are characterized by a high degree of implicit or explicit meta-communicative commenting. Using a metarepresentation-/relevance-theoretical framework, the paper distinguishes quotations in press articles from those in the online discussions by highlighting the specific function of the latter to establish and maintain discursive identities in an emergent community of practice.

Many advocates of deliberative democracy see in the Internet a new opportunity for the development of public spaces, public spheres, and places where deliberation can take place. An important element of the notion of the public sphere in general and of deliberation specifically, is the quality of the debate. In the past decade, many studies have been conducted to evaluate online discussions in light of the ideal notion of the public sphere. However, a wide gap exists between theoretical approaches and the actual operationalization of such theories for empirical research. In an attempt to bridge this gap we develop a method for examining the extent to which Internet forums meet the normative requirements of rational-critical debate, reciprocity, and reflexivity. The methodological approach consists of a textual analysis of the contributions made to an online forum. The coding scheme presented in this article is based on a case study (UK Online) and guided by the theoretical notions of deliberative democracy.

During the current pandemic, colleges are at the fork to either open the campus and curb the spread of COVID-19 or go virtual and risk their efficiency and finally give into financial ruin. This study explores learners’ perceptions of engagement in an online environment to curtail online courses. How educators and students socially interact in cyberspace is a long-standing research topic. Several researchers explored online engagement in higher education in multiple studies (e.g., Kahu, 2011; Ross, 2010). However, there is a lack of research that explores preservice teachers’ engagement in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses. We focused on preservice ESOL teachers’ perceptions of engagement in online discussions to uncover factors that could contribute to increasing their engagement. We collected the data through an online survey, student interviews, and recording online asynchronous discussion transcripts. Constant comparative analysis of data indicated a safe, n...

Cet article revient sur les implications méthodologiques de l’utilisation de la capture d’écran dans les recherches sur les corpus numériques natifs. Il aborde certains problèmes en rapport avec le choix de la capture d’écran dans les travaux sur les productions discursives natives en ligne, alors que très peu de chercheur.euse.s s’intéressent aux fils de discussion étendus qui mettent véritablement en évidence les caractères interactif et participatif du web 2.0. Les propositions faites permettent d’envisager une analyse des conversations numériques écrites natives articulée autour de la description, de l’organisation structurale et du fonctionnement des diverses formes de conversation natives en ligne, à partir de protocoles de recherche conçus spécifiquement pour en rendre compte. Les chercheur.euse.s en sciences du langage sont donc invité.e.s à s’intéresser davantage aux conversations numériques écrites natives caractérisées par des formes d’exercice du discours et de la conversation qui relèvent d’un ordre linguistique nouveau : l’ordre technolinguistique.

Talking politics online is not exclusively reserved for those spaces dedicated to politics, particularly the everyday political talk crucial to the public sphere. However, past net-based public sphere research has focused mostly on political spaces thereby neglecting an array of other genres. The aim of this article is to move beyond politically oriented communicative spaces by investigating political talk within the British reality TV discussion forum Wife Swap. The purpose is to see whether a forum dedicated to reality TV provides the communicative space, content, and style for politics that extends the public sphere. The central question is whether it fulfils the requirements of rationality and ‘decent’ deliberation. Moreover, the analysis moved beyond a formal notion by investigating how expressives influence the more traditional elements of deliberation. The findings revealed that Wife Swap participants engaged in political talk that was often deliberative. Moreover, it was a space where the use of expressives played a key role in enhancing such talk.

Most companies today utilize a sort of assessment tool when it comes to studying their employee’s behavior and priorities with regards to work.  In case you are looking for a job, be prepared to answer a series of questions that would eventually lead to determining what type of DiSC personality you may most likely have.

Virtual communities have become increasingly popular for the general public, using electronic mailing lists, newsgroups, WWeb-based forums, chat rooms, etc. However, it appears that online forums are not well integrated into the sphere of museums. Curators have therefore not capitalized on widening their mandate and engaging visitors as well as museum professionals themselves in effective online interaction.

This paper presents a survey of existing museum-related forums available for discussion by museum professionals and the general public with an interest in museums. Some of the software and facilities available to museums for the establishment and maintenance of mailing lists, WWeb-based discussion forums and more innovative service like WWeb logs, often freely available, are also explored. A museum discussion forum facility has been implemented experimentally (see under http://forums.museophile.net) using open source software. As well as local forums, this integrates topical information of interest to museum personnel from a wide range of online sources. Finally, some thoughts for the future are discussed.

Keywords: discussion forums, mailing lists, museums, newsgroups, online communities, WWeb logs, World Wide Web

La parola come veicolo di comunicazione tra gli uomini ha da sempre questa natura ambigua: attraverso di essa chiunque esercita un potere sugli altri, per costruire condivisione e collaborazione, ma anche per distruggere, disgregare, confondere e ingannare. In un’epoca di iperconnessione in cui sostanzialmente ogni essere umano è nelle condizioni di poter immettere parole nel sistema di comunicazione globale grazie alla rete, e di raggiungere attraverso di esse virtualmente ogni altro essere umano, il potere delle parole è aumentato a dismisura.

AIMS – In Russia the paradigm of alcoholism as a disease is still in contrast to the general perception of alcoholics as weak-willed. This article studies alcoholism and recovery in Russia through the case study of the Russian Alcoholics Anonymous online group. It studies how people who are seeking help for their drinking problems in this online community come to incorporate a new self-understanding of being ill with alcoholism. DESIGN – The data were collected from a Rus-sian online support group for people struggling with alcoholism. The source material consists of 617 posts by more than 35 individuals. The data was analysed with qualitative content analysis using the RQDA software. RESULTS – The online group acts as a virtual space where people can anonymously talk about alcoholism and engage with AA's 12-Step program. Typically, a new forum member goes through a process of admitting one's problem with alcohol and coming to a new understanding of oneself as a person suffering from a chronic disease. This process includes creating a new relation to alcohol, a new understanding of one's reasons for drinking and a commitment to stay sober and to help others to recover. CONCLUSIONS – The online community creates a space for engagement with AA's 12-Step program and service work of supporting other alcoholics in recovery in the context of Russia, where face-to-face AA groups and other recovery programmes are scarce. When the state cannot deliver the services for problem drinkers or recovering alcoholics, people may turn to the Internet to find alternative information and social support.

Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on CALL No.2 July, 2015     
                                                                                                                                                                  Pp. 195 –206




Discussion-Based Approach to English Language Teaching and Learning
A Digital Dedicated Language Laboratory



Naima Hamlaoui
Department of English
Faculty of Letters, Human and Social Sciences
El-Bouni Campus
Badji Mokhtar University,
Annaba, Algeria.

&

Nacereddine Benabdallah
Department of Foreign Languages
Faculty of Letters and Languages,
Mohamed-Cherif Messadia University,Algeria



Abstract
One of the most fundamental concerns of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) is to maximize the opportunities of learner-learner talk. Digitalized technological facilities can motivate committed teachers to adapt and adopt innovative ways of teaching oral skills. This article reports on an action research project implemented during one semester with a group of 14 willing Master students at the Department of Foreign Languages, Mohamed Cherif Messadia University, Souk-Ahras, Algeria. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of the Digital Dedicated Language Laboratory (DDLL) in teaching English through a discussion-based approach. A well designed protocol made up of three types of discussion: framing, conceptual, and application discussions was adopted. The findings revealed that students were able to develop their linguistic, socio-cultural and pragmatic competences. They were also given the opportunity to exploit the various facilities, and tools available at the DDLL.
Keywords: Action research; digital; discussion; EFL; laboratory; oral skills.

*CHAPTER DRAFT please refer to the published version when citing*

This chapter focuses on interpretation of Islamic texts conducted by Muslim women in online spaces which is happening on a wide scale, both in women-only and mixed-gender Internet discussion
groups. In contrast to religious academics or scholars who have more publishing power and who engage in such activities as part of their professional career, these online groups are populated by
women who could be defined as ordinary, ‘grassroots’ Muslims who feel that in order to be able to apply Islamic laws to their lives, they need to extensively study Islam to be able to understand the
hermeneutic principles guiding the process of interpretation. The online groups, however, are very eclectic, both in terms of their membership as well as purpose, and women who join them represent a whole spectrum of political and religious views.  The novel feature of these groups is the potential to bring together women representing different religious and political attitudes in the ambitious project of learning about Islam and, often, learning to interpret Islam; the outcome of women's debates may be equally consensus or disagreement, but Islam-based arguments produced by the women to support their points of view are definitely creative and constructive, thus fulfilling the
objective of committing to Islamic education. At the discursive level, women who claim the authority to interpret Islam are no longer merely constructed objects of the ‘Woman in Islam’ narrative, but also its authors, thus contributing to a shift in power in the Islamic context of gender relations.""

Discussions are an important component of many forms of online student interaction. For students to benefit from an online discussion, it is important for teachers to generate relevant topics, effectively moderate student activity and participate regularly. This episode will highlight several strategies to help you manage online discussions more effectively, and make them more beneficial for your students.

Background: Treatment resistant cluster headache and migraine patients are exploring alternative treatments online. The aim of this study was to improve comprehension regarding the use of non-established or alternative pharmacological treatments used by sufferers of cluster headaches and migraines. Methods: A qualitative thematic analysis of the users' own accounts presented in online forum discussions were conducted. The forum boards https://shroomery.org/, http://bluelight.org, and https://clusterbusters.org/ met the inclusion criteria and were used for the study.

This article examines an informal online community dedicated to The Tudors, a historical television show, and the ways in which its members engaged with a variety of sources in their discussions of the drama’s real-life past. Data were collected over a 5-month period. The analysis included the types of sources used in conversation; members’ purpose for invoking and reaction to sources; as well as topic, participation, and response patterns in the discussion forum. The community is a space in which popular culture and the discipline of history meet. Members come together because of a fictional depiction of the past, yet a desire to corroborate, clarify, contextualize, or uncover what really happened leads users to participate in detective-like inquiry work and the learning of new topics they had not previously considered. Members also challenge and critique one another’s positions and the sources other members invoke in multiple ways, including by using more formal disciplinary heuristics in this informal setting. Key differences emerge in members’ purpose for invoking sources, with popular media used more frequently for illustrating a point or asking a question and nonfiction works most invoked to support and argue historical claims.

Ever since the advent of the Internet, political communication scholars have debated its potential to facilitate and support public deliberation as a means of revitalizing and extending the public sphere. Much of the debate has focused on the medium’s potential in offering communicative spaces that transcend the limitations of time, space and access (and the traditional mass media) whereby open communication, deliberation and exchange of information among the public can prosper. Following the initial enthusiasm over the possibilities of a more interactive and deliberative electorate, along with the cyber-pessimist response, a growing body of rich empirical research into online deliberation has arisen in its wake. In search of online deliberation, scholars have conducted a broad range of investigations, developing several prominent directions in the field. One popular line of research has been the study of informal political talk through the lens of public sphere ideals.The aim of this chapter is to detail and discuss this growing body of research and its significance. First, I begin by discussing what scholars mean by political talk and why it is thought to be essential for (a more deliberative) democracy. Following this, the major findings to date are set out focusing specifically on three of the most common features of political talk investigated by scholars in the field. I discuss scholarly disagreement and offer my thoughts and critical reflection on the topic. Finally, the chapter ends with several recommendations for future research into informal political talk in the Internet-based public sphere.

Learning processes have gained significant importance because of diverse sources in digital era. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of online discussion forums among the students of Abu Dhabi University, UAE. The study has recruited 105 students, who were given questionnaires to pinpoint the aspects and features approved by them. The questionnaire consists of factors regarding the significance of online discussion forum and regular participation. The obtained data was analysed through descriptive statistics. The hypothesis of study has been tested using chi-square test. The results have shown strong association between positive learning experience and frequency of student participation in discussion forums. However, no statistical significance (p-value=0.306) has been observed among online forums and age of the participants for developing critical thinking skills. Moreover, a significant difference has been identified in students' participation on the effectiveness of online discussion (p-value=0.000). Thus, it is concluded that online discussion forums serve as an efficient and effective tool for interaction among the participants. The discussion forums play an effective role in developing and acquiring employability skills among students. Moreover, active and frequent participation of students in online discussion forums enable them to enhance their learning experience.

I've been thinking of and reflecting on what experiential learning is as I encounter students studying abroad and hear people mentioning: experiential learning, experiential learning, experiential learning. I believe people may have various notions and views of what experiential learning is and the below is my take on Experiential Learning and I'd love to hear what yours is. Thanks What is Experiential Learning? Experiential Learning is the knowledge acquisition process that takes place in a diversity of 'classroom' settings; each complementing the other as one ventures into the spheres of everyday life outside one's borders. The Experiential Learning process introduces and exposes the learner to a combination of theories and practices requiring the learner to be an active listener in using all of the senses that he/she possess to observe, feel, taste, hear and smell the issues of life in a cross-cultural setting, on a daily basis. This enables the learner to acquire a solid foundation in knowledge which is then translated into practice. The 'formal classroom' setting activities in the structured four-walled classroom, as we've all grown up to know (and yes, there are other structures of various shapes and forms) is one part of where the process unfolds. These formal structured classroom activities introduce the learner to theories that are meant to form the basis of the learning and should inspire the learner to want to explore within other 'classrooms', learn and practice. The Experiential Learning classroom is broader encompassing the formal structured classroom and being any place and anywhere. In essence, the classroom is: here plus the out there; the outside the box. Why? This is because there's so much out there, 'outside of the box' than whatever is inside the box; no matter how huge the box may be. That's why Experiential Learning takes place both inside and outside of the box. Direct cultural immersion through urban and rural home-stays, local language learning, excursions, discussions, field studies, laboratory experimentation – in groups and/or independently, all combine to help the learner develop the capacity to effectively use all the senses (including the sixth sense) that he/she possesses to successfully navigate through the diversity of situations that come his/her way during the learning process (and hopefully applied throughout the learners' life journey) Experiential Learning thrives on the balance between the principles of 'experience is the best teacher' and 'prevention is better than cure.' As such, it requires the learner to get involved directly through self-experimenting; doing-it-yourself and self-experiencing. But you learn also to prevent whenever and wherever it is possible and necessary to do so. The learner also learns

Резюме.  Отделом  археологии  бронзового  века  Института  археологии  РАН
4 и 5 марта 2021 г. был проведен очередной семинар «Связи и взаимоотношения
культур бронзового века Циркумпонтийского региона». Данная встреча получила
название «Вещь в обряде». Ее тематика связана с изучением и интерпретацией па-
мятников эпохи раннего металла на территории Европейской части России, Украи-
ны, Закавказья, Анатолии и Балкан. Были представлены новые материалы, получен-
ные в последние годы в ходе полевых и лабораторных исследований, предложены
варианты их интерпретации и намечены перспективы дальнейших исследований.
Ключевые слова: научный семинар, бронзовый век, Циркумпонтийский регион,
новые материалы, интерпретация, обсуждение.

This article combines a sociocultural model of classroom talk with a linguistically-oriented model (systemic functional linguistics) to explore what characterizes effective asynchronous online discussion in higher education (HE). While the benefits of discussion are commonly accepted in face-to-face learning, engaging students in effective asynchronous discussion can often be 'hit or miss', due in part to the shift to interacting asynchronously. This hybrid mode of spoken-like/written-like communication demands skills which are rarely made explicit, often with the assumption that students (and lecturers) are proficient. The combined framework presented here enabled macro-and micro-understandings of discussion forums through an array of resources in the SFL model and the talk type descriptors to map linguistic features of knowledge constructing talk in an Australian postgraduate HE context. The notion of 'listening' (or attending to others) is proposed as a crucial condition for whether discussion progresses beyond simply 'posting'. Consequently, this article provides much needed insight into the murky space of asynchronous discussion forums.

Social media allows people to connect and disconnect easily, which leads to more polarization over time. The polarization and formation of echo chambers pose a threat to humanity, implying a need to design a healthy social ecosystem in the digital space. Online platforms fostering an environment for good faith discussions and diverse opinions could serve this need. ChangeMyView community of Reddit can be a good example for such an environment because of community-specific characteristics. In this study, utilizing Elaboration Likelihood Model and Cialdini's Pre-suasion, we study the effect of the reward system on individuals' persuasion mechanisms. Our research design employs a mixed-methods approach in which we investigate (1) the persuasion strategies used in the community and (2) the information processing mechanisms of the community members. We believe that this study will provide insights into potential features of a healthier social ecosystem in digital spaces.

Discussions about men’s victimization by their female intimate partners have gained increased visibility in the last two decades. These discussions put victim positions on offer for men that stand in stark contrast to more widespread associations between masculinity and perpetration of violence. This article examines how these contradictory
positionings play out and are discursively negotiated in Finnish online discussions of female-inflicted intimate partner violence (IPV). Two recurring types of positioning of men were identified in the analysis: neglected victims and naturally superior perpetrators. The analysis illustrates how gendered differences between men and women in relation to violence are both reiterated and denied in the processes of enacting, balancing, and rhetorically employing these positionings. Thereby, light is shed on the multiplicity of complex and fluid ways in which masculinities are constructed and customized in the context of meaning-making surrounding the issue of IPV.

Discutere è forse una delle attività più impegnative per un essere umano. Saper sostenere il proprio punto di vista di fronte a un altro è sempre un momento di forte messa alla prova: le idee e le convinzioni che abitualmente riteniamo convincenti entrano in sofferenza non appena si scontrano con il dissenso. Il mondo che fino a quel momento davamo per assodato entra in collisione con un altro mondo che lo minaccia, e in questo confronto deve dar prova di reggere. Quando discutiamo, infatti, non siamo di fronte a puri intelletti che si scambiano idee in modo distaccato: ogni discussione è sempre un momento di coinvolgimento umano totale e intenso, in cui ciascuno carica sui temi oggetto di dibattito aspettative più ampie che riguardano questioni cruciali come l'immagine di se stessi e la propria visione del mondo. Dalle questioni più semplici e superficiali fino ai cosiddetti massimi sistemi, quando discutiamo siamo sempre impegnati a dire agli altri chi siamo, cosa pensiamo di loro e della realtà, e quale posizione abbiamo deciso di assumere rispetto a essi.

This paper presents an approach to studying relationships between students' social presence and course topics from transcripts of asynchronous discussions in online learning environments. Specifically, the paper uses topic modeling and epistemic network analysis to investigate how students' social presence is expressed across different course topics. Finally, we show how this method can be adopted to examine how students' social presence changed due to an instructional intervention. The results of this study and its implications are further discussed.

Il web è un luogo dove, nelle continue discussioni e interazioni quotidiane, le reazioni sembrano essere spesso eccessive, guidate dal fatto che ci si prende molto sul serio e si prende ogni cosa troppo sul serio. Insomma, sembra che online ci sia una certa tendenza alla pesantezza nell'affrontare il confronto con gli altri, come se si fosse sottoposti a una costante pressione che non permette di rimanere distaccati, sereni, capaci di interagire in forme umanamente sostenibili...

The social networking site Facebook has risen to become an important campaign tool for politicians while also raising new questions about how its use is reshaping the agenda setting paradigm. This research examines the ex-tent to which the Facebook messages of presidential nominees during the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign were transferred to the online public on Facebook and, via a two-step flow, to the greater citizen’s agenda. Findings demonstrate that in their political campaigns on Facebook, politicians are successfully transferring their first- and, to a lesser extent, second-level agendas to the Facebook public agenda, which largely mirrors the greater public agenda.

This short paper aims to analyze the limits of user participation in a discussion evaluating the quality of fan-made Czech subtitles for the HBO series Game of Thrones on the fan subtitling website titulky.com. Following the discussion about silences and absences in user participation, it works from the finding that many users tend not to "review" the subtitles by evaluating them, choosing instead to praise their author or remain in "silent gratitude". Based mainly on qualitative analysis of user reviews, the case study identifies several reasons for this lack of participation, mainly the dependency of the non-contributing users on the translator (who is called a "savior"), his authority and merits as a translator, and his dominance in the discussion about the quality of the subtitles that owes to the fact that his translation was approved by the local fandom of the show"s source material. Due to non-participation of users in the evaluative discourse, the definitions of quality are not publicly negotiated. Based on the case study, I argue that while gratitude drives participation in creating content, it may also thwart attempts at critiquing the content.

I social, come tutti gli spazi di interazione che aziende e organizzazioni hanno con gli utenti, vanno sempre intesi come canali istituzionali e ufficiali. Gestire la comunicazione in maniera approssimativa è un grave errore. Ecco una strategia per creare relazioni costruttive con il pubblico mettendo l’argomento al centro

Der Umgangston in den Kommentar-Threads von Online-Medien und Facebook-Seiten weist nur selten auf einen konstruktiven und offenen Diskurs hin. Viele Diskussionen werden von aggressiven, beleidigenden oder extremistischen Kommentaren gestört und Benutzer werden persönlich angegriffen. Eine aktuelle parlamentarische Enquete in Österreich befasst sich im November 2016 mit diesem Thema und berät, was der Staat, Unternehmen und Privatpersonen gegen dieses Phänomen unternehmen können.
Dieser Beitrag liefert eine Diskussionsgrundlage für die Debatte über Hass in Online-Kommentaren und führt Echo-Chambers und die damit verbundene Radikalisierung von Online-Nutzern als eine der Hauptursachen für den aggressiven Ton in Diskussionen an.

Link zum Grünbuch: https://www.parlament.gv.at/PAKT/AKT/SCHLTHEM/SCHLAG/239EnqueteZivilcourage.shtml

Online forums provide a wealth of publicly accessible data and have proven particularly useful for critical psychologists wishing to examine naturalistic data on a wide range of social phenomena. This article begins by considering the use of online discussion forums for critical discursive psychological research and outlines ethical debates regarding their use (particularly in light of past and current British Psychological Society guidelines). To demonstrate how such data can be used in critical psychology I provide an illustrative example of a discursive analysis of a single online discussion thread taken from a diabetes newsgroup that examines anti-social online behaviours in the form of “trolling,” “flaming,” and heterosexism.

Online discussion forums can complement the classroom experience and provide additional opportunities for student-student and student-teacher interactions. A summary of strategies shown to be effective in engaging students with discussion boards is presented in the document. Each suggested strategy has a reference that you can follow up if you wish.

This paper considers the move toward and potential of building online communities, with a particular focus on the museum sector. For instance, the increase in the use of 'personalized' toolkits that are becoming an integral part of the online presence for learning organizations, like museums, can provide a basis for creating and sustaining communities. A set of case studies further illustrates working examples of the ways in which personalization and specific tools are developing collaborative spaces, community channels and group interactions.

This article uses British diver and homosexual celebrity Tom Daley as a case study to examine instances of homosexual stereotyping on LGBT internet forum the DataLounge. Through textual analysis, I consider the anonymous discourse relating to Daley in terms of its representational implications. Of interest is how Daley is constructed through this discourse and what such constructions have to tell us about views on homosexuality and a particular well-known homosexual subject. I argue that Daley is objectified and aligned with certain stereotypes within this dedicated homosexual forum via the anonymous comments made about his profession, his body and mannerisms, and his personal life. I nominate certain ‘themes’ to make sense of this discourse, namely: the ‘dancer body’, the bottom, the slut, and the daddy’s boy. In addition to offering insight into how a particular homosexual celebrity is constructed through discourse by his own community, these themes also point to the pressures gay men feel to conform to ‘ideals’, and the consequences of nonconformity, of being a ‘failed representation’ (also known as a ‘stereotype’).

As we start our journey through the twenty-first century, we will continue to be faced with two divergent trends, the rise of the Internet and the steady decline in the public sphere, and in political participation in general.  The hopes of many are that eventually the one trend will offset the other; that the rapid growth of the Internet will be tapped into in hopes of harnessing its potential to enhance and reinvigorate a fading and ailing public sphere.  The question now becomes can this potential be translated into an enhancement for democracy, a remedy for an ailing public sphere?

This thesis examines this potential more closely by using the deliberative model of democracy and its emphasis on a ‘well functioning’ public sphere as a lens for examination of Internet practices, particularly those practices taking place within online political forums.  More specifically, this thesis has constructed a set of normative conditions of the ideal public sphere developed from the works of Habermas and other deliberative democrats, which were used as an evaluation scheme whereby these Internet practices were assessed - those being the process of understanding, sincerity, equality, and freedom.

This thesis’ research question: to what extent do current online political forums correspond to the ideal notion of the public sphere advocated by Habermas and other deliberative democrats, was assessed at three levels.  First, an examination was carried out by comparing the results from recent research, with regards to deliberating within online forums, to the set of normative conditions.  Secondly, an examination of the methods used by these researchers was conducted, again using the set of normative conditions as the frame of analysis.  Finally, an exploratory case study was conducted to assess current discursive practices within online political forums with the focus being placed on the testing of new methodological approaches for such an analysis. 

This case study focuses on exploring new methodological approaches for analyzing the normative condition of the process of understanding, more specifically the normative elements of rational-critical debate, reciprocity, and reflexivity, which when we consider the current state of research is much needed. 

The highlights of this exploratory case study consist of, first a visual mapping of the message flow within the discussion thread.  Second, a ‘web of reciprocity’ approach was used to assessing discussion threads for their level of reciprocity as a whole.  Finally, taking from argumentation theory, a three progressive level of analysis of reflexivity, which assessed messages for their use of counter-arguments and counter-evidence as a means of detecting the level of reflexivity present within a single message and within the messages as a whole.

Recent research suggests that there are many aspects of online discussion that may make it better for language learning than face-to-face discussion. In this quasi-experimental study, equality of participation and individual output in face-to-face discussion were measured after treatment. Treatment consisted of ten female university students non-randomly placed into two groups of five students each. The first group participated in an online discussion board for seven weeks. The second group discussed the same issues face-to-face for seven weeks. Pre-study and post-study measures of variables were taken and analyzed. Results showed; a) an increase in subsequent oral production of the target language by the face-to-face group but a decrease in production of target language by the ACMC group; b) an increase of TOEIC scores in both groups, and c) an increase in the use of the L1 (Japanese) in subsequent oral discussion by the ACMC group. Based on the results of this study, ACMC discussion appears to have an overall negative effect on oral production of the L2.

Cite as: Claro, J. (2008). Effects of Asynchronous CMC and Face-to-Face Discussion on Oral Production. (Unpublished master's thesis). Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

The aim of this chapter is to see whether online discussion forums dedicated to popular culture (reality TV) provide a communicative space, content and style for politics that extends the public sphere. Given their typically casual, chatty and frivolous nature, we might assume that political talk doesn’t emerge in such spaces, and if it does, it would fall well short of the type of talk crucial to the public sphere. To what extent does political talk emerge in such spaces? If so, do such forums fulfil the requirements of rationality and ‘decent’ deliberation? Given the nature of the forums, the analysis moves beyond a formal notion of deliberation by also taking into account the use of expressive speech acts: emotion, humour and acknowledgements. What role do ‘expressives’ play within online political talk and how do they impact the normative conditions of deliberation? Moreover, comparing these spaces with a space dedicated to high politics – the Guardian political discussion forum – allows us to see whether, as critics would expect, deliberative talk is taking place in the one and emotional and irrational talk in the other.