ABSTRACT
Online learning is entrenched within the larger framework of the Internet and WorldWide-Web (WWW) where people interact each day, often under pseudonyms to protect private information and personal identity. A qualitative study is presented which explored the influence of online anonymity on student conceptions of self and of others. Sixty-six volunteer undergraduate students participated in online self-studies using narrative inquiry in response to the question, “How has the capacity for online anonymity influenced my conception of self and of others?” Students published personal narratives on a student researcher blog dedicated to collaborative self-study. Findings reveal that university students’ self-concepts and conceptions of others are affected by the anonymity of cyber space and its mediating influences. Conflicting values of freedom and trust underlying students’ positive and negative associations of online anonymity appeared to contribute to a schism in how university students’ conceptualize themselves and others online. This gives rise to what the authors posit as the “paradox of online anonymity and identity”. Implications for education are discussed and recommendations are made.
