Computer-mediated communication in the undergraduate writing classroom: A study of the relationship of online discourse and classroom discourse in two writing classes

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between electronic discourse and face-to-face discourse in two undergraduate university writing classes in which computer-mediated communication (CMC) was employed to supplement regular in-class lecture and discussion. The study explores the potential influence of in-class discourse on the nature and rates of student participation in online discussions. Differences and similarities between electronic discourse and in-class face-to-face discourse were examined. Results of the study reveal complex relationships between online discourse and in-class discourse within the context of a particular course. Specifically, rates of student participation in online discourse and the nature of that participation were found to relate to the nature of in-class lecture and discussion, to the ways in which the instructor framed and managed the uses of CMC technologies, to the structure of the course, and to students' perceptions of the importance of CMC technologies; moreover, the study suggests that students' uses of CMC technologies were related in complex ways to their perceptions of their status as students enrolled in a university course. These results suggest the importance of understanding course-related online discourse within the context of a university course and undergraduate student experience.