ABSTRACT

This chapter reports recent research on using text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC) in educational settings. CMC takes many forms, and the tools available are many. An outline of CMC features and their affordances is presented as a means to draw the attention of those designing, evaluating, or describing communication environments to the features—technical and social—that are the essence of the activity and away from the particular applications that provide them. The goals of research using CMC are widely varied. Some research focuses on how a particular activity is connected to a measure of learning. Other research focuses on the nature of CMC and how various forms differ from one another. With the tacit assumptions that people learn from thoughtful evaluation and respond to the ideas of others, some research looks at ways to increase participation or guide learners to communicate in particular ways. Because CMC is not 226affected by time or place, it is also used as a means for teacher training and reduction of the isolation that many educators feel.