Collaborative work networks among distributed learners

Examines collaborative work networks and media use among a class of distributed university distance learners. Social network data on interactions via each of the available media were gathered three times during the term. Class members made most use of Webboard, IRC, e-mail and face-to-face meetings. The results showed that these media filled different niches in the collaborative work patterns of this distributed group, and they suggest that, while some media provided support almost exclusively for project work (e.g. e-mail), others provided the type of class-wide interaction that supports the exposure to ideas and experiences of others that is a requirement for collaborative learning (e.g. IRC, face-to-face).