ABSTRACT
The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) to facilitate learning has spawned new research areas and interest in the instructional efficacy of CMC, particularly in situations in which face-to-face interactions may be compromised (Light, Nesbitt, Light, & Burns, 2000; Weller, 2000). In these situations, CMC may be a viable option for providing repeated, albeit brief, interchanges among students and between student and instructor. A frequently investigated CMC instructional application is computer-based conferencing (Santoro, 1995), which has enjoyed frequent use in instructional delivery since the mid-1980s. Computer-based conferencing allows for interpersonal contact, whereby the computer serves as a vehicle for distributing, storing, and retrieving messages in the form of electronic mail, interactive messaging, or group conferencing systems, thus facilitating asynchronous discussions. Within the instructional environment, these discussions are often in the service of collaborative learning and problem solving (Hathorn & Ingram, 2002; Koivusaari, 2002).
