Definition and Genesis of an Online Discourse Community.
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| Title: | Definition and Genesis of an Online Discourse Community. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Kehus, Marcella1, Walters, Kelley2, Shaw, Melanie3 |
| Source: | International Journal of Learning. 2010, Vol. 17 Issue 4, p67-85. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Discourse groups, *Social networks, *Learning, *Case studies, *Authors, *Educators, Virtual communities, Websites, Technology |
| Abstract: | This case study examined how the form and function of a web-based environment for adolescent writers supported their writing and interactions around writing. The study focused on a group of adolescent writers given a private, non-anonymous space to interact online and potentially form a discourse community. As participant observer , the researcher used naturalistic inquiry to study the participants' use of web site and to build grounded theory from this specific virtual discourse community. Using a sociocultural lens, this study has its roots in genre theory with an emphasis on the social context of writing and the action that writing is used to accomplish. The case was analyzed on two levels. First, it provided thick description of the genesis of this community over a six-month period through analysis of major events and trends. This genesis was ultimately described in four phases: orientation, experimentation, productivity, and transformation. Second, discourse analysis of these interactions revealed how discourse community paralleled or differed from existing definitions of communities and how facilitation and design enabled or constrained participants in the process of forming community. Implications from this study extend to educators, researchers, and technological innovators alike. For educators, this study describes how adolescents might utilize such an online forum and how this could be educative along with offering insight into community building in general. Educative implications include the dynamic role of the facilitator , the importance of ownership and common purpose and social ties as well as building on the knowledge and values adolescents bring with them. This study also closely examined how technological design served to enable or constrain a virtual community in terms of factors such as privacy, a lack of anonymity, and technology's role as a mediating tool. For researchers, this case study exemplifies genre theory in action within a specific discourse community and identifies avenues for further inquiry. Furthermore, this study explores methodology and theory at the intersections of literacy and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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