Monologues, dialogues, and interactive conversations: Exploring an on-line discourse community for literacy educators

Abstract: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the on-line discourse accompanying a year-long professional development experience. Participants in this study were 19 graduate students, 5 teacher-leaders, and 1 university faculty member involved in a Reading Institute taught at an urban university in the Southeast. Primary data sources for the study consisted of over 1300 bulletin board postings from the beginning of a summer term through the end of the following spring. Secondary data sources were chat-room transcripts, course materials, informal interviews with the participants, and e-mail correspondence. Data were analyzed using a constant-comparative method. The findings indicate that students involved in an on-line course develop diverse ways of using the distance learning technology to communicate with others. Instructors and/or teacher leaders played an important role in modeling and scaffolding online dialogue in order to move communication from single postings, or monologues, to multi-person interactions. In a supportive learning environment, students can use an on-line community to further their understanding of assignments, seek out information, and provide support for one another