The analysis of the communicative interaction of an online education forum from textual-discursive and pedagogic-discursive perspectives: the local articulation of interventions

Since the 1990s, e-learning has transformed from learning models that are based on knowledge transfer into models based on knowledge creation. This change has been facilitated by the rapid introduction of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). ICTs provide a solid infrastructure for students and their tutors to interact with each another. However, not all modalities (or modes of study) can provide this type of infrastructure. One of the key elements that we need to take into consideration is provided by virtual modalities, where communicative interaction is developed in online forums. The objective of this article is, therefore, to analyze the sequencing of online activities/tasks that are carried out by participants and to identify whether the first online task can serve as a ‘guide’ or a ‘theoretical model’ of subsequent online activities. Our findings show that the sequencing of online tasks is more integrated and cohesive when done consecutively than when merely based on the initial online entry