ABSTRACT

In contrast to the other four narrative cases, Laura’s perceptions of the intervention with the online communication technologies were characterised much more by resonance than by dissonance between different mediating influences. A number of the identified factors appeared to resonate symbiotically, influencing her pedagogical intentions as expressed through her use of language and her actions both online and face to face. Such resonance manifested itself in a strong sense of intentionality within Laura’s case (Nardi, 1996). This was typified by a clear intention to exploit the affordances of the e-learning tools to meet the children’s needs in relation to the subject content, often realised by Laura’s commitment to reflecting critically upon her and her partner’s actions. I came to view these factors – affordance of the e-learning tools, learners’ needs, subject knowledge and reflection in or on action – as the primary mediating factors in Laura’s case, as I will examine now (Figure 6.1).