Sinking in a C‐M sea: a graduate student's experience of learning through asynchronous computer‐mediated communication

Abstract

While formats for online university courses vary according to subject and sponsoring university, many graduate level courses incorporate Computer‐Mediated Communication (C‐MC) as a context for learning. Wanting personally to experience a C‐MC, I enrolled in an asynchronous graduate course. I found, however, that I was not prepared for what transpired during those thirteen weeks in that virtual classroom: my learning style and conceptual framework were challenged, and my pedagogical paradigm given a good shake. What follows is a reflective dialogue on my C‐MC learning experience. I have deliberately chosen to objectify my experience into a third person dialogue format for two reasons: dialogue heightens the idea of social construction of knowledge, and it presents a representation of the learning which occurred when my dominant learning style encountered an unfamiliar, hence uncomfortable, learning environment.